The Cairo bulletin., 1908-03-07
THE ILLINOIS MAYORS.

The Illinois mayors who met In
\ Chicago this week to discuss the finan.
cial condition of their municipalities
had an interesting time comparing
notes. They found conditions nearly
the same all over the state-an
equally bad; and all agreed that some
general measure Of relief was much
needed The general complaint was
the same as it is In Cairo. that the
4 Limitations placed upon the taxing
power make 1t Impossible TO collect
enough revenue to meet the needs Of
city government. from one-fifth Of the
asscssors valuations which the law
fixf rs tho taxable value.
Nfsrn this one-fifth taxable value
limitation was enacted some good ar
gumfnt was offered In its favor Our
own Senator Warder was one of the
strongest friends of the new law and
helped much to push 1t through. The
s revenue laws of the state needed
changing badly for conditions had
been going from bad to worse for
years. owing principally to evasions
BIZ property owners and depression In
the assessors valuations which
seemed to show that. instead of gain
Ing in wealth. the people of Illinois
were growing poorer all the time
II was argued that property owners
fought shy of the assessor because
the law required all property not only
assessed but also taxed at fits fun
value. AS result there was a con
slant beating down" of property
values on the assessors books aud
1t was notorious fact that the fig
ures on these books did not represent
more than 10 to rs per cent OF the
real value Of property. To check this
downward tendency the new law re-
quired full market valuation
BY the assessor but the extension OF
taxes upon only one-fifth of such val
nation. 1t was expected that there
would be great increase in valuations
81 property on the assessors books
in fact the assessors We're expected
10 list all property at its full market
value. There was an increase. It is
true. but not such as was necessary
to make up the deficiency occasioned
BY the provision that only one fth
OF the given value should be assessed,
and the result was that revenues for
cities and copnties were. n anything
hess than before after fne first effecl
or the law had passed. and the dis
fress has. been greater than ever IN
many cities.
The suggestion which seemed Il
meet with favor. among the mayors
Z II Chicago, that the bond issue limit
Re raised from per cent to 10 PEI
cent. is all right to raise money FOL
special Improvements: but it is mani
testify not the right sort Of method 4
urcside the much needed annual n
crease of revenue TO meet the regsflai
running expenses of city govern
merfs. To meet this need SOM
change mast be made by which cite
may be able to get more money iron
The regular tar levy than they caI
net under the present laws As the.
Pow stand the laws limit the rat
and cut the taxable value of propertl
H. une-fifth OF whatever the assesso
may present. which latter Is admitted
" not over 81 per cent OF real value
On an Averages that on the whols
on1v ten per cent of the real or ful
value Of property is taxed for govern
menf Purposes
Something must be done. TO saw
usnr communities from municipa
bankruptcy. aud Cairo Is one Of These
Perhaps q separation Of munieipa
<7em state TAXATION. and raising Q
he rate limit FOR corporation purpose