The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1908-08-06
REDUCTION IN
TAX ASSESSMENTS
Decrease of $127, ,220 in Tax
Lists Found by Glimpse
at Auditors Records.
CAUSE MATTER OF CONJECTURE
People of Calumet Region Looking
For a Satisfactory Solution of
the Problem.
CAUSE MATTER OF CONJECTURE

Notwithstanding the fact that during
the past year the Standard Steel Car
company built n plant in this city at a
cost of $5,0OO,OO0, the Western Glucose
$3,0OO,0OO and the city of Hammond
enlarged its corporate limits to take In
the thousands of dollars worth of i'm
provements at Gibson, to say nothing
of the remarkable improvements at the
Standard settlement and all over the
city of Hammond, the total of taxable
property in Hammond decreased from
$7,613,74O to $7,4S6,520 or a decrease of
of $I27, ,22O.
Reduction Causes Speculation.
How in the world such a condition Of
affairs could be brought about is only
matter of conjecture. In North town
ship there was a decrease in the amount
of taxables from $1,909,360 to $1,752, ,1SO,
or $157,1s0, but this is accounted for by
the fact that the territory in and
around Gibson which was formerly IN
North township is now included in the
city limits of Hammond.
In the case of East Chicago there
was a decrease in the amount of tax
able property in spite of the fact that
the territory including the Grasselli
Chemical works was taken in and that
there have been such factories as the
HARRISON Walker factories built and
there has been more building going on
in Indiana Harbor than in any city
in the Calumet region. The reduction
in East Chicago was from S4.945,610, to
$4,924, ,005. or a reduction of $21,505.
Whiting Shows Increase.
The city of Whiting is the only one
which shows an increase in it's valua-
ton. The value of taxables last year
was $6.91S,145 and this year it Is Sc
930,S30, or an increase of s12.6S5 over
the previous year.
]. In Munster this year there is also a
slight increase. The value of taxables
last year was s65s,700 and this year it
is S66S,490, or an increase of $3.50.
These figures are supposed to be
acurate for the reason that they are the
ones which were submitted to F. Rich
ard Schaaf, trustee of North township,
for the purpose of enabling him to
make his levy for township purposes
for the ensuing year.
The strange thing about the report is
the fact that in the active towns where
there has been the most improvements
and the greatest activity and where the
amount of taxables has been increased
by the acquisition of additional terri
tory there has been a decrease in the
amount of taxables while in the quiet
towns such as Whiting and Munster
which have been supposed to be stand
ing still there has been an increase in
the valuation.
Would Like 1t Explained.
It is a problem that the people of the
Calumet region would probably be very
much pleased to see explained one way
or another. 1t is possible that there
has been a lowering of the standard of
appraisments of values to know about
any such reduction and the people seem
to paying as much taxes as before.
matter of interest to the people of
the county outside of North township
is the fact that the valuation in Gary is
fixed at $5.70O,905. although the United
States Steel company is reputed to have
spent $50, 100000 on the mill site alone
to say nothing of the city itself.