The Cairo bulletin., 1909-04-04
PROPERTY VALUES
TO Be RAISED
AS MEANS OF INCREASING THE
CiTY'S REVENUE NEXT
YEAR.
WILL ASK ASSESSORS
To Make Fair Valuation on Per
sonaI Prcperty->erotest Against
Jumping On Saloons
For More Revenue.

AS was expected. chairman w. n
Hurt gave the gathering at the Me-
! chants Luncheon yesterday livol
stirring up on the subject of raisin
revenue for the city. The atten,
anee was good and much interes
was developed in the course of tn
Injecting, although Mr. Hurt was tn
principal speech maker.
Mr. Hurt said that everybody was
business man in one way or anothe
/ and all should stand together ans
have due regard for one another
rights. Each should bear his JUS
ishare of the burdens of government
Land should not try to shift his share
upon the shoulders of his neighbor
He deplored the disposition to jumI
Jon the saloon men every time there
was any PROPOSE ion TO raise more
money for government purposes, The
saloon men We're now paying a large
share of expenses of government,
were doing it cheerfully and were
willing TO pay more if necessary.
But if they were paying the larger
share of the expenses of goveTn'
ment it was but right that they should
have larger privilege in running
the government than any other class,
He said he had hoped to finl it pos
sible to impose license taxes upon
all lines of business as they do in
! Paducah, but this was not possible
under the law, as he hal been in
formed by Judge Dewey, He there
fore urged that the property values
be raised SO as to produce a larger
revenue. There were too many tax
dodgers, owners of property who
gave i'm their holdings at ridiculously
low figures. and thus evaled JUST
taxation. He believed every citizen
should give the assessor a fair valua-
tion on his property and thus bear
his just share of the burdens of gov
eminent.
Chas. Feuchter did not think il
wise to increase valuation OF real es.
tate, as this had a heavy burden to
carry on account of improvement as
sessments. But personal property
was assessed entirely too low and the
assessors who are now out making
the assessment for this year ought
to raise the valuations.
Prof. Clendenen said people gave
In low valuations because they knew
their neighbors did. He urged that
the patriotic citizens should give the
fair value of their property irrespec-
tive of what their neighbors did.
Judge Dewey said this was an OPP
perfume time to raise the valuation
of personal property. All citizens
Iput their property in too low, each
does it because others do it. The
argument was made that if Cairo
valuations were raised they would
be out of proportion to yalutions in
other places in the state and Cairo
would pay more than her share OF
state taxes. Judge Dewey pointed out
that the state tax was but a very
Ismall part of the total tax, only one
fourteenth part A higher valuation
would raise the corporation tax, but
would not raise the school, or bond
taxes. because these were fixed sums,
IF anything was to be done it should
he done now as the assessors were
Ialready at work and would be
through by the lst of May.
Mayor Parsons spoke of the move
ment to clean the city started by the
ladies of Cairo, and the encourage
ment they were being given by citi'
tzens and by city authorities.
Thos f. o'Shea moved that the
meeting go on record as favoring a
% per cent increase in personal
property valuations. Carried.
On motion the chair was directed
to appoint committee of citizens to
Invite the county assessor and his as
tsistants to a consultation for the pur
pnee Of agreeing upon higher va'u
ation of property.
After naming J. H. Martin, man
lager of the Kress Ten Cent Store, IS
chairman of the next meeting, a mo
ton to adjourn was carried.
Committee Named.
Later in the evening Mr.. Hurt
named the following gentlemen &c
meet with the assessors for the pur
Ipcse stated: p. T. I.angan, Paul G
Schulz. C. s. Carey Douglas Hall
day. Chas. Feuchter. The meetinl
lis to be held Tuesday evening at the