Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-03-04
POLITICAL ORGANIZATION PLOTS
TO MAKE TOOLS OF BOARDS
CHOSEN BY PEOPLE.
BILL WRESTS POWER
LAW GIVES APPRAISERS
The Object of the Bill Is to Entrench
the Present Appointive Boards
Other State News
of Interest.

Columbus, O.-The powerful, state
wide political and business organ
ization centering about the city
board of taxation review has reached
out to rob the people of all the bene-
fits of the new quadrennial appraise-
ment law. The bold plan revealed
here is to wrest from the voters in
Ohio cities control of the taxation ma
chinery, to again place it under the
domination of the political rings that
dictate appointments to local boards
of review through the state board of
assessors and appraisers.
This purpose is sought to be
accomplished through a series of re-
markable bills in the house by Rep
resentative Reed of Wood county.
One bill gives boards of review an alb
solute veto power over the acts of the
quadrennial appraisers, who are elect
ed by the people. 1t authorizes the
city boards to pass upon the valua-
tions made by the quadrennial ap-
praisers and to arbitrarily lower and
increase the same without regard to
the aggregate of the duplicate.
The object of the bill is to entrench
the present appointive boards in pow
er and to strip the elective officials
of all real authority in the final de-
termination of tax valuations. An
other Reed bill empowers the state
board to extend the period in which
local boards of review may hold ses-
sions. Another creates county boards
of review, consisting of three men,
bers, to be appointed by the county
commissioners. This board is to have
all powers now held by county COM
missioners in supervision of valua-
tions outside of municipalities.
The possible enactment of a law
creating a state taxation commission
will not help any. The Langdon tax
commission bill abolishes every ex-
listing state tax board except the state
board of appraisers and assessors.
The life of this board, which appoints
the local boards of review, is extended
entirely because of fear for the power
welded by the board of review Or
ganization with it's business ramifica-
tions.
Another Reed bill empowers the
state board to extend the period in
which local boards of review may
hold sessions. Another creates coun-
ty boards of review, consisting of
three members, to be appointed by the
county commissioners. This board is
to have all powers now held by coun-
ty commissioners in supervision of
valuations outside of municipalities.
President Allen Ripley Foote of the
Ohio state board of commerce is a
moving spirit behind the bills.
The last word from outside inter-
ests has been heard on the Woods
public utility bill. The bill will be
reported without material amendment.
The dispute in the committee is over
recommending the measure But
whether it is reported favorably or
put out without recommendation the
bill will go to the floor of the house
where the real fight will take place.
The four hearings before the COM
mittee, featured by fierce attacks
against the bill, have been mild com.
pared with the contest that is i'm
pending on the floor.
The substitute utility bill bearing
the name of Representative Winters
of Sandusky made it's appearance on
scheduled time. 1t was Immediately
the target for volley of adverse
criticism. The bill appears remark
able only for what 1t does not con-
tain. While it adds largely to the
scope of the railway commission. the
commission is given little or no
added authority with which to deal
with the utilities nominally put
under it's supervision. There is no
provision giving authority over stock
issues, power to prevent unlimited
watering of stock, which is feature
of the Woods bill. The bill Is practic-
ably negligible as far as lighting, heat
ing and street railway companies are
concerned. 1t proposes uniform sys.
tenn of bookkeeping and accounting
for public utility companies as is car
ried in the Woods bill patterned after
existing laws in other states.
The resolution of Smith of Marion
calling for the abandonment of the
canals was followed by a bill offered
by Gibbs of Lorain for the sale of all
the canal property. The bill creates
a board consisting of the governor,