Putnam patriot., 1910-06-24
Tax EsuaIiratioa.


 The State Bosrd of Equalization Is again stirring up the assessors in all parts of the State to get their grand lists where they belong. Only few Of the many towns of the State have complied with this legal requirement. Not they are unwilling, but because it Is service requiring the best expert training. When has there eyer been & board Of assessors of any town willing 10 assume the responsibility of fixing i the true value of each parcel of taxa ble property And fl they did conscien- tiouSiy endeavor to do so, what indus- trial plants would submit to its Or even ordinary improved propertys As for the unimproved property. hela' for from five to ten times the value for which 1t is handed in for taxation, is it likely there would there 5e submis- sions
 If there is a just rate of assessment made in accordance with the law $ de- mand, how is to be done?
 The New Haven Times Leader, in re- ference to the SIS, ,e07 ,o0o added by the State to lists of l3i towns.
 sThe law says that taxable property shall go into the list at it's true market value.
 True market value is an elastic term and generally there isquite difference between the estimate of the owner for tax list entry and his estimate of value 10 the customer who wants to buy.
 If the State Board of Equalization has not seriously erred in judgment, the tax dodging game is still played 10 an extent that is rather startling.s
 The Hartford Courant says, upon the same matter:
 "There isn't county without town that is jumped up al least million. By counties, Hartford Is lifted most, Fairfield second and New London third.
 The revision of the lists is absolutely necessary, owing to the prevailing qua lilies of human nature. If there were no such oversight, the town listing it's taxpayers the lowest would have the least proportionate part of the tax To pay. If we are To share that burden equitabiy. our lists must be on con- mon basis, and there must he super vising authority to assure this eondl- tion. But after all, il presents our old- tune companion, human nature, in no very becoming light. This whole task of revising lSl grand lists and adding the magnificent sun of sf.s.oo1,o0 would be entirely superfluous If each town and each taxpayer complied with the law
 Last year the Business Men s Associ- ation of Putnam invited State Tax Commissioner Gorbin to address our citizen $ Association. After Explaining the law requiring the assessors, in mak- ing up their grand list, to place al1ta able property thereon al it's true mark ct value, he said 1t did not benefit the town to have low grand list. on the contrary il was deiriment to the town, beeanse it was necessary to place seemingly high rate of taxation in or der to get revenue to meet the towns expenses. The effect of that high rate of taxation is to frighten of people who would otherwise become residents if the rate of taxation was what it ought to be. There was period when low tax list favored the town, when the State accepted all town lists on which to tax the towns. It does so no longer 1t now makes its own assessment of all taxable property of each town on which to base taxation.
 The Courant's remarks above would seem to imply that the lower its list the less tax rate the town would pay the State. This would contradict Conn missioner Corbin's statement-and he ought to know. Easing an increase Of our grand list on the statement of the Commissioner, say ten per cent, and placing the same percent on each tax payers list, all that is necessary to do is to reduce the tax rate ten per cent to keep his tax bill as if no increase in the grand list had been made.
 Our town should take Commissioner Corbin's advice, and raise its grand list to conform to that of the State at least, which can be done without exacting any additional taxation from each tax payer, and the State no more than II does now. Who start the movement?