The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-06-20
U. P. INVESTIGATOR PROBES
TAXATION IN LOWER MICH.
Thomas Conlin Of Crystal Falls
Finds Many Instances Of
Under Valuation.
RICH FARMS ESCAPE TAXES

Marquette, Mich, June 2O.-Thomas
Conlin, a prominent citizen of Crystal
Falls and business associate Ga state
Senator NJ. IL. Moriarty, believes rat
when the legislature gets around TO
delving into inequalities i'm taxation
it will find as much work cut out for
itself i'm lower Michigan as north of
the straits.
Mr.. Conlin took advantage of little
leisure at Ludington, i'm Mason coun-
". to inquire into taxation conditions,
and he made some interesting discov-
cries. His deduction is that the rule
i'm Mason county is to largely under
value both real and personal property,
and that the differentiation becomes
more pronounced i'm exactly the ratio
that the property concerned becomes
more valuable. He says:
Mason county is equliazed at ST.
OOO,OO Q use even figures). II has 81
supervisors, five of whom represent
the city of Ludington, which is assess
cd as follows: Real estate, $2,O55,O25;
personal, $S67,690; total, $2,922,715.
Ludington is place of 10000 people
1t has large manufacturing interests.
Its assessor is Chris Hanson, and he
has held the office for 10 years. Its
supervisors are representative bust
ness men of the city, and not allied
with any particular industry The
majority of the county board are
farmers.
AT the last annual meeting there
was protest on what the unequal as
sessment between the farm property
and city property. AS a compromise
ington assessment, with the express
intent of keeping the assessed valua-
ton of the county of Mason below
100000 because of the ncarness to
the regular review by the state board
of equalization. The city property is
supposed to be assessed at about 20
per cent of its actual value. l have
had several estimates given me as To
the percentage of farm assessments To
actual value, the lowest being GO per
cent and the highest 70 per cent.
The Stearns Hotel Co. owns the
big hoted of that name. Its capital is
$4,000. The report shows as follows:
Real estate, $62,SO4; goods and chat
tells, $4,000. The assessment upon
this property is as follows: Real cs-
tate, $4,000; personal. $4,000; total,
$500.
THE Anchor Salt Co. reports capital
paid i'm at $4,000. Its assets are: Real
estate, S55.1O5; goods and chattels.
$iS,5SS. This corporation is assessed
as follows: Real estate, $4,000; per-
sonal, $31.7O5; total, S11S,7O5. 1t is
quite probable that some of the realty
of this corporation is not located in
this assessing district.
The Ludington Gas Co. has a CAPT
tai of 100000. Its report shows: Real
estate, $70140; goods, $4049; other
property, such as mains, meters, etc.,
$177.324.39. l could find but one as
sessment of $4,000, personal. against
this corporation.
The Stearns Light q Power Co. is
another of the public service corpora
tons. Its capital is $4,000. Its re-
port shows: Real estate, s47,106;
goods and chattels, $S6,593. But one
assessment of $4,000 could be found
against this corporation.
Turning to the farm property. l
find some interesting assessments. I
picked out two rolls, hit or miss, from
the pile Of books. one proved to be
that of Amber township. The assess
or John Conrad, is a farmer. This
township is next east of Ludngton,
and its land is fair; some of IL is poor.
/ opened the roll and took descriptions
from page to page, not knowing any
thing of their value. / put down the
and later on got the in
formation regarding them.
Here are some of the choice farms
of Riverton township, with informa-
ton / got about them: Jerome Har-
mon has 10 acres, genuine fruit farm,
heavy to peaches: assessed at SO, 200.
John Rincbolt has 40 acres i'm fruit;
fruit land i'm the county. The build
ings alone on his farm are worth $4,-
900. His entire assessment is s1,40O.
John Rineholt has 40 acres i'm fruit;
good buildings; assessed at $1,000.
The southwest quarter of the south
west quarter. section 4, town II, range
IL. sold for more than $1,000. 1t is as
sessed at s1,S00. Frank Shovy owns
so acres for which he was offered $12,-
O00 These two descriptions are as
sessed at $4,000.
"As I say, some of these figures,
especially those az the city corpora
tons, may be to some extent mislead-
ing, but il occurs to me that an agent
from the upper peninsula could show
Just as much tax evasion in the lower
peninsula as can be shown in the up
per, If not more"