Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1910-04-21
ASSESS PROPERTY
At TRUE VALUE


When the meeting of the assessors
was ended Wednesday afternoon the
officials were so elated over the adj
dress and suggestions offered in the
way of improving the assessment of
the county by George Curtis, Jr.,
that one of their number offered a
resolution voting a resolution of
thanks to Mr. Curtis for his gener-
GUS part of the days program, which
was seconded and endorsed by every
assessor N the room
When the meeting opened at two
o'clock, Supervisor Mitchell inform
ed the board that Mr.. Curtis would
address the body and the citizens
present. Mr.. Curtis explained to
the audience the formation and
duties of the tax commission of the
state, of which he is one of the
three members. The tax commission
exists for results, he says, and the
purpose is to get an even djstribu
ton of the burden of taxation of
the state among it's people, and that
its mission is to teach the gospel of
righteousness. The idea of the for
nation of the commission was to get
group of men to get down to
earnest study in the subject of tax
alton to get a clearer conception of
law in that phase of government.
The commission at the organization
of the board ten years ago were Civ
en- general supervision in tax mat
ters with no actual way to work it
out, in later years it's work has been
broadened by supervising the state
railroad taxes and the making of
the state assessment.
Mr.. Curtis told of the creating of
the office of the supervisor of as
sessment by the state legislature, re-
marking that this official, in a way,
is a member of the commission for
each county, looking after the work
of the assessors, trying to have them
give a square deal to neighbor and
neighbor.
1t is the effort of the commission,
Mr.: Curtis says, to secure better
things in the way of taxation as
they now exist. A great many peo-
pie think that the formation of the
commission was a foolish piece of
business and that it lis just an un-
necessary office, formed for the pur
pose of getting taxes. He related
that the causes from the natural
growth of the state in population
and industrial progress for the high
er taxes
Mr. Curtis says that the commits
sion are. anxious to get the values
of all property at it's true value, and
the sooner this practice is done, the
result will be a better mode of tax
alton, and that the people will be
better satisfied. He cited instances
in state, county, city, village and
town, where all the amounts used
for purposes in the branch of gov
ernment was raised in lump sums
instead of on the percentage basis,
except the common school taxes,
which are based on the wealth of
community and the number of
children.
At the present time, Mr.. Curtis
believes, that the rate of valuation
put on. property is simply an arbi-
trary one, instead of being fixed at
actual value This uniformity in val
ues is unjust to neighbors in anoth-
er assessment district, as the as
sessment is not relative. The com
missioner says that one of the reas-
| ons of fixing a low rate of taxation
| is caused by fear On the part of the
! assessor, who wants to keep the as
sessment down, believing that if he
puts it at true value the county
and state will raise it to higher
valuation than what it actually is.
In closing Mr.. Curtis gave the
assessors a little advice, and that
was to follow the instructions of
their supervisor of assessments, Mr..
Mitchell, aus he is representative
man, broad minded, intelligent and
honest; willing to work and capable
to give accurate ideas, and above
all follow the ideal of what is ac-
tually right when you begin your
work of assessing property on the
first day of May.
After this the assessors had a
round table talk, discussing various
uncertain points of their work, all of
which Mr.. Mitchell or Mr.. Curtis ex-
planned to them in satisfactory way
| The meeting closed at about five
| o'clock and the assessors returned
to their respective homes, well pleas
ed with the added knowledge of how
to give a square deal in making out
the assessment of their districts
property.