The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1910-06-03

There is no doubt that the taxing
system of the entire state of Michigan
needs an overhauling. The state grange
would do well frankly to recognize this
fact, instead of endeavoring to foment
an agitation that, if successful. would
single out seven mining counties for.
discriminatory attention.
Unless wrongful taxing conditions i'm
Michigan are corrected the people will
pick up their papers one of these days
to learn that the railroads have been
successful i'm overturning the heavy,
levies made against them. The -teles.
phone companies, now taxed under the,
ad valorem system under a law pass
ed by the legislature i'm its last session.
have refused to pay all their taxes.
on the ground that they are unjust and
discriminatory because their property
has been given much higher percen
tage of assessment value than the gen.
eral property of the state.
The telephone and railroad COM
panies are in the same boat. Their
property has been appraised for taxa
ton purposes by special investigators,
who have reported figures closely APP
proximating the true values. Whether
the railroads and telephone companies
are assessed at absolutely true cash
value or not, there is no doubt that
they are paying a sufficiently higher
rate of assessment value than the
general property of the state To make
The railroads have seriously consid
cred fighting their taxes. So far they
have judged IL the part of wisdom To
acquiesce in what they believe To be
unjust taxes rather than To anger the
people of the state by tying up the
primary shcool money and thus open
themselves TO the attacks of agita- !
tors There is little doubt, however, |
that the railroads could fight their
they would have no great difficulty |
that they are Disseminated |
against and called on to pay consid-
erably higher rate of tax than the !
general property of the state.
To make the advalorem law court |
proof ways and means must be found |
of securing equitable taxation through
out the state. At "A time when the
Detroit News is devoting considerable |
space to a discussion of taxing condi-
tons in the upper peninsula. the state
tax commission is roofing out, i'm low
er state coupties, many fragrant in
stances of gross underyaluation of city |
and country property which it is de- |
must be corrected, under |
threat that unless they are the COM
mission itself will make an assessment
roll.
The ad valorem system should be
made secure against attack by the rail-
roads, the telephone interests or any
other interest now taxed under It, The |
upper peninsula will have no quarrel
with a program proposing that this be |
done. It will fare well enough in the pro-
cess OF REIMBURSEMENT Conditions in |
the upper peninsula will be found to be |
as good as conditions in those lower
state counties the tax commission has
been showing up the past few weeks.
What the upper peninsula and the min
ing counties object TO is being singled
out as region of special tax abuses.
The upper peninsula Is in Michigan
and of Michigan, even II cut off from
the larger part OF the state by a mar
row band Of water at the Straits of
Mackinaw. Michigan's faults are Its
faults; Michigans virtues it's virtues,
also. And this holds for taxation, as
well as for everything else. When tax