The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-09-10


perties failed TO yield desirable result.
and they. too. are now taxed on an as-
sessed valuation. precisely AZ are the
farms. the factories. the mines aud
the mercantile establishments. The
preliminary steps toward placing all
forms Of property ON the same basis
for the purpose OF state taxation wers
taken under the administration OF the
late Governor Pingree. who. in his
message to the tortieth lesiglature. de
livered January 3. 1899 said OF the
system tten in use
Equal taxation has ever been the
paramount problem involved in civil
government. The best thinkers in
every age nave grapped with the ques-
ton. but as yet we are, apparently. a.
Tar from project system as We were
half n century ago IL is one OF the
principal objects OF government TO
equalize. public burdens. and both the
contribution and the law. in form. at
least. contain n guarantee OF it The
question OF equal taxation has become
the most important question In this
State. Thousands of citizens have ex-
pressed not only their approval OF II.
but their disapproval Of the present
system as applied to certain classes OF
property There
shoult be but one rule and one method
in order to create an equality before
the taxing law
There may be difference in the
manner OF determining the value OF
different kinds OF property. When that
question is reached. ID can be solved by
the proper authorities, but the rule OF
taxation should be simple one and
applied 10 all alike.
This is an unsparing arrsignment OF
the system Of taxation subsequently
dicsrded. and which the advocates Of =
tonnage tax for iron and copper mines
now seek TO have restored in part. II
was formulated after the state had for
many years tested that system and
found II unsatisfactory in many i'm
: portant respects. What Is the argu-
7 ment in favor Of It's restoration in part
at that timer And IL it should he APP
piled to class OF mining properties
and not 20 any other form OF property.
what is the justification for such dis
: elimination against these propertiesS
The answer OF those who advocate
change is that. under the al valorem
system, the iron and copper mines are
! not paying as large a share OF the state
taxes as they should. But is this trues
, Let us take. for illustration, Hough.
i ton County, the most populous Of the
upper peninsula counties. IN which the
greatest OF our copper mines are locat-
ed, and compare its valuation for state
taxation with that of each Of the four
I most populous and wealthy counties Of
{ lower Michigan Wayne. Kent, Sagi-
nav aud Bay
!. Houghton County has population
Of 20. 695 according TO the census OF
!. 1904. while that of Wayne is given at
g $50. s97. Wayne's population il. rs
: SHOWN by these figures about five and
). one half times that Of Houghton How
, do their assessments as fixed by the
State Board Of Equalization compared
n Houghton is on the tax roll ~ an ap.
A. praisal, for the purpose Of taxation. Of
% $l40. 600. 600 90, while that OF Wayn,
~ is $3.50. 500, 747. 90, or but two and one
- half times as great. though the count,
~ has over five times the population
"a To put it In another light. the pc
- capita taxation IL more than twice a
10 heavy for every man. woman and chile
=. in Houghton County as IL is IN Wayne
n. Notwithstanding the fact that Wayn
includes the great city OF Detroit an
n. numerous hourishing towns and vii
n. lagos, and has rich farming territor
n. in addition When the vast wealth q
,ts Detroit is taken into account, its bauK
i'd and trnst companies handling none
~ by the millions its acres of manufaC
~. turing plants it's street after street {
mt wholesale houses It's miles OF DOCK
on and wharves devoted TO shipping, wit
all it's diversified interests and indu'
nd tries bringing business and prosperit
in to it's nearly -four hundred thousan
,ce people. is IL not absurd to claim tina
IN. the per capita wealth there is less tina
II half what IL is In Houghton, wher
a the population outside OF the ihiu
nd arrangements and clerical forces
te. made mp chiefly OF miners who wor
ed for n day wage, and the dealers an
!. others who subsist by catering to need
n. Of tue mining population
.or Kent County, In which Is locate
mt the prosperous furniture city" Q
.e. Grand Rapids, has a population o
100 A9S about fyvfca that ~ Hnu0hfor