The Detroit times., 1910-10-21
BIC FIGHT COMING
ON EQUALIZATION
Country Supervisors Make Strong
Protest Against Boosts Proposed
By City Members.


tory OF the board OF county supervts-
ors Is predicted when the equalization
committee hands In its report. TINS
was shown by the vigorous manner IN
which the country supervisors At
tackled the figures of the committee a.
already agreed upon by the city mem
bers. who are In the majority. These
figures were agreed upon In a meet
ing OF the city members held recently,
which the country members were not
invited to attend.
The figures as they stand, and az
they will probably go before the board
for ratification, show tremendous In
creases all along the line In the
country districts, and some OF the
| country supervisors threaten 10 go
into the courts to have the figures re-
duced.
Supervisor Labadie. Ecorse town
ship, whose municipality was given q
boost of $2,50O,O0O over his assess
ment, was the most outspoken OF the
| ''kickers.-
You city members get together ana
arrange the figures to suit yourselves,
he declared. I'VE are not consulted.
You know nothing OF values and con-
ditions In the township. Not a single
city member OF the equalization com
mittee has ever visited Ecorse town
ship in search of information to at
himself to pass on the correctness OF
the assessment figures as compiled
The boost given us this year Is simply
outrageous, and we won't stand Tor
1t. that's all. Well go into the court
to stop 1t, II necessary"
Mr. Labadie got about as much at
tention as kicks from the country
usually bring. The city members
grinned and told him to go ahead with
the suit.
Supervisor Beaufait, OF Crosse
Pointe, on whose figures a little mat
ter Of 100000 was added, also had
his say, which was much along the
same line as Mr.. Labadie's talk, but
he didn't threaten to go to law.
Supervisor Crowley, of Taylor town.
ship was almost as outspoken as the
member from Ecorse.
IAN increase Of 100000 on my
township is beyond all reason, he de-
clared with emphasis, bringing his fist
down on the table with thump that
made the other members sit up, "and
tell you right now that We will go
into the courts II We cannot get JUS
tice here. These cases have been taken
to court before and the townships won
out, too. If this thing is kept up you
will have US as high as the city Of
Detroit. Land Is assessed now for
moro than 1t would bring at a sale,
and my people won't stand for any
further increase"
During his talk Mr.. Crowley sug-
gested the appointment OF a county
assessor or a committee with some
knowledge Of county conditions.
II have a motion to that effect ready
now to present to the board" spoke
up Mr.. Labadie.
| Supervisor Hurst, Of Dearborn. was
more gentle In his remarks, but he
made Ii plain that he would put up a
fight before he would stand for the
$4,000 tackled onto his figures.
The figures Of the committee as they
now stand, and as they will probably be
presented to the board, show big in
creases in every township. the total
| increase over the assessment being
$19,176,514. The increase over the
equalized figures of 1909 Is consider
ably less, however, being. 1887. 012.
The city members maintain that the
assessment OF the country supervisors
is unfair and are kept at the same fig
ure from year to year. the assessors
seldom taking into account any in
crease In population or values, but
aiming always to keep the figures just
as low as they dare and shift the bur-
den on the other townships or the city.
Another meeting Of the committee
will be held Friday morning, at $3.50.
Following are the figures as they
now stand: