Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1910-07-01
MEN NAMED BY HARMON WILL
DECIDE WHAT OHIO PRcP-
ERTY PAYS.
new SCHOOLS TO COST S2,OOO,OOO
Commission Appointed Will Fix Nor
NAL School Sites-Authority to
Employ Expert Engineers and
Accountants-othe Cap
tol News of Interest.


will take over on July 1 all the taxa
tion machinery Of Ohio.
He also announced his appoint
ments to the commission that will Sc
lect the sites and arrange the details |
of the establishment of two new nor
NAL schools in northern Ohio. The |
appointments are considered the most !
important that has come to the hand |
of an Ohio governor within the last |
ten years.
Judge Robert M. Dittey of High |
land county, Democrat, was named to
head the tax commission. He was
given the three year, or long term, to
expire February, 1913. F. E. Mum of
Bowling Green, former treasurer and
for months acting auditor of Wood
county, is the Republican member.
His term expires February, 1912
William B. Poland of Cincinnati, act
i've figure and many times an official
in the state organization of Ohio real
estate dealers, Democrat, was named
for the short term, expiring next Feb
ruary. The commission will meet at
once to organize and open head
quarters which, under the law, must
be in this city.
The new state tax commission will
be the most powerful body of its kind
ever created in the state. Upon it
rests the responsibility of wiping out
methods of administering the tax
laws that have been employed for
over half century, and of paving
the way for complete readjustment
of the taxation system of the state.
The new commission will replace the
IL state boards that have dealt with
the appraisement and adjustment of
taxes for years.
Commission Assumes New Duties.
In addition to replacing the state
boards, the new commission will take
over all the duties now imposed upon
county auditors in valuing railways,
electric and suburban roads. The
commission is vested with sweeping
authority. 1t will supervise the as
sessment and collection of all taxes
in which the state has even a remote
interest.
OF prime Importance, however, is
the section of the law giving the COM
mission the authority to apply the So
called Nichols law of valuation to all
public service utilities. Under this the
commission will devise ways and
means of valuing these great cor
porations as going concerns. In other
words, it will be up to the new COM
mission to see to it that the public
utility companies of the state return
their property at it's true value in
money, that they pay in taxes corre-
spondingly as much as the land and
home owner. The appointment of the
commission is the elimination of a
fight that has been waged through
legislatures for long years for a more
equitable distribution of the tax bur
den.
Experts Will Be Hired.
The commission Is given wide
authority in the hiring of numerous
experts, such as engineers and ac-
countants, and all such assistants as
may be deemed necessary to fix the
taxable value of Ohio property, and
then see that it Is put on the tax
duplicate. 1t will have a commanding
hand in seeing to 1t that Ohio corpo.
rations pay the full amount that is
levied under the excise and franchise
tax laws. The commission further has
the power Of review over local taxing
authorities. Its members may hold
sessions in any taxing district in the
state.
Judge Dittey, who heads the com
mission, was for six years probate
Judge of Highland county. Gov
Harmon named but one lawyer be
cause, he said, with two there would
have been disposition to convert the
body into debating society. F. e
Mum, the Republican member, was
selected largely because of his knowl
edge of farm and agricultural values
The fact also that he had exper
knowledge of the work OF county Off
cials in taxation matters figured in his
selection.
Normal School Facilities Doubled.
The normal school commission II
entrusted with the work of laying tn,
foundation for exactly doubling th,
normal school facilities in Ohio. T,
inaugurate the two new schools, 1t Il
estimated, will require an early ap
preparation of more than $4,000, 900.
State Printer Makes Good Record.
John l.. Sullivan has managed thu
office of state printer competent
Iy, according to the report of Expert
N. r. Brown and w. G. Wikoff, VIII,
checked up Mr. Sullivan's account
and all the transactions of the depart
ment covering his incumbency, an,
made report to Auditor of Stat
Fuilington. They show that Mr. SUI
Ivan turned into the state treasur
$2,166.54, realized from the sale o
gold sweepings and paper shayings
thus making the office, for the frs