The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1911-06-15
SECURE PEEK At INVENTORIES
officials Will Seek to Bring the Assess
ments fer Personal Property Up to
More Equitable Basis-Need Long
or Ternlss

With a~vIew or securing more
equitable assessment Of the personal
property of the big industrial plants
u the city Supervisor Of Assessments
Joseph A. Dalton aud the members of
the local board Of assessment are MAX
ing visits to all the plants in the city
and it is expected that these visits will
result in good many thousands of dol
lars being added to the personal prop
erty assessment roll The officials are
making a thorough investigation and
at most of the factories they are be-
ing cordially received by the officials.
Inventories showing just what personal
property the companies have are be-
ing shown to the assessors and it is
expected that the personal assessment
for the year will be based largely on
these inventories. Some of the plants
are found to la re been pretty we'll as
sessed last year and it is not expected
that any will be reduced from the last
wear s assessment. It is certain that
number of the companies will have
an increase in their personal assess
ment although all Of the officials are
insisting that last years assessment
should be sufficient.
When seen on Wednesday afternoon
Supervisor Dalton said: 'sWe see in
Kenosha big demand for re-assess-
ment of property annually, but it is
almost impossible for the assessors to
personally view all property each year
and make the new valuations. The
values placed last year were fairly sat
isfactory, but we feel certain that there
are many Ieople and companies who are
not paying the proper amount of per-
sonal taxes. In one place where a value
less than twenty thousand dollars was
assessed last year the inventory of the
company showed personal property of
nearly 100000. This it can be readily
seen is a case requiring attention. We
realize the fact that the factories con
tribute largely to the life of the com
munitv, but we feel that they should
not object to a fair taxation and the
local board and myself are seeking
nothing else. | have instructed the
assessors that they should make no re-
auctions from the figures of last year
and have urged them to get more of
the personal property listed. The men
in charge Of the factories have met us
kindly and while the law does not re-
quire them TO make public inventories
and other records they have shown a
willingness to produce these books in
order that we may be advised as to
just what personal property they have.
1t would pay the city of Kenosha to
employ the members Of the board of as
sessment during the entire year and
provide them with an office so that
they might work on the assessment for
Twelve lUSb6dQ Ol lOUT- ulOuGuS. In CllS
manner it would be possible for the
assessors to make a reassessment of
the property each year and provide not
only larger valuation for the city
but more equitable one.
The supervisor of assessments has OBJ
jected strenuously to the custom of the
city council of granting rebates after
taxes have been levied and collected
and he has insisted that the practice
be stopped. Under the law the coun-
ell has no right to make any rebate
Of taxes. The meeting of the board
Of review will begin the last Monday
in this month and it is the duty of
people seeking any change in their as
sessment to appear before the board
and not seek an adjustment of their
taxes from the council after the coun-
Gil has appropriated and spent the
IL