The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1912-10-26

great length. The commissioners went
into executive session and set upon
Thursday as the time when mineral re-
servations would be considered.
When the review OF the mines was
completed the Crystal Falls TAXPAYERS
Association was called upon, an ar
rangement having been made on Mon
day that this association should he
given a hearing immediately following
the close of the mining review.
The association was represented by
Mr.. Conlin and he filed objection 90
the entire mineral assessment of the
county for some seventy five persons
that he represented, list Of which he
presented 10 the commission. In his
argument Mr.. Conlin showed that the
state of Michigan employed an expert
by direction Of the tax commission
made an appraisal of all the mineral
property of Iron county and fixed "A
valuation upon each parcel. Mr. Con-
lin confined his figures only to the city
of Crystal Falls for the reason that the
association is interested only in the
city OF Crystal Falls Mr. Finlay set
a value upon the mines OF the city Of
Crystal Falls of 81. 800. 900. At Sea-
sion OF the tax commission held subse-
quent 10 the issuing of the Fiulay re-
L. IL. If tl.u ,ss.,
cut to about 81, 500 900; that at that
session of the tax commission com
plant was filed by the mining com
panies against the general property of
the city and as a result of that com
plant appraisers were sent here to
pass upon the value of the property Of
the city outside Of the mines and that
these appraisers had set values upon
the general property which are strictly
In keeping with the values set upon the
mining property by Mr.. Finlsy that
the men who appraised the general pro-
perty were no better qualified to pass
upon general property than Finlay wac
to pass upon mining property as they
are all from the southern portion of the
state where the valuation Of business
and residence property is not wholly
dependant upon one enterprise as is the
case in Crystal Falls and that these
men set figures upon general property
under the same theory that they set
figures on general property in the man
ufacturing and farming counties of the
southern peninsula that If the mining
properties of this city are entitled to
reduction of nearly 80 per cent from
the valuations placed upon them by
Prof Finlay the general property Is
entitled to like reduction from the
valuation placed upon it by the APP
praisers who reported TO the 1912 SEES
sion of the board.
To show the relative proportion be-
tween the city and mining property
Mr.. Conlin presented figures from the
roll showing that before the tax com
mission visited this section in 1911 the
city of Crystal Falls had been assessed
on basis Of about $3.50, 900 mining
property ard 500. 900 general property
that after the tax commission visited
this section that the mineral valuation
went up to 81, 500, 600 the general pro-
perty remaining the same; that the
city board of review in 1912 had de-
creased the mineral valuation 1886, 900
and boosted the general property to
$500, 900, making total change against
the residence property of about $3.50.
900.
In order TO show that residence pro
perty was not escaping its fair snare of |
taxation as compared with the mining |
property Mr. Conlin took two of the
business properties OF the city; that
owned by Frank Scadden and that
owned by, the Diamond Drill and com
pared them with the Bristol mine.
Mr.. Conlin stated that the Bristol
might not be fair representative OF
other properties but added that the two
buildings might not. also, be a fair re.
preventative OF business properties bat
that IL was his opinion that the ex-
amples taken would represent fair
average.
Mr.. Conlin showed the net earnings,
the taxes paid and the assessments
upon each of those buildings for the
ears 1908. 1910. and 1911 and also the
net earning Of the Bristol mine as
based upon the profit per ton as shown
In the Finlay report.