The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1912-08-01
Major Answers Cowgirl

OCCduoC AttOIuCy OCuCIdi MAUI ,
in discussing the actions of the State
Board of Equalization, made the state
ment that Judge Cowgirl and Gov.
Hadley voted together on resolution
which if carried would have trebled
the taxes on zeal estate in Missouri,
Mr.. Cowgirl has attacked Mr.. Major
in published statement.
Inreply to Treasurer Cowgirl, At
torney-G General Major says:
ION March %, 1909, Gov. Hadley
offered a substitute resolution, the
purpose of which was to treble the
taxes on all real estate in Missouri by
assuming that the property was as
sessed at one-third its real value, and
by requiring said property to be as
sessed at its full cash value.
"This resolution was voted for by
Gov. Hadley and Judge Cowgirl, state
treasurer, and was defeated by the
vote of John P. Gordon, state auditor;
Cornelius Roach, secretary of state,
and my vote as Attorney-General. In
defeating this resolution we prevent
ed the taxes of the citizens of this
state, in the cities as we'll as in the
counties, from being trebled.
Property Owners Saved.
"The real estate in the cities,
towns, villages and counties is as
sessed at about the same relative val
ues. In this way property owners
Of every city, as we'll as those in the
country, were alike saved from hav-
ing their taxes increased.
"The assertion that these gentle
men intended to reduce the rate will
not stand. The State Board of Equil-
ization has nothing to do with the
rate. The state rate is fixed by stat
ute (Section 1l415, r. S., 1909, and
can be changed only by an act of the
legislature. 1t needs no argument to
convince anyone that the treblng of
the assessed value would treble the
tax. No amount Of sophistry can es-
cape this conclusion.
The resolution therefore, would
increase the taxes, and would not
bring to the books for the assessment
or taxation a single dollars worth of
property or reach single tax dodger.
eff a mans state tax on his real
estate was $50 the adoption Of the
resolution would be to make his state
tax $3.50. Therefore, defeating the
resolution on the theory of property
being assessed at one-third, as adj
vanced in support of the resolution,
saved that person the difference be-
tween $50 and $3.50, or 500. This is
true, no matter whether the property
is located in a town, city or village. 1t
would apply no matter ~whether it
was upon a humble home or an ex-
pensive one.
State Revenues Sufficient.
The state revenues are sufficient,
economically handled, to meet all eX-
penses of the state and keep its inst
tutions on a parity'with those of other
states in the union, and no reason
can exist for such an increase and no
reason why taxes should be arbitrari-
ly drawn from the pockets of the peo-
pie of Missouri to meet extravagant
ideas and methods in handling the
states business.
"Real estate and personal property
and the property of corporations are
now on an equality. The board has
raised the value of corporate proper
ty many millions of dollars during the
present administration, so as to place
them on the same basis as other prop
critics in the state.
"Once in a while some one will
contend that the property in some of
the cities is assessed higher than the
country property. That is not true.
If it is true, it is brought about solely
by local assessors or boards for the
purpose of meeting heavy or extrav-
agant local expenditures-conditions
which do not obtain elsewhere in the
state. Should this be true, it would
be folly to expect the State Board of
Equalization to adopt that locality as a
standard by which to equalize the re-
naming portions of the state-in 9th
er words, to increase the whole state
merely because one county should,
through extravaganza be compelled
to increase the assessment of its peop-