Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-08-14
TAX COMPLAINTS
ARE NOW BEFORE
BOARDOF REVIEW
Equalizing Body Hears Argu-
ments in Cases Against F. Z.
Rhoads and w. Jackson.
CAN THEY TAKE STAND?
Question of Forcing Witnesses to Tell
Amount OF Their Holdings Is
Warmly Discussed.

Whether the board of review has
the legal right TO place tax payer
under oath to inquire as to his proper
ty holdings in order to ascertain if he
is lodging his taxes was threshed out
before the equalizing body this morn
ing at the courthouse. The matter
came up through the complaints of
Harry NJ. McCaskrin, alleging that
Franklin X. Rhoads and Hon. William
Jackson had failed to list with the as
SCISSOR all hteir property for taxation
and urging that they be brought be-
fore the board for the purpose of CIV
ing testimony relative to their hold
ings.
Mr.. McCaskrin also filed like petit
tion with the board relative to the
Modern Woodmen, claiming that the
reserve fund of that organization had
not been assessed and asking that he
be appointed special prosecutor
against the insurance society, alleging
that States Attorney F. E. Thompson
could not push the matter because of
his supposed friendliness to the Wood
men. This is to be taken up later.
LEGAL BATTLE.
Quite a legal battle was staged be-
fore the board this morning. Mr..
Rhoads was represented by NJ. NJ.
Sturgeon and Edward Schoede and
Mr.. Jackson by Charles B. Marshall
and Hugh Z. Curtis. McCaskrin had
alleged that Mr.. Rhoads had overlook
ed some $4,000 in making his state
ment to the assessor and that Mr..
Jackson owed the county a big sum
for failure to list about 100000.
Mr.. Sturgeon in his statement of the
case to the board declared that the
board was primarily for the purpose
of equalizing assessments and review
ing the work of the assessor and that
it was not organized for the purpose
of making original assessments, al
though he admitted that the board
could do so, under some circum-
stances. He declared that the board
had no legal right to put man under
oath to swear as to his property in
terests, but that this was the function
of the assessor.
But TWO POINTS.
There are but two points that the
board of review can legally inquire in
TO in this case" said Mr.. Sturgeon,
and they are, how the tax assessment
was made and the correctness of the
return of the assessor. You cannot
, put man on the stand and make him
tell what property he has. You can
inquire of the assessor and see how
he arrived at the schedule returned.
You can question the correctness Of
the return but you cannot go outside
of the schedule in your deliberations
unless you gain positive information
/. that property is escaping taxation. In
that case you can make an original
assessment. Let Mr. McCaskrin take
the stand himself and give what evil
Z dence he has that Mr.. Rhoads has not
] listed all property"
McCAsKRIN's STATEMENT.
= In his reply, Mr. McCaskrin said
- that the board of review did have the
power TO make original assessments at
any time the members thought prop
l erty was escaping taxation. He cited
{ a case where a member of the board,
: through a conversation, had gained
! the information that a property owner
. had neglected to schedule some $4,000
5 and accordingly he was taxed with the
same and that the supreme court of
{ the state held the taxation was just
: He declared that he did not care to
. appear in the light of q tax ferret but
{ that he did think an official of the Law
and Order league ought to take the
stand himself and tell all he knew
about his assessment. He said he had
made his complaint in writing to the
, board and it was up to the board to
/ investigate and he urged that both
r Mr. Rhoads and Mr.. Jackson be made
J to tell what their holdings are.
Is CONTINUED.
= Mr.. Marshall for Mr.. Jackson stated
: that he thought the petition of Mr.
: McCaskrin ought to be stricken from
, the records because it was malicious
:. and beneath the dignity of the board
: TO consider it. He again emphasized
, the legal point that the board could
. not put a man under oath to testify
;. relative to his property and showed
= that this was the business of the as
SCISSOR.
The board continued the hearing un
=, til o'clock this afternoon
y uEA0.0N COLLISION