Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-05-17
OPENLY CHARGES
ASSESSORS WITH
LAW VIOLATION
States Attorney Floyd E
Thompson Alleges Tax Lev
les Improperly Made.
SCHEDULES ARE UNSIGNED
Investigation Revealing Condition
Starts When Henry County
Supervisors Urge Probe.

What promises to be the most thor
ough campaign against tax lodging
ever undertaken in Rock Island coun-
ty, has been initiated by States At
torney Floyd e. Thompson. Eighteen
township assessors today received
through the mail, a communication
from the official insisting that the
provisions of the revenue act have
been ignored and utterly disregarded
IN many instances in the past and
stating that a strict compliance with
the laws relating to assessment OF
property, is to be demanded in the
/ future.
( In the unusually frank and open
! statement, States Attorney Thomp-
son shows that the financial cond;-
/ ton of Rock Island county is in a
| deplorable shape, due primarily to fail
ure to make property returns in tax
able properties. He asserts that as
SCISSORS have neglected to have seized
ules signed, an offense punishable up
on conviction with q fine for or from
500 TO $1,000 or imprisonment in the
county Jail not exceeding one year or
L.
The law requires assessors to furnish
each taxpayer with a printed blank
schedule for the listing OF personal
property and is very plain in its re-
Quirements relative to how property
shall be valued Attorney Thompson
charges that these provisions have
been willfully neglected and that the
practice must be stopped.
STARTS INVEsTIG ALTON.
The investigation which the official
has been conducting and which re-
vealed such a regretable state of af
} fairs that a complete probe is to be
undertaken, started when he received
copy of the resolution passed by the
, Henry county board of supervisors
demanding that tax conditions here be
looked into in order that this county
should have adequate funds with
which to carry out its participation
, in the building OF bride over Rocl
, river at Colona according to plans
, prepared years ago. Mandamus actor
, was brought to compel Rock Island
county TO cooperate but this failed
it being alleged in that action as {
, defense that this county was unabA
: to levy any taxes other than for it.
, current expenses and bonded indebt
edness.
ASH THOMPSON'S AID.
A part of the resolution adopted
, follows:
: Whereas. also, it is PERSISTENT,
, charged that there is property il
! Rock Island county escaping the pay
: ment of taxes entirely. Nov, there
fore, be it
, Resolved as follows: That tn
q board of supervisors of Henry county
assembled in open session, do hereD,
request of the states attorney O
Rock Island county his good Offices t
use the powers of his office, whateve
they may be, for the rightful levy an
collection of taxes in that county, an,
for the bringing of suits in the court
Z of that county for back taxes, or otf
erwise.
Resolved, that this board request tn
. good Offices of the board of supervisor
of Rock Island county to use its pow
?. ers whatever they may be, in til
. rightful levy and collection of taxes i
: said county and that said board author
lie the states attorney of said cour
ty to bring all needful suits agains
: all individuals 20 enforce the due CO
= lection of taxes.
Resolved, that this board do hert
!. by ask of the county judge of Roc