The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-01-25
PETITION FROM CRYSTAL FALLS TAX
PAYERS HAD ITS EFFECT
COMMISSION DENIES GIVING IT
saysfha. Request to Deduct From Values
Of Mineral Propsnis, For Shipments
Was Refused.

Ferris asking that he direct an inyes-
tigation into the work OF .he state tax
commission in Crystal Falls. was pre-.
sented the governor by Chairman Con-
lin OF the local association last week
Wednesday. Governor Ferris read over
the petition very carefully and told Mr.
Conlin that he could say To the tax
payers Of Crystal Falls that the matter
will be given careful attention; that
he has such faith in the make eup of
the commission as 1t now stands that
he feels sure justice will he done all u
grieved.
The governor was especially interest.
ed in the solution OF the problem OF al z
justing values between the residence
and mineral properties and asked many
questions about what had been lone in
the past TO arrive az just ratio Of
value.
He was also quite interested In the
Finlay valuation of the mining proper
ties and has interested hi mself 20 know
why the tax commission cut the valua-
tions as fixed by Mr. Fihlay while
standing pat on other values.
Mr.. Conlins interview with the
governor was arranged by senator
Vinegar Of this district. Senator
Vinegar has interested himself in the
matter Of the taxation Of local proper.
ty all over his district. He knows the
conditions at Iron Mountain aud can be
depended upon TO exert his influences
towards fair adjustment OF property
values in this section.
One interesting bic OF information
gathered by the emissary o. the local
taxpayers TO Lansing was the tact that
the tax commission denies absolutely
having given any authority TO the local
assessing o.ncers in iron. Dickinson.
Gogebic and Marque tie counties 10 de-
duct from the values of the mines
as fixed by the tax commission for the
shipments made from the property.
Mr.. Burtless. secretary OF the commits.
sion states that such request was
made TO the commission ana that il
was denied and the assessors instructed
70 leave the valuations stand.
This exhaustion theory has been
bone Of contention between the two
classes of property in fact il is the
rock upon which the property owners
split. 1t came into prominence at the
time Of the meeting OF the boards OF
review last summer wheE the word
went ont that letter had been receiy.
ed from the state tax commission sane
tioning the reduction Of values fixed
by the commission the year previous
according ID the shipments For in
stance, the Bristol mine. over which the
contention started. was reduced az the
rate OF S0-cents per ton for the ship
ments made the previous year the To.
bin mine, the Mansfield mine the
mines on the west side and on the
Marquette range as well as in other
parts OF the peninsula, figured up their
production multiplied IL by the figure
AT which Finlay valued the ore in the
ground. and deducted the product from
the valuation of the mine a. fixed IL
1911 by the tax commission
The first intimation that got out thai
the claim OF permission having been
given for this action was not true came
last summer when Mr.. Conliu was told
by Mr. Shields in the Congress hotel ~
Chicago that no such permission hac
been given by him and. that the actor
came Az a surprise TO him
Last week. when ~ Lansing Mr.
Conlin visited the tax commission
ntilce and asked for a copy oi the letter
Mr. Burtless. said that no usah letter
exists
1--WE gave no suchberInission. said
Mr. Burtless An application wal
made 10 US asking that we authoriz,
sutax procedure and that Application
wasdenied We roplied that the values
must stand for two years as fixed Dj
the commission in 1911 and we knew
nothing OF any report that We hat
authorized such reduction
AS this action was general through
out the peninsula. II looks az n th'
mineral fellows got together and pa
one over" on their own initiative II
the counties OF Iron, Dickinson an'
t;ogehlc, the valuations ss fixed wer'
afterwards reviewed by the commi ssioI
but In Marquette county where. w
understand. couple OF million wa