The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-07-09
BIG FACTORIES REDUCE STOCK
Assessors to Make Strenuous Efforts tt
Keep Real Estate Up to Last Years
High Mark But Few New Building,
are Found for Taxation.

The slack year for the big industries
of Kenosha promises to be reflected in
the annual report of the board of as
sessment now being written up and the
members of the board today declared
that there was good reason to believe
that the valuation of property in Keno
sha this year would not only show M
increase, but that it might fall below
the amount returned in Septemba'
of 1913.
The work of valuing the real estat,
in the city has been practically com
pleted and the total is only a yer,
small amount over the total returned
last year. There have not been nearly
as many new buildings built in Keno
sha as in former years. The strike
among the brick makers and the tight
ness of money is given as the reason
for the falling off in building opera.
tions. Work on most buildings was
started so late that the new buildings
could not be assessed for taxation thi!
year. One big loss on the real estate
roll was brought by the burning of the
big elevators of the M. H. Petit
Mailing Company.
am not of the opinion that there
will be any material increase in the
property values of the city this year,
said Assessor Stevens at the meeting OF
s4e board Of review this morning. eli
the assessment is the .fal of 7ast ~
we will be pretty well satisfied De
lays in building caused by strikes and
other things have reduced the new i'm
provements this year to minimum and
there is very small increase in valua.
ton on account of new buildings We
will complete the real estate valuation
in couple of days and then it will be
possible to get a pretty good line on
what the assessment is to be-
With the completion of the real
estate assessment before the middle of
July the assessors will have a full
month to give to the assessing of per
sonal property. The outlook for a big
increase in personal assessments is not
a rosy one. The slack times in the
city have brought big reduction in the
value of merchants and manufacturers
stocks carried in Kenosba and this re-
duction is certain to be reflected on the
tax roll. Factory managers in the city
have declared that they VVils 1nsiss on
a reduction in personal property assess
ments this year on account of reduced
stock of raw material and manufact-
ured products. 1t is declared that re.
auctions of stock have been general
among the manufacturers. The asses.
sors are planning to make a hard fight
to keep the personal assessments up to
the same figure as last year. Tt de.
elared that the income tax roll will all
so feel the effect of the slump of
democratic administration and consid.
cradle reduction has been made by sew
eral Of the larger income taxpayers.
OF course these reductions viii be seri-
ously felt by the city as seventy per
cent of the income taxes are left in the
city treasury.
1t is not probable that there will be
any increase in the amount of the tax
levy over last year but with increased
bond payments and certain deficit
in the finances of the city it will be
difficult for the finance committee to
even consider a reduction in the mill
tax.