The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-04-13
AWAITS VALUE
UTILITIES BODY
ASSIGNS PLANT
Assessor Delays Assessment
of L. HI. & p. and Water
Works Properties Until
Board Makes Estimate.
RATES GO UPWARD

1t was announced from the office Of
the township assessor today that no
action would be taken on the part of
assessors to assess the valuation of
the water works plant or the plant Of
the Richmond Light, Heat and Power
company
The word of the public utilities
commission will be awaited. Unless
the utilities commission fixes the
assessed valuation, an assessment will
be made at the close Of the assessing
period and the adjustments will be
made by the board of review
Last year as a result of the work
of the utilities commission in fixing
valuations, members of the board of
review raised the water works assess
ment from $209,390 to s425, 900 and
the Light. Heat and Power from
$1,000. 900 to $325, ,000- -.,..--..---... 49,.
Predicts General Increase.
Township Assessor Howarth de-
clared he is unable to give out figures
on real estate assessments in the city
Of Richmond as the seven teams Of
real estate assessors will not make a
report until May 15 The general
township report will follow on May
% and the first Monday in June, a
thirty days session of the board Of
review opens.
II know that there will be a general
increase of ten per cent in real estate
values" Mr.. Howarth said. mo real
estate is being lowered but in some
cases, thirty per cent addition is be-
ing added to equalize Richmond prop
erty."
"At what do you think the Dickin-
son Trust property at Eighth and Main
streets should be assessor" Deputy
Charles Potter asked
about $5O,O00," was the reply.
"1c that is assessed at $4,000, the
assessors will have to leave town." the
former township assessor replied.
This property was assessed at
$4,000 four years ago and $4,000 for
the buildings. Since then, the prop
erty was purchased for $135,O 900, or
$1,000 front foot by the Dickinson
Trust company from the Vaughan
heirs, and some of the buildings razed.
Farm Owners Protest.
Farm lands are causing the assess.
ors some trouble because of the gen.
eral attempt to keep the values down.
In trying to equalize and make new
assessment values, the assessors have
aroused the ire of farmers. The town.
ship real estate is being assessed by
Orville Boyd and Jesse Meek for the
south portion and Joseph Reid and
Charles Bulla for the north portion.
There has also been much difficulty
in the assessment of Richmond real
estate because of one assessor. This
assessor, whose name was withheld at
the assessor office, has had three other
assessors working with him, but all
refused to continue because they said
he made assessments too high.
The assessors are divided as fol-
lows:
Howard Riggs and Charles Bell,
North A to South A, east and west
from river to east corporation line.
Isaac Cause and John Worrell, south
of South A street and east of South
Eighth street and south of South E
street from river to east corporation
line.
Work North District.
J. B. Howes and Joseph Medsker.
north of North A street and east of
North Eighth street.
Simon Weddle and Edward Ellie
barger, south of South A street and
west of South Eighth street and West
Richmond as far north as Richmond
avenue.
William J. Hiatt and Charles Dana,
north of North A street and west of
North Eighth street and Fairview as
far south as Richmond avenue.
The assessment of personal proper
ty has been good, Assessor Howarth
said. Non-taxable investments have
always been popular with citizens Of
Richmond, he said, and therefore, in
spite of the trend of such discussions,
there is no more money tied up
against assessment in non-taxables
than ever before.
Dog tax collections are causing as
much trouble as any thing else in the
assessors office. The dog tax is col
lected by the assessor according to
law, but as so many of the dogs are
owned by families whose head has
been out of work. there will likely be
much DELINQUENCY.