The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-04-14
VOICE OF THE PEOPLE

unlawful increase was deliberately
sustained. This was easy for those
with the will owing to the fact that
instead OF getting at the actual value
as by law required, the assessor and
assistant were bent on finding a
basis for assessment in sale value,
insurance value, income value, or any
other pretext to hold to high value,
no account being taken of deprecia-
ton, future payments, loss of rents,
cost Of upkeep, etc, including the
failure Of the city tc actually make
lines Of traffic or travel to maintain
the assumed ideal of Mr.. Nolen or
the purpose of the boom.
In public meetings there was duly
presented warnings against prema.
against the method Of marking up
values, without the best evidence, the
proper original entry, copy of which
the owner is entitled to. The writer
used every known protest" in public
meeting and finally in the newspaper.
Because of the latter the writer was
selected by one used to unheard of
increased valuation to organize the
Realty Valuation association, in
which the writer chose the position
of secretary, with no power to call
meetings and to do only what was
agreed to. In the word assessment
is included valuation, exemption and
record including the close Of assess
ment. The law is strict that the as
sessment shall close. then the book
and copy of the book, itself a copy,
be made, but the Keokuk rule of
conduct evaded this even in 1915,
and as the county auditor becomes
custodian it is. obvious the effect is
to embarrass action" if not shift the
burden onto the holder II values are
to be looked up There is reason
underlying law and effect, If not
purpose, underlying its evasion. That
purpose Is short Of assault on the
public body" and so it is hard for
the individual to get public protec-
ton. Indeed the public body as rep
resented in those spending and enjoy
ing public money is beneficiary in
the wrongful treatment of the in
dividual Indeed the public corpor-
alton has a capacity that 1t deems not
assaulted by a wrong to the individ-
ual. The public corporation legally"
enjoys money extorted under color
Of office. 1t is proper to associate
even though it means individual
action is all that can be maintained
in court Indeed action comparable
to I776 has been taken in Keokuk- 1t
is still pending, despite certain false
lights along the shore. Time was
when a review of unlawful doings
was as readily undertaken as the
hearing of an appeal, and it should be
more readily as illegal doings are
perilous to the individual il not to
the corporation Capacity.
| trust the editor will kindly note
nv quotations from his editorial OF
April Il, 1916, most Of which is adj
mirable, but a warning that the courts
lean toward the capacity and so likely
would fail to consider the assault as
a public one is needed, and so no
county attorney could be counted on
in a case of valuation Illegally, and
likely no other attorney, unless one
was able to hire one for life. Hence
organize and agitate for reform legis-
lation as well as administration,
though the local one seems to nave
given due notice it can not open
closed book of realty value,
]. P. DICKSON.
Keokuk, Iowa, April Is. 1916.