The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1916-08-29

by the Willis taxing appointees, Is
and not a decentrallzer, Is
plainly shown by orders which the
state tax commission sent out to coun-
.y auditors on August 8.
The proof that the new administra-
ton law takes away any rights that
the taxpayers might have with refer
ence to be called in and notified when
1t was intended to increase their re-
turns is furnished by these parts of
the commissions order:
WHERE JOKER HIDES
Boards of revision are not required
under the law (the Parrett-Whitte-
more law to give individual notice in
cases of increase Of valuations Of per-
sonal property"
The foregoing paragraph speaks for
itself. 1t clearly tells that the COVER
nor's new taxing law does not require
that citizens be told that their returns
are to be increased.
f1OmE e hOEG DUNN
The tax commissions order also
says that the commission realizes
that, as rule, it is impracticable for
boards of revision to cite taxpayers
before them, "BUT 1T SHOULD BE
REMEMBERED THAT THERE IS
NO REQUIREMENT UNDER THE
LAW THAT THIS SHOULD BE
DONE"
And so the state tax commission, in
its order, makes it clear that there
is no home rule, such as boasted about
by the administration, in this law. The
taxpayers have no more chance than a
rabbit under 1t.
The assessors, whom they elect, go
around and make the assessments,
based on the returns given them by
the taxpayers, and then the board of
revision officials, appointed by Gov
ernor Willis, take these returns and
slap on such increases as their fancy
may suggest, without calling in the
taxpayers to give them a chance to
explain whether the increases are Just
or unjust.
Under the Parrett-W -Whittemore law
assessors are unnecessary. The board
of revision ignores the assessors and
fixes up the returns to suit itself and
the taxpayers are the sufferers. And
in arbitrarily adding on taxes these re
vision boards carried out the instruc
tions of the state tax commission. as
the commissions order of August s
shows.
REITERATE INSTRUCTIONS
To make sure that the revision
boards would not be in error about the
intent and provisions of the law, the
state tax commission in its order, re
peated several times the fact that the
"only notice required under the law
being the newspaper publications Of
the completion of the tax list" which
leave the taxpayer in the dark as tC
what had been done to him.
'The theory of the law (the Parrett
Whittemore law is-and it has always
been so-that owners of personal prop
erty should go to the auditors office
to examine the tax lists and not de
pend upon individual notifications ot
increases" asserted the commission IL
its order.
According to this, the taxpayer
should walk down to the courthouse
and have the county auditor look III
the duplicate and let him know if the
board of revision raised him.
MUZZLE ORDERS SENT OUT
Don't give ont any information tt
the newspapers" is the warning sem
to board of revision officials by the
state tax commission, who are thor
oughly alarmed over the feeling
stirred up among taxpayers generally
because of the arbitrary increases
made in their returns, and which In
creases the commission was forced tt
repudiate because of popular uprising
AMAZED AT BLUNDER
Oid-time Republican politicians are
amazed over the laundering shown by
the Willis appointees in going aheat
and ordering universal arbitrary in
creasing of taxes without notifying
the citizens of giving them chance
to be heard. "Slap on the taxes 81
that we can make a good showing un
der the Parrett-Whittemore law" ii
effect was the order sent by the stat,
tax commission to the various board o
revision officials, which the commits
sion appointed by order of the gov
ernor.
The thousands of citizens who's,
taxes were raised without notice ar,
wondering where the home rule II
taxes that Governor Willis talks abou
so eloquently in his political speeches