Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-10-05
THURSDAY, OCTOBER ). 1916.
The Assessment.

inevitable and submit to what we
conceive to be a piece of iniquitous
LEGISLATION which now seems to have
the sanction Of the highest court III
the State.
The State Tax Commission, head
eel by Senator German with MeSsrs
Wickrs and Lesser, has set ont evil
IDENTIFY to see that Frederick county
is punished good an! hard for what
they conceive to he her refractory at
titude toward the new tax law and
the method sought to be pursued in
making this assessment.
Senator German seems to be more
than anxious to make an example OF
Frederick county, and he is being
repeatedly quoted in the papers as to
what he thinks of the law in general
and a. to Frederick County 5 attItu le
in particular. He volunteers the in
formation as to a certain piece 81
property that was greatly underValu-
,l and spoke in a way as to convey
the idea that it was next to criminal
as against the balance Of the state.
lie is quoted as stating to the Super
visors Of Assessments that there must
he 1000 value placed ON all real rs-
tate, it mattered not what would hap
pen. He seemed to be SO very much
afraid of favoritism in case 500 or
75T of full value be- given as the
basis. His anxiety along this line
is pathetic indeed, when one consid-
ers Mr.. German from angles other
than the Chairman of the State Tax
Commission, and most of Us who
know Senator German will take such
statements coming from him rUm
grano salts.
Someone informed the senator that
Frederick county, through the Coun-
ty Commissioners, had given out the
statement that 60 to 10 per cent OF
the cash value of the real estate Of
Frederick county was to be the value
to lee placed by the local assessors.
and he again rushed into print and
gave out the statement that if Fred
crick county dared to do such thing,
the local assessors would be removed,
which thing he claimed the Tax Com
mission had the right to do. He,
not satisfied with this, came to Fred
erick on Saturday, and wished to APP
pear before the county commission
ers and the local assessors whom the
commissioners had called tog Their SO
that he might impress his 1000 val
uation news on the gathering and
pcTclldllct 90 Il lIlllt btllliOHlllB W
drive everybody into line He was
told that he was not wanted and so
the matter ended.
Now that Frederick county tax
payers are about to face an arbitrary
re. assessment of their real estate, we
wish to state to those whose duty it
will be to make the revaluation, that
you should not under any circum-
stances follow the German idea.
You have an oath to II axe as to
being fair and impartial, and you can
fulfill this obligation without melting
out punishment to your neighbor.
You are all men of good Judgment,
and to you is going to be entrusted
the task of saying what shall consti-
tute 1000 value for taxing purposes.
The County Commissioners are all
men who have by their own industry
and thrift accumulated property and
know what tax burden means. We
trust to their good judgement in see
ing to it that their local assessors are /
not misguided into the idea advanced
by the State Tax Commissioner.
Frederick county has lever been a
laggard in the tax paying business,
and she won't be now, but she is not
going to be made a goat" of by
those who seem to have it in" for
us. The tax assessor, Mr.. Alfred
Gavcr, who is the personal represent
atiye of the State Tax Commission is
not going to stand aside and see his
neighbors and friends punished. He
is one of those who knows how hard
the dollars come from tilling the soil
and he can be trusted to do the right
thing in his own county.
Remember, you gentlemen of each
district, you expect to live among