The Butler weekly times., 1917-12-27
MEMBER OF STATE
TAX COMMISSION HERE
Hon. Cornelius Roach Meets with
County Court and Township -
Assessors.

Hon. Cornelius Roach, member 81
the State Tax Commission, spent
Saturday in this city in conference
with the county court and the asses
sors OF the several townships.
Two members OF the county court
Judges Campbell and I.owder, and
eighteen township assessors respond
ed to the invitation to meet with Mr
Roach for the purpose OF dis
cussing the methods OF assessment
The assessors present were:
~ George Wells. Mingo.
l. G. Deardorff, Grand River.
R. II. Wright. Deer Creek.
J. Erwin, East Boone.
Fred Church, Mound.
Orlic Biggerstaif, Shawnee.
Rex Spears, Spruce.
Grady Smith, Deepwater.
Ray Argenbright, Summit.
Fred S. Wolfe, Mt Pleasant.
McCann, Charlotte.
O. NJ. Drysdale. Homer.
George Adams Walnut
J.P, Mccall, New Home.
B. H. Smithson, Lone Oak.
F.. w. Gilbreath, Hudson.
John T. Yoss, Rockville.
Eugene Franklin, Howard.
Testimony as to the manner and
basis of assessment was given py
each OF the assessors and the intor =
nation thus obtained will be used to
arrive at basis for equalization OF
assessment first in the townships, and
in turn, in the various counties.
Mr.. Roach addressed the assessors
explaining the methods to be used IN
the equalization OF the assessments
over the state and pointed out the ad-
vantages and benefits to be derived
by assessment of property at par or
actual cash value. He stated that par
assessment would tend to decrease
rather than increase the amount pad
in taxes on real estate and visible per
sonal property, through lowering OF
the tax rate, it being the intent not
to increase the revenues derived by
taxation. A par assessment will tend
to bring into the open for taxation
much property which is now, under
the percentage system greatly under
valued, and property which is avoid
ing taxation entirely because Of the
high rates necessary under the per-
'ceftage Assessment System. Anothsg
desirable feature OF par assessment.
will be to make apparent the glar'nS
INEQUALITIES of assessment OF certain
classes OF property which do not
show up under the present system
In this connection he called attention
to one or two instances i'll other sec
tons OF the state where large manu-
featuring and utility plants under the
present system have been assessed at
from two per cent to twenty per cent
OF their actual value, while real estate
and farm property in paying on from
third to one half actual cash
value have actually been bearing the
burden OF taxation for these concerns.
A par assessment will Of course do
away WIFI Aolidit'clho Va Nh"' 'o' I
which probably exist in every county
in the state, and will eventually ma
terally reduce the present tax rate to
the small tax payer.
The State Tax Commission is com
piing detailed information from ev-
cry county in the state for the pur-
pose of securing basis to determine
the par valuation Of the taxable prop
erty in the state, and when that in-
formation is compiled special ses-
sion of the legislature will be called
for the purpose OF lowering the max
imum tax rates that may be imposed
for the various purposes. the object
being to decrease the rate in as near
ly as possible the same ratio as the
assessment is increased, with the view
of obtaining the same amount of rev
enue as at present.
The legislature will be called into
special session for this purpose some
time in February or March, it being
necessary to reduce the rates permit
ted to be levied by the present law be-
fore the fixing Of the school levy
which is done in April.
Mr.. Roach stated that with the ex,