The Springdale news., 1918-01-18
ASSESSMENT SITUATION AS
 SEEN BY THE ASSESSOR.

Edll0f NeWS.
 The blanket" raise seems to be the most discussed question of local inter est here lately, and since l may be partly to blame for it, l should like to heard on the question.
 I do not think it just nor right to lay the blame on the Tax Payers as whole and hold them up to the world as a set of tax dodgers, for that IS as 1 far from the truth as anything could 1 be-
 It is undoubtedly true that there are few tax dodgers in the county as there are in every county and in ev- cry state, but their number is grow 1 ing less each year. l feel quite sure 1 in saving that at least nine out of ev- cry ten. who came before me to be as sessed last summer left the matter of assessing their property entirely to the Township Board after they had told US under oath what they had and gave description of it. Of course some few contended at first that they were assessed high enough, but by telling them how some of their neigh bors had assessed the same kind of property at a higher price then most of them would say, Treat me like you do the other fellow and shall be sat isfied," and if We failed to get his property high enough under these con ditions, then l claim he is not to be censured, and if we failed to get 1t high enough for fear of working q hardship on him by getting t too high, are we to blame?
 After hearing Mr Smith, one mem Der of the Tax Commission tell us i'll so many words, that if we did not get our assessment up to a certain per cent, that the Tax Commission would be forced to put blanket raise on our county, but that if We did get up to about 35 percent or 10 percent that he would see to 1t that We should not be raised, 1 began to figure how much raise it would take to put us on the safe side, taking his statement as to how we had been assessed, it was very easy to see that 20 percent increase would meet the requirements and we got a raise of between P percent and 23 percenp which included all public utilities assessed by the Tax Commis- sion and they tell us now, that we were not allowed to count any raise made by the Commission and furth- CT that we fell below the $3,000, ,000 raise asked for, and no one denies that 1 have been unable to figure out how 20 per cent raise on an as- sessment of S8,500,00o would give an increase of S3,000,000, but 1t is plain to see that 20 percent increase on an assessment of 90 percent which he said We were assessed at in 1916, would be 3G percent to take his fig ures as absolutely correct then we met his requirements.
 When We were notified to appear before the Tax Commission, then sit ting as a state board of equalization, the County Judge and l went before them on the Both of Nov to make a protest against the blanket raise, giving them all the facts and figures at our command and tried to keep down the raise by showing them that we had done as they asked us to do as very best We could, and showed them the kind of land We had here, lot of it good land, but in very small tracts in most parts of the county and that three-fourths of 1t not fit to cultivate, but absolutely waste and worthless and q blanket raise would be unjust and burdensome to the owner of such land, and that We protested against any raise on personal property as We considered 1t well assessed, that most of our live stock and corporations as well as a lot of our other personal property Was assessed at 50 percent We never contended that the best farm lands of the county were assessed as they should De and 1t is an undisputed fact that some people get by without assessing their money and credits, but if they swear they have none and no one IS willing to report them to the grand jury, then who is to blame?
 Despite all we said or could have said they gave us a raise, and told them and 1 still contend that 1t will amount to greater raise than they asked Us to make, while l do not con tend that any injustice was intended by the acts of the Tax Commission, am persuaded to believe that the raise will work a hardship on some, who gave in their property for all that it Is worth, and to raise them again while the tax dodger gets no raise at all.
 believe the burden will be felt most by those least able to bear it. To all those, who took your raise good na-