The Harrison times., 1920-01-17
THE SCHOOL
FINANCIAL CRISIS

in the financial condition of our public
schools. and this condition is a scan
dal and public disgrace-has been
brought about by two causes:
First-A reckless incurring OF an in
debtedness by our school board which
our resources could not be expected
to take care of unless a radical change
should be made in our methods of as
sessing our property.
Second: By an epidemic of tax
lodging, the direst results of con-
tinued laxity in properly assessing and
equalizing the real and personal taxes.
So universal has this tax lodging
become, and so heavy has been the
burden thrown upon those who would
like to make an honest return of
their property. that in self defense,
many have been compelled to join the
ranks of the willful shirkers of their
public duty. |, myself, complained
to the board of assessors and insisted
that they correct some ridiculous as
sessments of real etate that discover
ed.
Four of the best houses, or man
sions, rather, in North Harrison, are
assessed at $1,000 each, while a one
and a half story siN-room cottage
erected eighteen years ago was raised
from 5000 to $1,000, so that this board
of honorable gentlemen might not be
accused of dereliction in the discharge
of their official duties. And that you
may know that this was done, not
through ignorance or carelessness,
note that H. d. Glass property on the
east side Of the square is assessed at
$4,000, the highest of any property on
| the square. On personal property.
| lawyers, dentists, doctors, money-lend-
ers, every trade, profession, or occu-
patton, has large representation in
the tax lodging bandwagon. For in
stance. well known drug store and
large grocery stock is listed at a
! figure showing that the one who listed
the property has an elasticity of CON
science which would turn a Chinese
mandarin green with envy,
A prominent dentist has his outfit
listed at one twentieth of its value.
A prominent county official, with a
fine house and much personal property
including a new car, has it listed at
what he ought to pay on the jtney
alone.
In fact, if the board of assessors had
complied with the law and had had
these statements all sworn to; and,
if such thing were possible in Boone
county, as an unbiased Grand Jury
hold The possibilities are too hor-
rible to put in print. Our churches
are already shy on worshippers. There
is another and better way out.
Let every citizen, who desires the
continuance of our public schools, join
in Citizens League Let that league
select a board of three honorable men
for assessing all the property in the
Harrison School District, permitting
the owners to be heard concerning the
value of their property. Then sub
tract from the amount of school taxes
each one should have paid the amount
returned on the tax books. Collect the
amount due from each one and turn
it into the school fund.
There will be a small bunch of
chronic dodgers, with a shrivelled
soul so small that its existence is only
matter of supposition who will buck
| Advertise them in the newspapers,
hold them to public scorn in every way
possible, and MAKE THEM PAY or
chase them out Of the community.
They are the ones who sowed the
seed, the crop whereof we are now
reaping so bitter a harvest.
These, fellow citizens, are drastid
measures, but no namby-pamby molly
coddle methods will suffice to keep
the schools of Harrison from beip g
closed and keep Harrison from being
forever condemned as a good place for
man with a family to take up his
residence
A double assessment. based on the
peresent assessment, is ridiculous and
not to be tolerated A subscription
would throw most of the burden on
those who have already carried the
greater part of the burden. The big.
gest "dodger" would give you a dol,
lar.
Too long has action along this line
been delayed and now the time is
short in which steps can be taken to
save our schools. our children, and