South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-08-11
NAME COMMITTEE
TO PRESENT CASE
AT CAPITAL TODAY
Assurances of Full Support in
Opposing Increase Given
in Protest Meeting.

/ the state assessment board az Ind
D annapolis today when a COMMITTEES
4 Of five, composed of city and county
officials and prominent business men
Win journey 20 the state capital and
lay their case before the board
The action grew out Of a meeting
I held az the Chamber or Commerce
/ yesterday afternoon. when group
+ OF local citizens. made up OF county
/ and city officials. representative
south Bend business and profession
al men gathered 90 discuss the as
/ sessment problem and decide how
IL should be fought After deubsr-
ating at length. the meeting went on
7 record as whole-heartedly support
ing the county board OF review IN
its stand against the increase and 20
/ fight the case 20 the limit
Present True Facts
According 10 those present a. the
meeting. the St Joseph board feels
/ that the added assessment Is an I'm
position and has arisen largely be-
/ cause the state officials are not &C
quainted with the true facts. u -
/ with the intention Of presenting
( these facts 20 the state. that the
local committee viii appear at In
dianapolis today.
This committee. which - composed
OF r r. Morris. republican county
| chairman, Clarence Sedgwick coun-
I " auditor. Fred W Keller former
mayor. George Robertson. Frank J.
( Green and 7. W. Hammond. city
attorney. has carefully studied TIE
1 problem and goes 20 the capital with
+ the hope Of effecting A peaceful set
Element OF the question
! AS far as the law Is concerned. the
state holds the power IN this case
and the county has no legal right 10
interfere. The assessment question
settles itself into a matter OF judg-
ment as TO whether tho county or
state officials are better able 70
/ judge land values IN St Joseph
! county. It IS upon this basis that
the case Will be fought.
Second County IN State.
st. Joseph county IS the second
county on the state IN point OF taxes
d., Il paws the state According 20 local
officials. IN the past this county has
/ never received out OF the state. in
the way or improvements, the pro-
/ portion OF money II has paid thu
treasury department. II Is for this
reason that the local COMMITTEES feels
that any increase IN the assessment
quota is an injustice.
Widespread publicity has been
I given the era OF prosperity and ex-
J pansion now under way IN this CITY
/ and many members OF the local
/ board feel that this IS. IN a wav. res
I ponsible for the decision or the state
board
/ The present aght grew out o. he
! assessment figures made by Port
\ age Township Assessor Voorde and
/ afterwards reduced by order OF the
/ board OF review Vo0rde had re-
! commended that the assessment on
I lands IN South Bend be increased
/ from a little over $50 900 900 % a
total or s45.OOO,OOO. The country
( board OF review then ordered that
assessor Voorde's figures be re-
duced ten per cent TO $40, 500, 900
/ The state. after being presented with
/ the figures then ordered that tbs
! $4,5OO,0OO reduction should be re-
stored
/ Must increase County
The state assessor has no power.
( according 20 the law 20 increase the
tax assessment OF any one township
! IN a county. but must. n there IL
20 be any increase, place g. on the
/ assessment figures for the entire
/ county. That IL how the - 500. 600
increase may be placed upon s.
Joseph county.
should the state officials. after
/ hearing the local committee. refuse
/ 20 retract their order. &C. is fksiv
that a fight viii be waged IN the
courts OF the state Just what ac-
ton viii be taken by county or
I fciaIs viii not be known until fhs
tax commission acts on the decision
/ OF the local board % review. An
nouncement OF this decision viii be
/ made Monday.
Commission Takes stand
Reports from the state capita IN
dictate that the state board OF tax
/ commissioners intends 20 stand
s1uarely behind us aDpra lsement
/ increase recommendation.
! Chairman John J. Brown. Of the
state board. said "Wednesday in
/ commenting on the Information that
! several counties were Preparing 20
night the boards decision
'We did only what we thought
was the right thing 20 do. and let
me say right here those recon-
mendations ars not going 20 be
changed for any expediency's saks.
The law requires ~ 20 egualize
between coundes' arprai senents
and we do r 10y using our best
| Judgment sfter we have collected
authentic information and We are
going 20 stand by that judgment un-
III some one shows rs where % was
wrong"
Other COuncies Fight
St Joseph county does not stand
alone IN the fight against The as
sessnent increases ordered y ths
state The Vigo county board has
refused 20 make the increase or
dered and VIII Sight the oass % The
limit as VIII Sullivan county. John
son county and Montgomery coun-
~. The farmers Of Miami county
are holding township meetings 20
| oppose the increase.
The Adams couEty and Clark
county boards OF review have ap-
proved the orders Of the state board
10 Increase the taxes IN their dis
/ sn- F-r-r.rr1 rv-aHn -rarn