The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-09
M|ESSE BARES
UTILITIES AID
TO TAX GROUP
Witness Reveals Source of
Association Funds Under
Severe Cross Quiz.
OWN INCOME IS LARGE
TeStifieS Memory Failed
Him in Filing Return
With Assessor.
OWN INCOME is LARGE

Majority of the public utilities
operating in Indiana, including the
Indianapolis Power and Light Com
pany, are large contributors to the
Indiana Taxpayers Association,
Harry Miesse, it's secretary, admit
ted under cross-eXamination, in the
hearing on the city tax levy appeal
before Judge John Kern today.
Under discrimination, N1iesse
also testified that he is an agent
here for the New York Central
railroad; and that the son of James
Showalter, chairman of the state
tax board, is an employe of the tax
payers association, at $125 a month.
Injection of personalities and par
tisan politics into the hearing by
Miesse brought a rebuke from Judge
Kern.
Miesse took the witness stand
when his attorney, Louis Eubank,
former supreme court judge, sought
the courts permission for group
of ten taxpayers to intervene, and
also have Kern's decision, that the
state tax boards action in reduc-
ing the city's levy is unconstitutional,
appealed to the supreme court.
Attorneys Admit Error
Edward Knight, corporation coun-
sci, and James E. Deery, city attor-
ney, told the court that they had
learned that they were in error re-
garding their charges Saturday
that Miesse had committed perjury
by signing the petition and declar-
ing in it that he was one of the
original Collectors.
His name was contained on a Pc
tition filed in September, they said,
but Harry Dunn, county auditor,
had not given them a certified copy
of that document when they asked
for the filed circumstances.
Miesse testified that he has rep
resented the New York Central
railroad for eight or nine years,
when the matter of its tax yalua-
ton has come before the state tax
board, and that he has assisted the
general tax and land agent Of the
railroad in tax matters.
Denying that he is paid a per-
centage on all valuation reductions
which he obtains for the railroad,
or that he has been paid bonuses,
NIiesse said that his salary is $340
a month.
Salary Goes Higher
He admitted that the Indiana
Taxpayers Association has been Or
ganized for a like number of years,
and that at first his salary from
the association ranged from $1,000
to $1,400 year, but this year it
will be $4,000.
Declaring that he did not know
the exact amount the New York
Central railroad contributed to the
Indiana Taxpayers Association,
Miesse writhed viSibly under the at
tempts of the city's attorneys to
learn how much was contributed by
the utilities, including the Indian
apolis Power and Light Company.
He was asked to bring his records
into court at the next hearing.
Questioning revealed that, in
stead of filing his tax return with
the assessor by May l, as required
by law, Miesese had presented his
statement in September, after the
appeal from the city levy was filed.
81 was away during the summer
and forgot that the document had
not been fled" he explained.
Says He Paid $500 Tax
He declared that he paid ap-
proximately $500 in taxes, of which
part was on a house owned joint
ly by himself and Mrs. MieSse, and
the remainder on diamonds valued
at $500 and personal property, in
Guiding an automobile and furniture.
valued at $1,400.
Continued examination brought
out that he did not list any cash in
the bank or stocks or bonds, and
it later was revealed that he owned
six shares of stock in the New
York Central railroad, but had not
listed them because they were non
taxable.