Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 June 1892 — THE OLD AND THE NEW. [ARTICLE]

THE OLD AND THE NEW.

•To chua* in the Tax Law Relative te Real Kstate Aueisment Mach has been said about the increase of taxes on real estate on account of the Dew tax law. It is true that the assessment of real estate throughout the state waß increased, but the law did not do it. With the exception of six words the section in the new law relating to the assessment of real estate is similar to the old law. The provision of the new law reads as follows: Real property shall be valued by the assessor as follows: Lands and the improvements and buildings thereon, or affixed thereto shall be valued at their full, true cash value, estimated at the price they would bring at a fair, voluntary private sale [not a forced or sheriff’s sale] taking into consideration the fertility of the soil, the vicinity of the same to railroads, macadamised roads, clay roads, gravel roads and turnpike roads, state or county roads, cities, towns, villages, navigable rivers, water privileges on the same, or in the vicinity of the same, the location of the route of any canal or canals, with any, other local advantages of situation. In-lots and out-lots in all towns, cities or villages, with the improvements thereon or affixed thereto, shall be valued at their full cash Value, as aforesaid, taking into consideration all the local advantages upon actual view of the premises. All lands and lots shall also be listed at such valuation, without taking into consideration any improvements, and this valuation, as well as the valuation with the improvemenW'.thall be set down in a proper column to be left for that purpose.

Following is the provision of the old law in the assessment of lands: * Real property shall be valued by the assessor as follows: Lands and the improvements and buildings thereon or affixed thereto shall be valued at tnelr full fair cash value, estimated at the price they would bring at a fair voluntary sale, taking into consideration the fertility of the soil, the vicinity of the same to railroads, macadamized roads, clay roads, gravel roads, turnpike roads, state or county roads, cities, towns, villages, navigable rivers, Water privileges on the same or in the vicinity of the same, the locarion of the route of any canal or canals, with any other local advantages of situation. Inlots and ovt-lots in all towns, cities or villages with the improvements theresn or affixed thereto, shall be valued at their full fair cash value as aforesaid, taking into consideration all the local advantages, upon actual view of the premises. All lands and lots shall also be listed at such valuation, without taking into consideration any improvements; and this valuation with the improvements, shall be set down in a proper column to be left for that purpose. It will be seen that the two sections are identical, with the exception of the words included in brackets in the new law—“not a forced or sheriff's sale.” All lands and improvements are assessed by the township assessors. Under the old law they took an oath to assess lands “rt their full truecash value.” Under the new law they subscribe to the same oath. However, heretofore one assessor wcmld appraise the land in his township at one-third its value, while the assessor of the adjoining towhship placed the full value on the real estate of his own township. By the same process the average value of lauds in one county was fixed at |ls per acre, while in the next county the rate was $25 per acre. It was these inequalities that created a public sentiment in favor of an honest assessment. The assessor hacked by ‘*tis public sentiment complied with the law that has in reality been in force since 1881, and assessed lands and improvements “at their full true cash value.” In many cases Republican assessors, to make the law obnoxious, valued real estate too high. They and not the tax law should be held responsible. *