Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 209, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 August 1919 — TAX VALUATIONS. [ARTICLE]

TAX VALUATIONS.

Those who are. disposed to get excited over the great increases made by the state tax board in the vahiation of property, would do Well to wait for the fixing of the levies. Perhaps when they get their tax statement they will find that i| is lower than last year. The law requires that no more money shall be raised than under the old law, except under certain specified conditions, therefore the levy must be reduced as the appraisement is increased.- It may be that some will have to pay more taxes, but they would have been required to do so under the old law. The bpard has been trying to make fair and impartial appraisements, and will exercise the same care in the supervision of levies. If there are any increases in tax bills they will not be due to the new law, but to the increase in expenses, and these would have had to be met in any event. The new law gives the state board authority to force impartial appraisements, and the provision for appraisement at full valuation was kept in the law in order to facilitate that work. The old law required Jull-value appraisements, but there never were such, and the result was gross inequality in taxation. As it is now' each taxpayer will pay on the same valuation—the full value of his taxable property. Thus we get equality, honest appraisement, and greatly lower levies. That there are strenuous efforts to discredit the law is a matter of common knowledge. It !s important, therefore, that the people should refuse to make up their minds about it till they get all facts. All that they know now is that there has been a great increase in the valuation of property. Nothing is yetknown of the 'levies as determined by the tax board, or of the amount of money that the people will be compelled to pay. Until these latter are known it is manifestly impossible to form any trustworthy judgment as to the operation of the law.—'lndianapolis News.