Jasper County Democrat, Volume 4, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 October 1901 — A POINTER FOR THE TAX-FERRETS. [ARTICLE]

A POINTER FOR THE TAX-FER-RETS.

In the campaign of 1898, it will be remembered, that Abraham Halleck, president of the Board of Commissioners of Jasper county, was making his campaign among the farmers and in the out townships on the fact that he was instrumental in having all those state cases brought against certain alleged tax-dodgers in Rensselaer, all republicans, and on his famous court house walk act. There was considerable opposition to Abe in Rensselaer among these alleged tax-dodgers and their friends. To overcome this opposition Abe went to some —and we presume all—of these parties, and said: “Now, you people need not fight me so hard on account of those cases having been brought, for I had nothing to do with it. RUT I CAN GET THEM DISMISSED.” Well, the result of the election in Marion township showed that the opposition to Abe was not manifested at the polls, and at the next session of the Benton circuit court, where the tax-dodging cases had been venued, the cases were ALL DISMISSED, thus showing that Abe’s pull with the prosecutor was something jnore than mere bluff. During this time The Democrat showed the public that "Honest Abe” himself was not wholly clear of tax-dodging, for his telephone lines had escaped taxation for several years, and it was due to this exposure that they were listed for taxation. The next star performance of Mr. Halleck was after The Democrat had exposed the Jasper County Telephone Co’s tax-dodging in Rensselaer. Abe and the latter company were at swords points, and nothing pleased him better than to get a crack at the Jasper County Co. Accordingly our efforts were ably seconded by "Honest Abe,” and after months of nagging the proper officers put the Jasper County Telephone Co., on the tax duplicate for three years back taxes, something like SIB,OOO altogether. Abe insisted that they should be assessed on switchboard, phones, office furniture and fixtures, etc., which we believe was correct. Well, the company got out an injunction against the collection.of the tax, venued the case to White connty and won. Then Abe wanted the case appealed to the supreme conrt—and The Democrat heartily endorsed the appeal —and at the Sept, meeting of the commissioners, the attorneys for the county in this case were allowed SIOO "on account.”

The Jasper County Telephone Co., was assessed but $75 in Rensselaer, and The Democrat felt that this was not enough, and therefor endorsed the action of placing it on the tax duplicate for more and the appeal to the supreme court to test the power of the county officers in the matter, Judge Palmer holding that only the state board could assess incorporated companies and as they had failed to so do, county officers had no power to assess them. We have entered into this matter to considerable length to show how anxious Abe is to have the other fellow assessed to the limit. We will now show a little of his duplicity, and respectfully call the attention of the tax-ferrets in their investigation—another star performance of Mr. Halleck’s —to the dosing paragraphs of this article. Although the stationery used, states that the Halleck Telephone Co., is incorporated, it is not. In consequence of not being incorporated the county assessor placed it on the tax duplicate in the following townships for 1901: Marlon. 10 mile* 41 sl2 per mile SUM) 00 Welker, 10 mil* t$ 10 per mile 100 00 Keener. IS mile* « 10 per mile 130 00 WkentfleM (tp.; 0 mile* • 15 per mile. IS3 00 Jordan. SH mile*o 16 permit# 50 00 Uniota, 0 mile* 0 15 per mile 135 00 Berkley. 7 mile* O 15 per mile 100 06 Carpenter 4 milea 0 IS per mile 00 00 Newton. 0 mile* 0 15 per mile 75 00 Kankakee. 6 mile* 0 10 per mile 60 00 It did not appear at all in Marion tp., for 1900, and does not appear on the tax duplicate or assessment sheets of Rensselaer for either 1900 or 1901. Neither does it appear in Remington or WheatHeld for 1901. The company has several phones at Wheat field and Remington which are not as-

sessed at all; it has a switch-board and about 15 phones in Rensselaer which were not assessed one penny in Rensselaer for either 1900 or 1901. This is omitted property, and as “Honest Abe” is appealing a similar case to the supreme court against an opposition company, and has tax-ferrets employed at 50 per cent, of all taxes collected, to ferret out property omitted carelessly or intentionally from the tax duplicate, we respectfully call attention to the omission herein cited. Unless some action is taken in several other cases of omitted taxes, we shall also call their attention to them. We believe in treating “Jew and Gentile” alike in this matter of omitted taxes, something that has apparently not been done thus far, as not one penny has been “discovered” against any of the alleged wealthy tax-dodgers over whom such a great hullshallo was raised three years ago. Strange, isn t it? Chicago excursion to-morrow. Read the inside pages of The Democrat for local news. Mr. and Mrs. Hiram Day are visiting friends in Illinois. When you want a good coal oil try the Sunsene at 10 cts. per gal. or Peoples’ Head Light at 7 ‘cts. a gal. Chicago Bargain Store. lk.The stone roads election in McClellan tp., Newton county, last Saturday resulted in 30 votes being cast for the improvement to 4 against. This makes a total of 116 miles of stone roads voted in five townships in Newton county this season, at an aggregate cost of al out 4180,(X^i. Gray was in Wells couhty this week and purchased a 155$ acre farm 7 miles northwest of Bluffton, the county seat. The farm is well improved. Mr. Gray does not intend to move upon the farm, but will lease it, having been offered about $4 per acre for next year.

Mr. and Mrs. John W. Norman of Barkley, celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary Wednesday, at least about 40 of their neighbors, relatives and friends made the occasion a surprise, and came in unannounced. A fine dinner was served, which the “surprisers” brought with them, and a handsome dinnerset was presented Mr. and Mrs. Norman as a testimonial of the esteem in which they are held. Charles Campbell of near Blackford, has a 2-acre farm. This year he put out about an acre of onions and an acre of corn. His onions didn’t do very well and he only raised about 206 bushels. He sold 190 bnshels of these to Alf Donnelly for 70 cents per bushel, or $133.00. His acre of corn he thinks will make 100 bushels, which at 50 cents per bushel will bring him in SSO more, or $lB3 from the two acres. jJjTot bad for “Nubbin Ridge,” is it? W. H. Ritchey and sister, Mrs. Laura Michael, and Mrs. O. K. Ritchey returned last week from their visit to Kansas and Oklahoma. Mr. Ritchey says there is not much corn there this season, but the wheat crop was excellent. Marion Timmons, formerly of Jordan tp., who resides near Little River, Kan., raised 7,000 bushels of wheat this season and was more fortunate than moat of his neighbors, having raised about 600 bushels of oorn, 200 of which he expects to sell for seed at about $3 per bushel. Feeding corn at El Reno ia now selling at 90 oenta per bushel. Mr. Ritchey brought back a sample of Mr. Timmons’ corn, which ia of very fair quality, especially for this season.