Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 October 1920 — McCRAY FOR TAX REFORMS [ARTICLE]

McCRAY FOR TAX REFORMS

His Own Record in This Respect Shown by His Tax Returns.

Warren T. McCray, g. o. p. candidate for governor, who is posing as a “farmer” in parts of the state where he is not known as being a banker and “board of trade” man, as vice-president of the Sawers Grain Co., a board of trade concern having offices in Chicago, wants to be governor' so that he can reform the tax laws of Indiana. Mr. McCray’s personal pioperty assessment on his practically 900acre Orchard Lake stock farm —-advertised as “The Home of the Fairfaxs,” —where several hundred head of pute-bred Hereford cattle are kept all the time, was as follows for 1917 and 1918 —before he became a candidate again for governor—as returned by him to the assessor k\er his own signature: • 1917 ASSESSMENT ‘ • Value of Harness — 1 75 Value agricultural tools, implements and machinery........' ' 150 Number manure spreaders and value, 3 - ♦ 60 Number hay baler's and value, 1 - - 4<) Number gas and gasoline engines and value, 3 — 160 Number carriages, wagons, coaches, hacks, carts, drays, other vehicles and value, 7 105 Number automobiles and value ! 100 Number horses under Y year old and value, 3.......... 70 Number horses 3 years old or over and value, 4 — 400 Number mules 3 years oh) or over and value, 12 1,200 Number cattle under 1 year old and value, 40 1,000 Number cattle 1 year old' or over and value, 50.. — 2,000 Number cattle 2 years old or over and value, 40 2,000 Number cattle 3 years old or over and value, 135 8,000 Number hogs and value, 75.... 600 Bushels of oats, on hand or in storage, and value (No. bu. not given) 200 Number threshing machine and value, 1 - 160

Grand total - ...$17,000 (This is $16,930. It will total made by the assessor. It will also be noticed that there was an evident shortage of feed for these 265 head of Herefords, 75 head of hogs and 19 head of horses and mules on Meh. 1, 1917. Neither was there any straw to bed the horses or cattle down, apparently.) 1918 ASSESSMENT Value of harness —— ? 9° Value agricultural tools, implements and machinery.... 800 Number spreaders and va i ue 120 Number hay balers and value Number fanning ( mills and value — • j 10 Number gas engines and value, 3 — M 0

Number carriages, wagons, coaches, hacks, carts, drays, or other vehicles, and value 175 Number automobiles and value, 2 - - 300 Number horses 1- year old or over and value, 2 -,150 Number horses 3 years old or over and value, 7 700 Number mules under one year or over and value, 16 480 Number mules' 3 years old or over, 12 r 1,200 Number cattle under- 1 year old, 40, number cattle 1 year old and over, 40 bulls 12c lb., 60 heifers 12c lb., and value - 9,600 Number cattle 2 years old and over and value, 100 heifers 10,800 Number cattle 3 years old or over and value, 135 F. B. cattle •— - 15,000 Number cattle 3 years old or - over and value, 50 grade 2,500 Number hogs and value, 16.... 400 Bushels corn, on hand or In storage, and value, 500.. 250 Bushels oats on hand or in storage and value, 1,000 600 Tons hay and value, 30 300 Number threshing machines * and value, 1 100 Grand total - $44,475 “F. B. cattle” in the above schedule is supposed to mean “fat beef,” and cover fancy Herefords, 75 head of which sold in May, 1917, at a total of $131,000, one bull bringing $17,000, precisely the amount of the total assessment on all the personal property. In May, 1918, 75 of these cattle sold at $204,175: In 1919 his Orchard Lake farm personal assessment was $57,800, and included 417 head of cattle. These figures were raised $3,000 by the assessor. In May, 1919, 75 head were sold for $426,250. A detailed account of these famous sales, embodying the figures cited above, appeared in the Breeders’ Gazette of May 24, 1917, May 30, 1918, and May 29, 1919. The sale prices were also published by the Newton County Enterprise. In addition, Mr. McCray in his booklets and advertisements points with great pride to the huge amounts which his bulls brought him at these sales.