Jasper County Democrat, Volume 23, Number 57, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 October 1920 — TAX SHEETS TELL THE STORY OF McCRAY [ARTICLE]

TAX SHEETS TELL THE STORY OF McCRAY

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farm for the care of the live stock were listed for taxation at 1,200 bushels of corn, worth >1,380; 500

bushels of oats, worth >205, and 10 tons of hay, worth >2OO, The live stock consisted of nine mules, worth 3900; six mules, worth $450; 15 mules, worth >1,500; 16 mules worth >1,800; 88 cattle, worth >B,BOO ; 74 cattle, worth 250 cattle, worth >33,000; five bulls, worth >5,000, and 21 hogs, worth >760. In 1920 the provisions for the live stock consisted, according to tax returns, of 600 bushels of corn, worth >780; 600 bushels of oats, worth >450; 18 tons of hay, worth >3OO and >BOO worth of ensilage. The live stock for which these provisions were on hand consisted of 48 horses and mules, worth >6,000 ; 73 milk cows, worth >5,110; 480 other cattle, worth >96,000 ; 26 sows, worth >B4O, and 50 hogs, worth >9OO. No farmer who examines the assessment sheets for this “home of the f&nous Fairfaxes," where cattle sales have been known to total more than >426,000, can help being impressed with the idea that Warren T. McCray has no reason to be dissatisfied with the Goodrich tax law and the Goodrich administration which he has endorsed. The taxes on the personal property on this farm as returned by McCray for 1917 totaled >17,000. In 1918 the amount was increased to >44,475. f County Assessor Boost Valuation In 1919 McCray and the township assessor agreed on a total of >69,320, but the county assessor de- [ elded that the pure-blood Herefords were worth more and raised the assessment total to >72,320. In 1920 there was again a unanimous agreement and the assessment .of the great stock farm stood at >120,325, which figures do not include the value Of the land or the improvements. It is interesting in the extreme to follow some of these assessments

'through the period ot the Goodrich administration. I For example. In 1917 the Orchard Lake farm harness was assessed at |75; in 1918 at »W; <n 1919 it seems to have been overlooked, bnt In IMO it has assumed a taxable value of 1500. I ' In 1917 all the agricultural implements on this 891-acre farm were returned for taxes as of a value of <l5O. In 1918 the value was >BOO, and In 1920 the value was $1,237. 1919 Stock Sals Nets $426,000 Mr. McCray’s stock farm assesements appear to have Increased In a reversed ratio to the approach of the present campaign, but at no time does it appear that he was assessed on his fancy stock for anywhere near the sums which he obtained from the sale of them, for on May 20, 1920, one of the bulls, known as Lowden Fairfax, sold for $25,000, or 25 times its valuation for taxing purposes given the assessor a month before. I The total of the first day’s receipts at this sale were estimated at approximately $225,000, or SIOO,000 more than the assessment of all the personal property on the Orchard Lake stock farm. The 1919 sale of 75 head of the cattle brought over $426,000, according to the widely published report of the sale, or $357,000 more than the total assessment of all personal property on this farm.