People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 May 1894 — A Startling Fuel. [ARTICLE]

A Startling Fuel.

One of the startling facts brought to light in Mr. Stead’s book on Chicago is the way in which the rich men of that city escape their just shaie of taxation. Twenty years ago the assessment for taxation of property'of Chicago, real and personal was 1312,072,965. In 1893 it was but $235,799,351. Here isasrinkage in 20 years of about $78,000,000 in the assessed property, while as everybody knows, the wealth of the city has enormously increased. The rich have found ways of concealing it from the assessors. The assessors under oath make the following returns of the personal property of the richest citizens; Marshall Field, $20,000; P. D. Armour, $5,000; George M. Pullman, $12,000; J. W. Doane, $12,000; H. 11. Kohlsaat, $1,500; C. T. Yerkes. $1,000; Potter Palmer, $15,000. None of these men makes out or swears to his own account. The stvearing is all done by the assessors, who are allowed by the Croeesuses grossly to undervalue their possessions for taxation. It is not without reason that Mr. Stead says; “There is a heavier sum in solid dollars pocketed every year by the official perjurers of Chicago than is paid to any other officials in the service of the city.