Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 81, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 June 1907 — FARM ASSESSMENTS ARE COMPARED [ARTICLE]

FARM ASSESSMENTS ARE COMPARED

Sherman White, for ten years county assessor of Newton county, and this year serving on the Board of Review in that county was in Rensselaer yesterday in session with the Jasper Board of Review, and a very remarkable difference in the form land tax assessments of the two counties was thereby brought to light. Mr. White brought with him a chart of Newton county assessments and the map he had was layed down alongside a Jasper county map, and the assessments compared. Jordan tp this county adjoins Iroquois tp. Newton county and Carpenter tp. adjoins Grant tp. The assessment values in Jordan range from sl3 to s2l and in Iroquois from S4O to $45 In Carpenter there is some land near Remington and near the Benton county line assessed at $45, and a great deal that runs upward from sl6, while across the line in Grant tp. the lowest assessment is S4O, and many are $45 and SSO. The law requires that land, be assessed at a fair Belling value, but it is generally understood that there is not an assessor ia the state of Indiana that expects the appraiser to come anywhere near doing this, but the foot that there is such a marked difference ia Che appraised values in these adjoining townships and in adjoining farms, varying from two to three times as much in Newton county as in Jasper, when part-es Jordan tp. is practically as good as anything in Iroquois tp., indicates a very wrong condition some place. Either Newton county is much too high or Jasper county is for too low, or perhaps a more equal adjustment should be made by reductions in Newton and increases in Jasper. Far be it from any intention of ours to place oursdves in a position to be charged with responsibility for advocating a raise in the assessed valuation of farm lands, for, while we believe that the assess ments should be as thigh in respect to actual values in this as in any ether county, we know how seusative a question the one of taxation is to the owner. It has been discovered, however, that it will be necessary for an increased assess ment valuation of farm lands to provide sufficient revenues from taxation, and the Board of Review, will have to increase the recom ’ mendsd valuation of some of the lands io the county, probably from 10 to 20 per cent. It is not alone in Jordan and Carpenter tps that this comparison with Newton county was made, but the land in all parts of the county have a proportionally depreciated value, and it is probable and correct that befoie the Board determines on the increase in the assess ment of the lands in any section it will go carefully over the appraisements in all townships. It is understood to be the purpose of Mr. White to call the attention of the State Board of Review to the great disparity existing in the two.counties, and that is quite apt to result in an investigation of the differences. A well-known citizen, in the office of the assessor when the inequality of the appraisements was being discussed, asked for the assessed valuation of various farm lands in Jordan tp., and declared to the assessor that they were too low in each instance. It is not improbable, therefore, that the visit of Mr. White will result in a general increase in the county and that lands in the west end of Carpenter and Jordan will be reappraised at an increase of from 10 to 20 per cent.