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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 4, 1906)
cnaiuni mine. wmu controlling wie weather, that Is the bad weather, ^ and if bis perfection on earth keeps on losing bis head to vent his spleen on Mellor, til kinds of weather will look alike to him add be will bo wear ' Ing a gum coat in the sunshine. At we January, 1806, session of the count; board, Gea H. Gitaeon, coun ty clerk, presented to the board an estimate of expenses for the ensuing year aggregating 821,226. being 87,460 or more than one-flftb less thah his own figures of 1904, which would have relieved the taxpayers to that extent had he not again taken the law Into his own hands and refused to await the action of the state board of equalization. At the July 1906, session of the county board of equalization, George recommended a levy to raise the amount of the estimate, and deceived the board into making same, by re porting that the action of the sis te board had been certified to him, when in fact such certificate did not reach him until the following month. This he denies, but the board wilt verify the truth .of this statement. The question of adjourning as a board of equalization waa submitted to me, ana not roving a oupjr oi one auieuu mente to the revenue law was unable to determine the question, and called the Attorney General by phone, who said he had sentrthe new law to the clerk in pamphlet form. - George said he had received nine and then got it lor me, I read until I came to what is now a part of section 136 of the revenue law, which reads, “The coun ty board of equalisation and assess ment shall adjourn from time to time until the action of the state board of equalization and assessment shall have been certified to the county clerk," which the clerk then and there said had been received by him, and thereby deceived the board into making the levies before the valuv tions were fixed, as was done by him the year previous. When the report came It was found that real estate had been raised another ten per cent, and personal property from ten to ii ueo. n. uiceon wanico 10 oe an In all and everything In everything he might have committed an error without* prejudice by reducing the levy in accordance with the increase fat valuation, of which no taxpayer would or coald complain. When 1 learned that the action of the state board had not been bad and certified to the clerk, as he reported, I concluded that the levies were il legal and that the bond could not ' and did not legally adjourn, and tried to have the dork reconvene the board of equalization In order that they might reduce the levies In accordance with the increase and make legal levies, which he refused to do, and completed his double red ink tax list, which increases real estate taxes 30 per cent, horses 80, mules 120, cattle 10, threshers 175, wagons 60, sewing machines 60 and pianos 40 per cent. 1 afterwards requested, the chair man of the board to reconvene the board of equalization and to have the levies legalized, which he did, and at this meeting I tried to have the levies reduced, which the beard deemed in expedient as the tax list was complete. Air wus .iuiy 1WJ0,. session or Mie board of equalization, and as a result of Gibson's Indignation meetings, a number of petitioners from Mur townships appeared before tire board (in boots) ana got a reduction of from twelve and one-half to twenty-live per cent agregating #24,181, as I re member it; as a result of whibh til the land in the county was raised ten per oint, or t54,661, more' than tin reduction with the ten per cent in crease the year previous makes twen ty per cent, and strange as it may appear the four townships reduced paid |hore total tax as townships than they would have if left as they In 1PM Geo. H. estimated expenses necessary at 135,225, or twenty-five per oerit more than necessary, and then Names the high rate of taxation to the “grafters,” except when cornered, he then says it was to pay bonds. In IMS the estimates of ex -*-• - yC T"-*’ ♦ - ' •• In conclusion, the taxpayers may find what their taxes should have -been by deducting from their 1904 tax Gibsona extra twenty-five per cent, the amount paid for school bond tax in soma school districts, and jour . share of the amount detracted from the railroads, If you happen to be one of the victims, and in 1905 deduct twenty per cent caused by Gibson refusing to wait for the action of the state board, on your real estate tax, and if you have personal property tax deduct 80 per cent from the amount you paid on horses, 130 on mules. 10 on- -cattle, 115 on threshers, 60 on wagons, sewing machines 60, pianos ! 40, or hr short deduct the black from the red ink, which will only take a few mfoates when in the treasurers office. To ascertain the amount paid on the different kinds e! personal property it will be necessary to ex amine the assessors brinks. z Geo. H. again got us Into trouble by reporting a considerable sum 'M money in the bridge fund, thereby de ceiving the board Into contracting for a bridge acroes-the Loup at Austin, when In fact the treasurer had un paid warrants purchased as an in vestment from other funds, which will necessitate paying for the bridge out of the 1906 levy, probably the result, or nis musing to Keep a warrant register as required by law. Now Mr. Kdltor, 1 have endeavored to make this tax question plain, not only to those who are familiar with the question, but to everybody. If I have failed perhaps C. F. Beushausen wiH make f t better understood. 1 have heard it said by some in commenting upon this question that perhaps J. F. Nicoson might be more familiar with this matter than any other person, having done some of the work under the supervision of Mr. Gibson, and while Mr. Nicoson may have troubles of his own and may not thank me for this suggestion, I hope he will , look at this matter as of vital Interest to the taxpayers of Sherman county and comply with this suggestion and in so doing a square deal is all that any person should ask for or get. Thanking you for valuable s race In your paper, I am Bespecifully Yours, J. S. Pkblkk