| Show STATE TAX GROUP ENDS ENDS' LOGAN TASK LOGAN OGAN July 14 The 14 The Utah state tax commission wound up the first of several assessment appeals scheduled throughout the state when it ended a hearing with wilh a group of fifty Logan fifty Logan business men late Wednesday afternoon after after- noon The hearings occupied three days of stormy sessions marked by almost continuous argument between two members of the commission present George Georgg A. A Critchlow and R It E E. E Hammond Hammond Ham mond their valuation engineer W W. I A. A Stumm and John A. A Hendrickson on leader of ot the petitioners The final charge in Hendrickson's campaign for valuation reductions in business property came Wednesday Wednes day afternoon through an open letter let ter addressed to the com commission Mr Hendrickson used the charge of discrimination freely throughout through through- out his final rina message to the commis commis- commission sion He said that this group assuming assum assum assuming ing that the 1931 valuations were fair asked a b blanket reduction of 25 per cent Although this was denied his letter continued some reductions were made ranging from 1 to 49 per percent percent cent while in other Instances valuations valuations were even raised slightly MANY l DISCOURAGED He also claimed that those seeking reductions outside of the petitioning group fared better than those in the group and many were consequently discouraged from joining in the united movement The letter denounced in strongest terms the work of Mr 1 Strum saying that my personal observation has led me to doubt the fairness of his figures for the reason that he has taken cognizance and measured up old dilapidated granaries and barns 60 years old which have long since lost their usefulness Referring to a building which Mr Strum valued at 1716 1716 and which when figured as including depreciation tion would consequently cost for replacement Mr Hendrickson on again mentioned the fact that a local contractor had guaranteed to replace the building for and this when reduced through depreciation would cut the buildings building's value to 2652 During the hearing however it was brought out that Mr Hendrickson Hendrick Hendrick- son has been receiving nearly rent annually on the lower floor of the structure S SOME l IE DESERT CAUSE Outside of Mr Hendrickson's appearances ap ap- the hearings of the commission commission com com- mission were marked by very little outside of routine appeals re ne was via the leading lending spirit of the move and before the tax hearings were completed com corn more than half of his colleagues colleagues col col- leagues had deserted him Most 1 of them withdrew their appeals on the grounds that they were asking lor zor a blanket decrease of 25 per cent through a petition instigated by Mr Hendrickson and that since that thai time Investigation has shown that assessors assessors assessors' assessors assessors' asses asses- sors' sors figures arc as fair and correct as they could ask for The state tax commissioners immediately immediately imme imme- following the conclusion of their hearings went into executive session with the Cache county commission commission com com- ml mission ion and left shortly after for Salt Lake without making any statement They took no definite action on changes in valuation while here and would make no definite promises other than that a thorough study of testimony and evidence taken would be made and that any changes whether increases or decreases would be made on a fair lair basis |
