| Show n CORPORATIONS MUST BE ASSESSED The Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Teachers Contention in Tax Tai Case Casc Hundreds of Millions Have Gone Untaxed Springfield Ill 1 Oct The he supreme court urt today tOlla affirmed the tire judgment of or orthe the circuit court cour of ot county In what bat Is l known as a a the th Chicago teach teachers ers era Ni tax case Ci This In iii tl effect awards wards a n writ ot of mandamus against the state st le lebor board bor of or equalisation to 10 compel It to assess aF the capital stock tock Including Iran fran franchise chise chies cht es Including that thai of twenty Chicago corporations th the fair cash value of ot corra Iona capital stock Including fran tran franchisee chise over or and above aoe the hi value of oC their tangible property Is alleged to ag aggregate al too wo Oo The Th suit wa was Instituted by the states state attorney alar of Sangamon county at the Instance of the Chicago teachers fed federation The court hoW holds that th the board In as assessing corporations corporation HM not act a as a of but as nn an ordinal as c or Instead of I making a I proper as nt the ourt says y that the board nd wilfully failed to follow a I P and long established rule In tomes In this state slat for making such a as nU by refusing to make tak Into eon con the bonded Indebtedness of said c et rp n They also lo disregard el nil all other rules rule In fun force for the rank milk lag Inc of such nt sought to pass hew iuIs for their government refused to I consider the Information furnished them b by the M 5 provided anti a the capital and franchises franchise of Mid at a nominal sum In Hi id of it St the fair r cesh sh value thereof Per th these reasonS the derision decision says Bays tb lbs court l is justified In holding boWing bitt In nuking making of such assessments hi has tw be i established and such uch pretend ad d t may be properly diem and treated M a no assessment and nd suf sui b be coerced by the writ of mandamus tn a such property Tb The opinion th the order of the lower court commanding th the members member of tb tire board bo rd to 0 forthwith nt at the capitol building In the county office of county and value and assess the tho capital stock Including the a of the companies named In the manner provided by law lawAS lawAS AS VIEWED IN CHICAGO Chicago Oct 24 The tax decision given today by the Illinois supreme court relates relate to twentythree local ocr cor corporation enjoying franchis franchises es Cs including traction companies gas companies whose total capital stock was estimated to be QU aU of which had bad escaped taxation previously und and wa was likely to be omitted again by bythe bythe the state board which adjourned last December without assessing this vast amount of property The trial of the case was yg begun before Judge Thompson In Springfield March 23 1 and tire the decision was handed down May 3 commanding the board to re ic reassemble assemble June 13 and assess these cot cor corporations In iii accordance with the rules of the board In regard to the assessment of capital stock But the board not only neglected to make the assessment but repealed the rules rule of the board on the subject which had bad been In force farce for thirty years year and had been sustained by bythe bythe the United States Plates Supreme Court A as tin lie only fair and legal plan of assessment What wn was considered the weak point In the teachers case aim was that lint the man amen mandamus damus was naked asked while the board was waa still Mill In session and while It wn was pro protesting protesting testing that It meant to do the very thing which the lie mandamus required The contention was that th the board was a continuing body and that It had refused for years year to make bees as segments and that bert If n a mandamus could not l issue ue until after the board had adjourned It might as well never be Is Issued issued sued at all and there wan waa absolutely no noway noway way to the board to perform Its drift The teachers slew of the ease caw n to hare havo been sustained by b the supreme m court Broad AS ci It I tt the sweep of o this decision In itself lt its ln ical results result are muon greater a the decision It Is e said d really applies just ai a well to railroad corpora corporation corporation tion In the he state and may lead to tin be collection of beck taxes tare |
