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their patrol) gods and goddesses? or, are they were raised far above their real value. A
following after the false gods of a material number of fraternities for a long time seemed
world? Are they building Upon the firm rocks to consider themselves flattered by the heavy
of scholarship, genuine comradship, courage, rates, but now they feel that they cannot pay
intelligence, and loyalty? or, are they slipping for such flattery.
and sliding across the sands in an effort to
"keep up with the Joneses"? Inefficient stewards and financial advisers
can be blamed in many instances. Other bills
Fraternities Protest High Taxes were permitted to wait while the funds of
none too stable treasuries paid high taxes.
W I T H T H E necessity of drastic economiz- Expensive fraternitiy houses were built a few
ing, fraternity groups are discovering that years ago and over valued by assessors. A l -
exorbitant taxes have been and are being tering of valuations was not necessary if no
levied on their property. The charging of objection was raised was the belief of many
highest rates to Greek houses comes closest city officials.
of any levy to that principal, taxation without
representation, which once caused a great war. Though some chapters are evading taxation
The war against autocratic and malicious through college ownership, those which are
taxing of fraternity houses has found its subject to tax only ask fair treatment and
leader in Tan Kappa Epsilon, whose Uni- consideration of their present financial condi-
versity of Wisconsin chapter discovered that tion. Fraternities arc beginning to realize that
its property was among the highest taxed in no change in taxes during the past seven years
the city. The investigation brought about a is more than an oversight. They also realize
50 per cent reduction. The reduction did not that emphatic protests should have been made
come without considerable delay by city of- earlier. (Tau Chapter at the University of
ficials, who were hard pressed to defend them- Minnesota has protested exorbitant taxes for
selves. The assessor's office showed that the two years and is waiting for its second hear-
home had not been revaluated since 1926, and ing before the Tax Board.)
that the fraternity furniture had not deterio-
rated. No change had been allowed for re- There is little doubt that leasing of a home
cent drops in value of property. from the University has its advantages. F i -
Fraternities are not represented in any way nancial supervision, preventing of over-expan-
in the city government, and the pre-depression sion of group, and the easing of the tax bur-
idea seemed to be to soak the groups since dens stand out among the advantages, though
they were rich enough to afford to pay. The much can be said against the plan. Efforts of
regular city tax rate was used, but houses a number of colleges to probe the matter of
taxation of chapters points out the need for
greater co-operation between college officials
and campus fraternities.
Officers to Preside at N. P. C.
N E L L I E P R I N C E (<|>M) GLADYS REDD ( K A ) I I A R R I K . T T U F T (H<t> \ )
Chairman Secretary 7 reasurci
