10, 1020 tHE MTCHIOA DAILY r 4AGE HRtrn .:: . .rW:i.a MNTER ERATERNITY COUNCIL AND PANHELLENIC COUNCIL APPROVE PTT'O O G OVERNOR AND LEGISLATUE FOR 1TAX EXEMPTION (Continued From Page 1) are exempt from taxation are not decent community very much more have to provide did these societies indiscriminately open to all stu- I than can be counted in money." not do so. They provide and main- dents. In most cases they are When we consider the wonderful tain, as a contribution to the col- limited to certain classes-some are history of education in Michigan 'lege community, as one of the fa- set aside for freshmen, and some there should not be any opposition cilities of learning and as a means are for sophomores or upper class- to this bill which proposes to bring of education, small college dormi- men. At certain colleges the stu- Michigan in line with the other tpries adjoining the colleges, with- dents are permitted to group them- [progressive states in exempting by ti profit and without commercial selves together on the basis of con- statute in plain English these espect of any kind, subject to in- geniality in applying for dormitory I students' clubs and fraternities spection, discipline and control of accomodations, aid the accomoda- from taxation. There is a certain the college authorities. These have tions are given out to self selectedgrim irony in taxing these college been built up at no expense to the groups. This occurs at Harvard in j students' houses, which are just as ,state or the colleges, and, although the allotment of dormitories for much a means of education as are tax exempt in other states, have self-selected groups of seniors, and tax exempt dormitories, and tax- paid taxes in this state since their at Wellesley for members of senior ing these college students' houses iAeeption in 1845. and other classes, and at North- for municipal and state uses, and It is a fact that it has recently west'ern University and other col- I especially for city school mainten- become the policy of these state in- leges in some of which rooms in ance! Apparently the penalty Mr. stitutions of learning to build, di- tax-exempt dormitories are frank- Father pays for making the sacri-; rectly by appropriations or indi- ly allotted to fraternity chapters. fices incident to sending his son or rectly by leasing the public lands, At the University of Michigan the daughter to Ann Arbor or East; tax exempt dormitories for stu- present girls' dormitories, the Law- Lansing to college is to contribute dents. If the state is going to build yers Club, etc., are not indiscrimi- perforce in paying Ann Arbor or tax exempt dormitories to house nately open to all. East Lansing taxes for the local and feed the other seventy five per At the University of Michigan school education of an unknown cent of the student population, the growth of the student body has number of progeny of unkown par- common fairness dictates that the alone been responsible for the tre- ents who happen to reside in Ann student clubs, fraternities, sorori- mendous increase in real estate Arbor or East Lansing, and at the ties and other organizations which values-out of this growth many same time he pays his own school have built their own dormitories Ann Arbor citizens have grown taxes in his home community! Or out of their own funds should have wealthy. But this very growth in is that the penalty merely for the their real estate and buildings tax the student body, which has itself fathers who permit their sons and exempt also! To deny these stu- increased real estate values, has it- daughters to join students' clubs, dent built dormitories equal tax ex- self increased the taxes upon these fraternities and sororities, while emption with the state built or clubs and fraternity dormitories to the fathers whose children happen leased dormitories would be to put such a point that it has come to to get into the colleges' tax exenpt I the student clubs and fraternities a question of the fraternities get- dormitories go free of paying -the into strenuous and unfair competi- ting some relief or giving up their I Ann Arbor or Lansing school taxes! tion with> the students housed in chapter houses with its resultant In connection with the question tax exempt dormitories! No just loss to the University in dormitory of tax exemption we may well in- argument can be advanced for tax accomodations. The same thing is quire how the fraternity property exemption of dormitories built out true in East Lansing. in Ann Arbor is taxed. An inspec-t of public funds which does not Should the real estate dealers in tion of the tax rolls will show that equally apply to the fraternity and Ann Arbor and East Lansing raise there is no uniformity between club houses of these students. the old selfish cry that we must the assessments on the fraternitics Many other states exempt frater- not take these college students' themselves, likewise no uniformity nity and sorority property from I real estate off the tax roll we think between the assessment of the fr taxation, some by specific statutes, the best answer to them is the lan- ternity houses and private resi- some by court decisions, some by guage of the Supreme Court of dences, and this lack of uniformity common consent of the taxing of- Michigan- is shown to great degree when ficials, and many by having the "Exemption from taxation is the the fraternity houses are com- fraternities deed their property to only form of encouragement that pared with the business blocks of the college authorities in trust for our laws provide." iAnn Arbor which are or should be the fraternities. In view of the "The advantage of multiplying profit producing enterprises. fact that the above exemption the facilities of learning has been j The Chi Psi Lodge at 620 S. State statute in 1915 contained a clause rightly regarded as worth to any I Street, Beta Theta Pi house at 604 specifically providing the "such ex--1---3 enaption shall not apply to frater- nal or secret societies," which pro- viso was purposely stricken out of CORRES PO NDE the 1927 amendment, and in view, of certain court decisions, it seems . most likely that college fraternity,- property is now exempt in Michi- Large shipmcnts of the latest gan should the student societiesu e manufactured by Eaton, Cran ,'are to appeal to the courts, butmauctrdbEtoC m the statute should be amended a just been received. this petition and bill ask so as to remove all doubts and so as to be .w. PrI 5 above-board, fair and square about Character and distinction are it. In this connection it should be remembered that all thesetclubs writing papers. and fraternities have to do to in.- sure tax exemption, whether this' l passes. ok not, is to deed their -ldQ2-- property to the governing board of d1Nicels the college or university in trust T Stationry and '! for themselves. Within colleges, dormitories which .l .JgYgfg..'e "Z 6 1 1 s y a I r i t i 1 + f f i+ f r 4 t I f r E r I{k I k i 44 S 1 .51 a rye S. State Street, and the 'Alpha Delta Phi at 556 S. State. Street are each assessed at $52;000 or a total This discrepancy is further il- The Masonic Temple built at a, lustrated by comparison of any one cost of over $300,000 is assessed at of these three houses with any $65,000. Fletcher Hall, a dormitory of sib for theU i three. 14 coal -BusinessM Vock on State Street adI I housing 130 fellows is assessed for parison, the State Savings Bank -joining the campus. All blocks $60,000. Building at one of the main cor- with two exceptions are assessed These comparisons will illustrate ners of the city, Washington and for less than either one of the fra- the lack of agreement between the Main Streets is assessed for $70,000 ternity houses. One .exception is values placed on fraternity houses, while the Ann Arbor Savings Bank the Nickels Arcade, the other is the business blocks and residences. at one corner of the Public Square|Ann Arbor Savings Bank property To carry the analogy somewhat on Huron and Main Street is as- at the main campus corner, North further we find that each student sessed at $82,000. Thus it is ap-,University Ave. and State Street who resides in any one of the first parent that the three fraternity which is assessed for $54,000, only mentioned three houses if he is a houses accomodating approximate- $2,000 more than any one of the resident of the State of Michigan ly seventy men and non-profit houses mentioned. J pays the University of Michigan making organizations are assess- To take another section of the tuition in an amount of less than ed for more than the two bank city, a residential one at the cor- $100, yet by the distribution of taxes buildings combined on main cor- ner of Hill Street and Washtenaw on his fraternity house he pays to ners of the city. Avenue we find the Phi Kappa Psi the city of Ann Arbor the equiva- Again the three fraternity houses Fraternity assessed at $60,000, the 'lent of $32 a year school tax, about mentioned are assessed for more Chi Phi at $45,000, the Lambda Chi one-third of what he pays the Uni- than the old First National Bank Alpha at $38,000 while directly op- versity of Michigan. Each of the Building, now the Ann Arbor Trust posite these is a private residence ! fraternities as a group pays to the 'Company- Building located on the with a large lot and building of fine- main corner of Ann Arbor which character which is assessed at $25,- bears an assessment of $140,000. 000. ~~_MR.H.FR 1318 'For Lafayette Cadillac at Shelby A8705 WiTs /u AFWYETT Uins THEATRE Sa nera Seats Now Pr Nights, 75c to $3.00; Pop. Mats. Thurs. and Sat., 50c-$2.00 IlS print of Hill Auditorium nearly "150 entries and the co liE eiil call at our store - at Fountain Pen, with HIS name Hear the Wildfire Song witb our compliments! Take -a Snap-S Library-W Then leave the film at any on Sdurinalsls eekup to Friday MUSICAL COMEDY TEN-STRIKEin in the This e e 6 ROL LS LUCKEE GIRLoYour - Rules8 of ti with BILLY HOUSE and 100a r UJse any canera, 'any makec a [ CteCnemets Liary and wvhatee --__ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _with us for deelopment and Friday noon. Anyone living unr!l liii Eti 111111111111il111111110 eiployees and .profesiidnal p - OPTICAL wek's wier will be announce NCE SAO RDEPARTMENT - STATIONERY Lenses and Frames made ITo Order ICalk in styles and finest stationeryT rr e & Pike and others have Optical Prescriptions DRUG C( Filled 3-Dependa C . H-ALLERS 3 S. s 3aeStreet reflected in all of our state st. Jewelers Corner East and RRILL Arcade THIRTY -SIXTH 'Typewriter Store --sAnnual May ian? FOUR DAYS SIX ased con- trays May 22,22, 25, For the closing event in the Semi- Centena of the University Musical Society, the guished artists and 'organizations have I 1 ,/ EDITH MASON, Ina JDonna Soprano, Chicago Civic JEANNETTE VREE LAND, Distingiuished Ameriican S SOP-IE BRASLAU. Rnowned Amercan Contralto MAR ION TELVA, ContrMito, Metropobitan Opera Cutn. I C JCH1ARD CR00OKS, TI enor, Priemier Am~erica n Concer PAUl AL'THOUSE, Tenor, Me iopolita' Opera Comip LAWRENCE IlBBE, Baritone, Metropolitan O'era RICHARD I3ONEII_ , fBa-Itone, Oi'go Civic Opera ( J3ARRE HILL, Baritone, Chicago Civi n Oera Comipayiiy WILLIAM GUSTAFSON, Bss, Metropolitan :0era C JOSEF I O1FMANN, Polish Pianist EFREMiI ZIMBALIST, I Ilugaian Viobiuist TIE CHICAGO SYMPI-JONY ORCHESTRA, Fred THE UNIVERSITY CHORA1 UNION,:Earl V M Cl ILDREN'S lFESTIVAl (I IOR US, J a lighe, CHORAL WORIKS: Salson and DIelilal, by Saint Sa \XWolf Ferrari: The; Rein.i, by Br .ihmsb; The I Iun deii), by Boyd. TICKETS lilvck "A" ''---'1% 11tr)1:, Tj ie=14 ets , ll r1i n ia n i w eats i setiC M.lain w :cd 'tiois 7, and < iii the -Firsi. Balcony * U vP lvin l a;c{ir;l Cvuput is J.:C r ts 1'ed, otiterwis $800 ea c lii U".I~ ''1' sIid(s I an d 5 II the Main W1\or and ection c:i .1u v, $1.01) ea clI if J"estival Coupon is relnrnedi, oth k T"' Al Sea in Lhc S ucot 1ialeo iy (T ))i1alcoiiy) Also I Con pon is returned, otherwise $6.00. COME TO l'XPA All mail orders will be Baled in sequence and fild in t 11G B3%l.T COMEDY atLIw order.; received prior to February 28 are considered as will be selected as near as possible -to locations requested a early in April at ourchasers' risks unless registration fee of city of Ann Arbor in school taxes $780 per year yet it is impossible for the members of any one of , them to derive any benefit whatso- ever from this tax as no college I student in these groups is of the age or position to have children at- tending the public schools of Ann Arbor. While each man pays this school tax here his parent is calld upon to pay a similar tax at his own home in some other city in the State of Michigan. Following the reasoning laid down in another portion of this brief we believe that the fraternity as an 'educational institution and as an adjunct to the University of Michigan, performing as it does dormitory service for a large pro- portion of the student body is en- titled to relief from such burdens of taxation. - -- Z. ROTH est Court irt Week's Contest was picked 'as the best 'out of ntest was'a close one, too! -f 3U4 S. State Street, the, Wahl engraved in gold, will be given hot of Cletnents (in a Prize! ic of our thrie stores any time noon. Let us develop the film b're automntically 'entere'd. ek's Prize OF FfLM rorite Camera lie CoteCS~t of film. After you've snapped r else you wish, leave the film t prints. Do this before next in Ann Arbor may enter, our photographers excepted. This ed on March 17th. )MPANY ble Stores-3 state and J'aoca1 i_ Streets - South University - - I - estTal CONCERITS What Chance Has A Won Wher f. -the man she loves exposes her to the cruelty of a bi law? Fate pounds at Lena Smith! Power and wealth spire against her! She gives all for love and love bet her! What happens? PO x7 / K 419, r o _i y; 1929 r _d ry Concert Series following distin- eet I eaged: opera 'Company opra o pally, t Ai J any COIpany lerick Stock, Couductor oore, Conductor ens; The New 'Life, by Iling of the Snmi d (Chil- r 4 4 t 5 S r /j / (L 7- ; ~The jzramnoui-1t (jtcturc WIT H JAMIES HALL LOVED! I worked! I am forgotten! Only my son is left! Can the law take him from me? Can the law say he shan't love me and I can't love '5 3. - JAd "1.Otthe ,) $I.00 eacli il Choral S 6 111' 1 J10 i e Fthe ':rwiue $'iJO gaulh $ 0.f1 v;+ch itT f'sti vatl the same order except of that date. Tickets n1 will be mailed out 17 cents additional is