Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-07-31

curing quite as much time as the board, a.
as at present constituted, can give, and al
the experience in the discharge of their du.
ties, that within that time they can acquire
Nor is the testimony, thus hastily collected
as complete and satisfactory as could be de.
sired That entire accuracy in the adjust
: ment of the assessment of any county
could be attained under any circumstances, is
In the nature of things impossible When
some degree of error is inevitable, the reve-
, nue. board has always leaned to the side of for
bearance, rather than run the risk of doing
any portion of the public injustice. Yet ev-
cry increase in the aggregate valuation of the
State, has been step towards absolute accu-
racy, and has tended to equalize the whole
amount of taxation, as distributed among the
citizens 0 the Commonwealth.
In view of the impediments which have ex-
listed in the way of the action of the board,
some Legislative enactments having refer
:. ence to the testimony to be laid before future
commissioners, might be of essential service
1t is recommended that law be passed ma
king it the duty of the prothonotaries of the
several cS8htes to furnish the treasury de-
partment with lists of all the sheriff sales that
have taken place within a year, Immediately
before the meeting of the board. The clerks
of the Orphans Courts should transmit a
statement, showing all sales and appraisements
of pSfa TO md hn Of Ill
transfers of property recorded in their respec-
tive Offices during thesame period, with in all
cases, the rates of assessment.
i The State Treasurer and Auditor General,
should also be authorized to issue interroga-
tories, OF the character now sent into the va
rlous districts by this board addressing them
to county and township officers, and to private
citizens who might be supposed capable of
furnishing information. This should be done
so long before the meeting of the commission
ers, as to admit ofreplies being received before
they assemble. With this evidence before the
board, they might at once proceed to the con-
slderation, the evidence, and the adjustment of
the valuation of the several counties. The de-
lay now attending the earlier meetings of the
commissioners, and the undue press of busi-
ness towards the close oftheir sessions. would
thus be obviated.
The answers to the lnterrogatories forwar-
ded by the board to the commissioners of the
several counties, and required by law to be
answered under oath, have varied greatly in
character. In some cases they are full, frank,
and apparently candid In other cases defec-
tive, not under oath as required by law, and
evidently given with reluctance. The coun-
I fy,a a,,fb hat
of this character must always be regarded
with suspicion, and are not likely to prorAte
the interest of their constituents.
The defects in the returns arising from
mistake, and from blending the objects of tax
alton bearing different rates, might be pre-
vented to a great extent, by the Treasery
Department furnishing blanks properly pre-
pared, and requiring the returns to pursue the
prescribed order 1t is recommended that
this be done hereafter
1t was at one time believed by the board
that much valuable information would be de-
rived from the returns accompying the CEN
sus of1S50, as filed in the office of the Secreta-
ry Of State. The enquiries under the act of
Congress, in relation to the property, industr-
alinterest, and agriculture and manufacturing
production of the country are minute, and if
accurately answered, would furnish a mass
of statistical facts not otherwise attanable-
The returns were, however, so imperfect, as
relates to the several districts, as to be next
to useless There was, besides, some doubt
as to the correctness ofthe information afford
ed by the valuations of the assistant marshals;
their estimates having, it is believed, often
been hastily made, and on insufficient data
D,,f fIo Of tI AT - I,,l
passed July 9th 1912, it is made the duty of
the commissioners and associate judges of
each county to sit once in three years as
Board, but the duty is still obligatory upon
the commissioners.
The evidence before the Revenue Commits
sioners shows, that when this revision has
been properly performed it has been attend |
ed with the best effect. But in many coun-
ties the duty has been entirely neglected.
Townships, which through ignorance or de-
sign on the part of the assessors, are valued
below the legal standard, escape adjustment,
and, as consequence, not only pay less than
their proportion of the State tax, but evade
their honest share of the county rates. This
Board has become aware of great local lrreg-
ularities, while they are frequently unable to I
fix the extent to degree Warrantlng any IN /
reference with the total valuation of the
county. When an addition to the assessments
of a county, predicated upon such delinquen-
cies, is made by the central Board, the neglect
of the commissioners is attended with the adj
ditional evil of compelling the portion of the
county fairly assessed to pay part OF the
general deficiency arising from the derelic-
tion ofparticular districts. Seme mode should
be devised for preventing the neglect alluded
to, whether by instructions emanatlng from
the Auditor Generals office, or by legislative
enactment.
The inconvenience resulting from neglect
on the part of County Commissioners prevail,
as regards Philadelphia city and county, to
their full extent, consequence of an act hav-
ing been passed aboIishing the County Board
for that district.
1t is thought highly expedient. by cit