The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-09-14
THE COUNCIL BACKS DOWN.
Real Estate AppraIsements Reduced
One-FIflh.
The Journal EndOFsed-The COufieF
Discarded

real estate was too. high and endan-
gsred the collection of taxes. While
we did not argue altogether without
hope, the conduct of Mr.. Van Ripper
and his organ, the Courier, did not
aEord us very satisfactory assurance
that our efforts to save the credit of
the city would be altogether success
full. The passage of the following
resolution by the Council, on Monday
evening, however, shows that the
JOURNAL succeeded In convincing
even that obtuse body that it had
committed a most egregious blunder,
which must be corrected if it did not
intend to ruin the credit Of the city.
The resolutions read as follows, and
we're offered by Willard Carpenter:
BE It resolved 6y the CITY CT EransriLle,
That the appraised value Of real estate, as
equanzsd By said City Council, and enter
ed upon the Assessors booKss exclusive of
improvements, shall be reduced twenty
(2g per cent, and the corrected amount 60
entered upon the books Of the City Clerk
and Collector. AeE .
and be % further res0.veols ThatEheTe shall
not be a greater amount levied than one
and one-fourth 40 per cent. upon such
corrected valuation for clsy taxes and rev.
enue purposes, Incurred for defraying the
expenses OF said city for the year 1870
When is is remembered that Mr.
Van Ripper treated some Of our best
citizens and largest tax payers. who
complaincd Of his unjust appraise-
ment. with the most offensive imper-
thence, and that his conduct and
policy was Endorsed throughout by
the COuri,r. our readers win surely
give us credit for Contributing largely
towards forcing the pretentious
young carpet Dagger" to crawl down
from his lofty perch. As in 1868, the
JOURNAL exerted all the ability it
possessed 10 saving the credit of the
city by convincing the Council of the
errors in its duplicate, which that
body to a considerable extent correc
ted, SO Ia 1S70.--and in spite Of the
efforts Of our Democratic cotempora-
ries,-the JOURNAL demonstrates the
laundering incapacity of another
Democratic Council, aud again the
credit of the city is saved from strand
ing on the rocks Of protest aud repu-
diation. ~
The appraisment as it now stands.
after being reduced oae-tffth. is OPP
pressively high, and imposes burdens
upon owners of real estate that are
exceedingly hard to bear. The value
of the improvements-which are not
included in he reduction-is higher
than ever before known. Ii many
instances the appraisement has been.
largely increased on old frame build
ings. which are almost ready to tumble
to pieces with aye and decay. Es-
pecially d9es this high valuation Of
lots and improvements bear heavily
upon. the honest and industrious Labor
ing men and mechanics of the city. By
hard work and the most rigid econo-
my, denying themselves of all luxu-
ries and many OF the comforts of life,
they have been able to purchase small
lots of ground and erect upon them
cheap cottages. Certainly a wise ad-
ministration would regard it as the.
best policy for the city to encour
age this class Of investments By
discriminating in their favor, if
aDy Discrimination whatever was
to be made between different class
es of properly It has hitherto,
and very properly, been tho boast of
Evansville. that. in proportion to her
population, she could mussera greater
number of real estate owners than
any other city in the State. if not in
the United States. But the policy
adopted By the present Council of
these little homesteads at
more than their highest cash value,
If persisted in BY its successors. win
soon rob us of this honor. Poor men
cannot stand unequal taxation any
great length Of time. and viii not.
They will sell their property even at
sacrifice, and seek other locations,
where they are not so oppressed
But, notwithstanding the appraise-
msnt il still oppressivels high, we
would advise the tax payers to sub
NIT to the exaction rather than COM
plicate matters By contesting the col
lection Of the taxes. Many of the
tax payers we're anxious for the lux
ury Of thorough Democratic admin
istration, and of course cannot object
TO paying for it literally. All luxu-
ries are expensive. We presume Ev-
ansville is the only city ia the State
which enjoys the distinction of hay
ing imported a spruce young politician
from Tammany Hall to administer its
municipal affairs. and ought not TO
complain if the distinction proves
costly. Distinctions, ike Injuries,
are not TO be enjoyed without q liberal
expenditure Of money.
Butwe congratulate the tax-naverz
IN having secured q reduction of one
fifth IN the valuation Of their real
IWDIANA ITEMS. sI