The Evansville journal., 1870-09-12
Com mmuntcated
Real Estate Assessment.


Editors Journal:
l hope you will permit me, through
the columns of your paper. to call the
attention of the public aud the City
Council, to the late assessment placed
upon the Real Estate of the City by the
Common Council for the year 1870,
Iii noteworthy fact, observed by
all who have taken the pains to ex-
anime the Assessors books, that
the assessment. made by the
City Council, on Real Estate,
for the year 1870. is from trenty
to fifty per cent, and In some instan :
ces, am told, one hundred per cent.
above its true value. | am informed
that the values placed upon the real
estate of the city by ss0OrR appraisers
have been raised from fifteen to one
hundred per cent. The City Council
is authorized and directed TO sit as
Board of Equalization. and not as a
Board of assessment. It is their duty
to add to and take from assessments
that are too high or too low, so as to
eQuGlize aud make the general dqGTe-
gate about the same. But the Coun-
Gil has no power to make a aet1 dSsess-
nsent, by placing the general aggregate
materially different from what
it was reported by the Assessors.
And as the present assessment
is not an equalized, but is
netc assessment throughout, made by
the Council who had no power to
make it, it is therefore IHe0dl and
UOid. 1t is no justification to say that
the assessment on real estate is uni
form. The law directs that it shall
be assessed st its trae ralue; and the
Council could just as we'll assess 81. 900
in greenbacks, at 81, 500 as to assess
lot worth 81 900 at SIS 900. IF GER
tain members of the Council,
without consulting the citizens anI
tax payers of the city, repre-
sented abroad that the taxables of
the city would reach $24, 900 900. when
an truth they are only worth $4,000,
QUO It is a fault of theirs. for which
the people are not responsible. Be-
sides 1t IS damaging discrimination
against the real estate of the city, and
makes the owners of real estate pay
from ft0eRty to one hundred per cent.
more than their due proportion Of the
city axes. No one would think of
assessing $1,000 in greenbaeks at
81. 800 or $1,000, and get that is done
in numberless instances with real es-
tate in the city. 1t is stopping the
inquiry for real estate. Many hold
ers are already desiring TO dispose of
their real estate and leave the city. or
convert their means into some
thing that will not be uDjustly over
taxed
The principal revenues of the city
are derived from the real estate. and
hence this extravsgant assessment is
striking heavy blow at the prOsperi-
~ OF the city. If not regulated, 1t
Will tend to turn the tide of immigra-
tlon from the city. People will not
invest Ia real estate, knowing that
they will have to pay tffy per cent.
more than their due proportion of
taxes by so doing. Our citizens will
not build houses to rent when they
will have to pay on fifty DER cent. more
than the houses are worth, The
scarcity of hoases will necessariIv
bring up the rent, and every poor
man who has to rent a house
will have to help pay the fifty per cent
In shape ct increased rents. | hope
the City Council will act wisely. and.
at their meeting to- night, will reduce
the:r assessment at least one-tblrr7.
But, if they decline doing this, then l
suggest that the tax payers of the city
hold mass meeting at the Court
House, on next Friday night, to ex-
press themselves on this subject.
TAX PAYER.