Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-09-12

sion. But why were the assessments
decreased III two of the townships
twenty per cent. and upwards, while
in the others they were increased from
fifty t. one hundred and fifty per
cent. and even higher in one town
ship? Why was it that in Winning
ton they were increased only about six
per cent? Was it in consideration
that her liberal hearted and enterpris-
ing citizens are already highly taxed
with city taxes Was it because of
any of her misfortunes or losses? 1t
is true, as has been published III her
official report, that in 1871. during
Mayor Martins administration, the
city, wishing to borrow money, issued
of broker in New York 1t seems
that these bonds were hypotheratrd
by the broker for his own advantage
The city, rs is well known, had to pay
twelve thousand, six hundred aud
deem them from the pledge. | am III
recovered from the broker. If no
steps have been taken since by the
city government to recover this sum |
presume it is because the debt Is con
sidercd worthless and lost to the city.
Other reasons than such as these
doubtless Influenced the Commission
ers in their career of taxation. 1t
seems that from an estimate made by
the chairman about the first of March
last, the expenses of the county from
March LIST, 1878, up to July LIST, 1874,
will require about fifty-eight thousand,
nine hundred dollars 1858, 300 and
that the available assets of the county
were about seventeen thousand, seven
hundred and ninety-one dollars
tS17, 1917 leaving forty-one thousand,
one hundred and nine dollars ($41, 109)
to be raised this year by taxation. For
the fiscal year 1873 tax al ratoTene
of S31 900 was estimated, it seems,
besides the income from schedules b.
and c.. rs constituting the Treasury of
the county. It is evident then that a
certain amount of money had to be
raised in order to roll on the wheels of
county government. Was it found
that under the ratio of taxation to
property which was observed in the
valuation of 1872, or which Influenced
the township assessors in their assess
ments of 1878, a sufficient sum could
not be raised t. meet these demands :?
Was this why they arbitrarily raised
the value of property in the county to
over one million of dollars above the
valuation of 1872, and that too with
out summonlng witnesses and eX-
amining them as the law directs :?
If this was their obj that i'll order
to raise revenue from property having
a fictitious value-prOperty which the
owners IL the various townships would
sell for cash. if DESTROYS to sell, at the
"ci.y raIuatiOn given to it this year by
their neighbors, the township Asses
sors-they must resort to such 4 course,
then they are achieving ends not sane
toned by that spirit of law Justice and
right designed by those who framed
provisions for the guidance alike of
taxpayers as well as boards OF County
Commissioners.
But, gentlemen, it is RUE
of law well as of justice to con
Gcmn No man unheard. The Boart.
have made a defence against these
pubic meetings and these general
complaints. They have issued Il sort
of 81 21rOnU1lcia 27ICntO, written and
signed by ''Lawson E. Rice, Acting
Chairman" of the Committee Oh Fl
nance of the Board" It is an ingeni-
Gus production, but so full of error
and sophistry that it will not bear the
tombstone of scrutiny and impartial
examination. Let us proceed to ex-
anime it fairly. The report sets out
with the declaration that ''the claims
of those who ask for a reduction of
valuation of property are mostly of a
general nature and set forth no par
ticular reasons for revision of the
assessments. 1t is true, Mr.. Chair
man, that the complaints of our COM
planning and struggling taxpayers are
re,.y general, almost unanimous, and
are based upon justice. When the
arbitrary increase of taxation of pro-
perry in eight townships was from fifty
to one hundred and fifty per cent. and
upwards, over the valuation of the
assessors residing in those townships
the complaints of the people SO assess
ed become not alone general and
"ltonimO"s, but argent and constant
Commissioner Rice says that, in the
readiness of the Board to accommodate
the people, the Committee waived
requirements of law" God knows that
the Board arttst hare dispensed with
the requirements and necessity of call
ing witnesses, as they should have
done, when this wholesale increase was
made. The report continues to say
eve file herewith the names of the
persons, thirty in all, and the sums to
be RENTED as determined by us to be
just and equitable The remaining
fifty four of the applicants had not
been relieved. In each of the cases
relieved it appears ''that the Township
Boards had increased the valuation
without n corresponding increase of
lands or betterments Here the
Township Boards are blamed for ex-
cessive valuation, and yet, upon this
unjustifiable increase, the Commissions
ers laid an additional increase of fifty
to one hundred and fifty per cent .
But the principal grounds assumed,
and upon which the Comm ;ssioners
mainly rely in justification of their
course, are given in the following ex-
tract and figures, from said Financial
Report: 1.-The average value of land
per acre, as revised by the Commits
sioners, are as follows: Harnett. a. oS.
Rocky Point, 81 SO; Cape Fear, So II:
Grant, 50 sc; Holden, So 30; Mason
boro. 81 96; Lincoln, 50 "a: Caswell.
s. 10; Federal Point, 81 y; Union.
g 81; Columbia, 81 80; Holly, 81 O4.
The assessors in Columbia returned
the average value of lands at SO cents
per acre, while the assessors in Har-
nett averaged the value at Sc % per
acre. 1t is plain that there was in this
case 4 wide difference of opinion be-
tween the township boards of Harnett
and Columbia as to the value of
property -...
This, then, is the platform npon
which the Commissioners stand It is
the reasoning by which they reduced
the township valuation in two and in
creased it in eight townships. They
call attention to the difference in town
ship valuation between lands lying in
the immediate vicinity of and adjoin-
ing the growing and prosperous city of
Wilmington, and piney barrens lying
thirty or forty miles from the city and
distant from any railroad. The differ
ence of opinion did exist between the
assessors of Harnett and Columbia.
1t is evident that the Assessors of
these two townships were right, and