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

TOWNSHIPS ).
over Cd under
1872. 49,

BywhOm was this enormous increase
of assessments mada, how made, and
for what purpose made? 1t is gener-
allv admitted. the iiOard of Commits
sioners concrrring, that it was not
done 10y the Township Assessors. The
law IL providing for the appointment
of these Township Boards of valuation
intended their decisions tobc final, eX-
cept in now and then IL case, when,
npnn competent evidence, the County
Commissioners III revising. as the law
directs. the tax lists sent up To them
are instructed 20 make alterations
Even i'll these individual eases. how
ever. the law is particular in insisting
that it is to be done i'll a certain way,
witnesses to be summoned, &c, and
the Board to be in session at Il certain
time, &c Here, however, the reports
from these township assessors, who
live i'll the same township of their labors
made under oath. who, as general
rule, are acquainted with the charac-
ter and cash value of the lands and
other property they ;Gre called on to
assess, have been disregarled, ignored
and, in large majority of cases i'll
eight country townships, IN arbitrary
increase of valuation has been placed
upon the same property by Board,
every member of which except one,
resides in tins city, and who have
scarcely ever seen the lands and farms
upon which they have placed ticti-
tious value in this action the spirit,
if not the very provisions of the law.
has been violated. Especially does
this view gather strength, when we
l,n WI Ial,
the Commissioners made the increase.
Where is the evidence that full quo
rum of the Board was present, that
they were in session three consecutive
days, at least following the third Mon
day in May last, and ordered this ex-
traordinary excess of assessments over
the cash valuation Of, the Township
Boards? The records having been
searched and no evidence of these re-
quirements of law in the books of the
County Commissioners existed two
weeks ago, when the law as well as
usage presumes and requires it to ex-
list along with other proceedings of the
Board Is this the way for the Board
of Commissioners of the large and
wealthy county Of New Hanover to
transact business and to keep their
for revision and of hearing complaints
was advertised. But did the Board
McnasCIrcs comply with the terms of
the advertisement and of the law? [
have seen no statement from them that
such compliance. Where then is the
legality of the increase lnatle in eight
or nine townships2 Where is their
q I 7
the reports Of valuation of the assessors
Of those townships III the very face of
the law which endows these township
officers with the duty and authority to
assess :? -.. ,i..
The charge made at our previous
meetings, md repeated last week in
the Wilmington Journal, that the ex-
cessive increase was not made by the
consent of the Board in session-that
three of them do not admit any share
in the paternity of the Objectionable
offspring, has not been denied by
either of them, So far as [ have infor-
nation. Nor am | che of those who
enterthe lists accomplishments ordetrac-
tors against Mr.. Flack and his assis-
tants, who were employed to do this
service for the. Board. They have
perfect right to place what value they
choose upon their own labor. And if,
in the absence of any delegated an
thority of the Board, any one OF two
of its members assume the response
bihty of standing over their shoulders
as they write, and direct them to make
general increase of valuation of
property i'll this township, or a general
decrease in the other, to put up the
taxes of A and to lower the taxes of b,
in the absence of legal compliance
with the Revenue law, surely the
blame must rest on the proper author
tiles, and not upon the clerical force
employed. While such conduct de-
serves to be frowned down by every
good citizen, let us not do injustice to
those engaged by the Board to prepare
the tax books for the Sheriff. 1t is