, 1874-02-09
in m Obscure qnartcr near by was hot down at

n m ~ OBSCURE quarter near by raS lot down nt
tnstnrccs aro not iufrcquont Of
OF b,,Hncss, mud possessing nbout tho
ano amount Of capitnl. varying from oncl other
Oh tho Assessors books from 600 .0o0 TO $780,
al, all
EMAIL TAx-rAYEna.
Contrary to tho genornl boliof, thoro is no per-
st,nnl property exempt from assessment or tn1a-
m,ohonsioll gives rlHo to much complaint md
t11llnblttg by slna1l tax-pnyora. rorllaps ono
1xllr tho nameB OIL tho personal property tax
ltits aro Bot down for asBoBBmentB In amounts
usually from % to $40. III most casos tho i'm
position Of tAs tax iB a roal hardship as It Is
drawn mainly from mechanics and clor'ts III
hllnitap md straitoncd circumstances, who are
lily al,lo to pny oven this small Kunl
rRorEnTY ESCAPING ASSESSMENT.
Und Or tho present mode of nHsoBHmont 1t Ia
not TO 10 doubted TINT yast number Of ottzonB
Of largc monnR wholly escape taxation: Having
their wealth Invested III mortgages or loateuo
on collateral securities OF every description, they,
apparently, havc no tangible possessions which
tho Aaso.sor ca1l reach. Our nlonoy-londors aro
Of this CLAUS.
Il would! surprise people to romark oithor tho
total absence from tile tax-latB, or tho compare
lively iusig nilcant assessment sot down oil tho
thx-books NYainBt numbers OF wcll-tnoWil oltl-
xo1,a of romltol u,ld known groat wealth. Many
Of our groat. corporations, too, hgnro very ilsig-
nlcnnIy in the T5a III xp snmpafaon 1a%a %an na lsae
would contra Ut curioltsly with lilo balRncc-sheets
/ periodically lid boforo their Stockholders.
There Is d. considerable amount Of floating
property which ovadoa tho vigilance Of tho AS
BosHor, as vea sols, canal bonts, otc.t tho ownor-
ship and stuts Of which 1t Is often very dnlcult
to uotor1nno.
INEQUALITIES,
What is m, ,st to hc coMplaltpd OF In this per-
ao1lal proper ty, assoBsnont u ita notorious In
equality, alld It s only Just to add TINT this Ia
almost inovit ablo from tie manner, az vol rs
tho limited tt mo iu which the nssoHHmont Is
maGo. Tho 0 ftlcal Is compelled to average AZ
lo goes along, md to mako up Ills rotnrns with
out adequate p orsonal investigation. II is trno
also TINT tho n lblfc, ~ rlilo unto In conspr-
ing to underrat and belittlo thoir resources to
tho Assessor.
TIE ASH :ssMENr or REAL ESTATE.
would scem to b less open to ult.anding,
einco buildings o1 ground cannot bo hid away
or put out Of s. ght ; nevorthcloBs cases hayo
occurred whcta i sHessors havo bocn known to
overlook and omit from thor assessment rolls
entire subdivisions !! Tho ruo witt, regard to
arbitrary. Theme Gems to bo no tlxcd rule iu
rogarl to It. and IT ry often tho most laundering
aud ridiculous esti1 lnteH appear on the tax war
rants, aud accorasu ,ly tho Tux Commissioner IL
constantly Appended to To rectify glaring and i'll
excueablo orrora III / :escssnlcnts
poss lille REMEDY.
Tho syatom of nun ual assessments or valua-
tlou of real property strikes 1lH hB All absllrdty.
What need Ii thoro X sot iu motion oyory your
tho noutlorous macli nary of all assessment with
its wat aud wholly til necessary oxpense7 Tho
Agscsaor aud his ar1 ny Of clerls going oyor the
sa1no ground and th rough tho satuo routine III
tho multiplication Of books as was done the pre-
ceding year?
4 capable aud expe1 ioncod official could rendi-
IL make tie nusoHBtt sent for tic entire city al
most without .stir1ng. out Of his office. Tho val
10 of property In thu various localities il well
known and ca silly Attct 'totl.
the additions nado in now buildings, tho value
and character II Tho atno IL rcadily ascortainn-
bic by refercnc TO TIL, proper department Of the
board of pubA C NOR ks, whore all permits fo1
now buildings a. % of necossity Issued. Why is il
not practicable, thareforo, to do away with the
present cunbrou ;aud costly method, and, II il
can DO done con EHtently with the law, hive q
valuation Of real pxQporty Tor purposes Of taxa
tion
ONLY oEc E,lSAY, IN FIVE YEARS?
What llas hcen ttll, of tho city in this regard
will apply With eve Il moro fo1co to tho county:
There IL tho ano1 naily III the latter of an ontire
duplication, with, p :rAaps oven more multipli'
cation Of detail, Of VIC corps OF officials who arr
supposed to mako an entiroly independent
assessment: brit whs :, aB a matter Of fact gen
orally copy tho asst s1Iont rolls of tho city
varied so az to confor, to tho diminiehcd revo.
nuo to be raised for st ase and county PURPOSES
It will form suggeAti 7o subject Of Inquiry tt
shosy tho percentage til ecoBt OF nssoss1nent n1lt
collection bear8 to tho total amount OF royenut
raised for municipal phi :poses, but this exhibit
will moro appropriately form tho subject o.
another notice.