New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-03-19

TIP TERRITORIAL OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or
THE RING TAXED LIGHTLY-INJUsTICE OF THE
PLAN ADOPTED BY THE NEW BOARD OF ASSES
sORs TO EQUAIIZE THE ASSESSMENTS.
IrRoM TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.I
WAsHIEGroH. March 1.-THE District Tax law,
passed by Congress on the last day but one OF It's
late session. provides in Section 10:
That the Commissioners OF the District. their sue
cessors office, stall appoint I'VE competent persons 10
ie and 10 held office tbs Of year.
the salary OF each Of said assessors be $50 per
NUN said SCISSORS shall before the first day Of May,
1873 under direction OF the superintendent OF AS
Assessments and of sed District, assess the value
Of all real and personal property sad Disrlct haDe
10 taxation hereunder. and shall state INC same sep
arately in books 10 ne ktpt In systematic name;
and such value for taxation sia Se NE He aaqS 20
assessed assessed value snail have reference TO
the date Of the frs; day OF April, 1885, &C.
The intent of this law is to correct the unequal
assessment of property in this District of which so
general aud so just complaint has been made. For
instance under the administration of the Territorial
Government a new assessment of the real estate of
this District was made. and, a rule, property was
valued for purposes of taxation at its full market
price, The exceptions were all, or nearly ALL IN
favor of tue Ring" For example. millions of dol
lars were spent in the north western part of the
CITY in building streets through marshes In order to
Guidance the value Of the property owned by the
famous Real Estate Pool" The land through
which these improvements were made was pur
foot Since the improvements have been completed
II has been held and some Of it has been sold for
from 75 cents to 50 foot; and yet, when last as
sessed for taxation, the most of ii was valued at
from Is to % cents a foot, only few choice lots
ranging above the latter rate. That is. while the
poor mans homestead is valued for taxation at its
full cash price, the property held by members CT the
"Ring for speculation is assessed at from % to So
and in only few cases 50 per cent of its value
Examples of this inequality may be found on
every hand. The square which ex-senator
Stewards house stands was assessed for the year
IA 25 cents foot except the corner lots, which
were assessed at 30 and IS cents foot. 1t is not
probable that foot of the land could be purchased
at less than 81 foot. Ex-GOv. Shepherds new
house is on the corner of COnnecticutavo and Kst.,
has southern and western exposure and Is alto
cether in one of the most desirable situations IN the
city, 1t was assessed in 1894 at 20 cents foot
The next lot but one, the northwest corner OF
Seventeenth and K-sts., is owned by iialiett XII
bourn and was assessed at 81 foot. The lot be-
tween them which is said to have been sold within
tho past four years for 81 foot is assessed at 70
cents Diagonaly opposite to Klbourns house. on
the southeast corner Of X and Seventeenth-sts
Is lot not nearly az desirable as either kllbourns
or Shepherds, since it has northern ex'
posure which in this city detracts at least - per
cent from the value of property This was assessed
In 1884 at 81 30 foot, 100 per cent higher than
kiibourns lot. and 100 per cent higher than
RAAoherds. ALTHOUGH either Of the Last two is lar