, 1876-07-27
TIE CITY ASSESSMENT.
The Equalization COMMITTEES and County
Attorney Discuss the Situation.
1t Is Not Improbable that the
South Side will Be
Rcnssesscu.
Some Outrageously Low Assess
r1ents.

Some Outrageously Low Assess
n1ents.
The Committee on Equalization Of tho
County Board was In session ngaIn yesterday to
hear complaints about the lato assessment. The
publication in these columns of the assessment
of the several banks In tho city added re-
newcl interest In the Conmtttcc's work, and
called around thctn many Of the representatives
plutnt about the assessment Of tho West Side
Nas Company by John 1arrfek md G. Me-
Dowoll Among, thu banks complaining were
tho National Bank Of Commerce, which wanted
been assesscd OIL It's stock at tho Bame ratio IA
other banks wheac shares had d market yalue
i've Or six times Us great; tho Illinois Trust
md aayings Bank hal a similar grievance; tho
detlusted from THO returned assessment and
tho Union National objected to tho assessment
OIL tho sumo ground, as vol as that thoy
claimed to slnvu bGcH assessed Ut the safno rato
bio in the market. Tho, complaint against
tlh Gas Company WIS that tic assessment,
S7j0 000 WIS entirely too low, In vtaw Ut tho fact
that II advertised its tangible property rs worth
sl,o0o,co, The colnplaihta Of individuals, too,
were more numerous than OIL previous days, and
ut noon tito Cola,n'ttco WAS not a little worried
to know what to do, especially In te bank com
platnts. The law WAS quito plaint but tho ques-
tion Of cxpcdse,lcy could not be lost eight Of;
lcneo, rather than take any decisive actIon, tho
Committee concluded to adjourn until Q o'clock
and hold consultation with the County At
torhcy. ..-......--.
,rhE coSrEneNcE.
At 3 o'clock thu Committee reasscnblcd,
when there were presuMt Assessor, GraY, Afr.
Kou,ltrcc, and several Commissioners outside OF
tlu5c more directly interested. Commissioner
Durdick stated thu nature of the complaints re-
ccircl briefly, which In substance wins that tho
bankcrs complained that there was oil inquality
nltong themselves In the assessment, some
having their stock nssesacd 9t par md others at
market value. Id closed his statement by iu~
uuirlng Of Mr. Hunntrec what WINS best for tho
Committee to do In the promises.
Mr. Rountrcs--Aro there any complaint Of
tho assessment icing too low1
Mr.. Durdick replied TINT ho thought there
were, and proceetlctl to read tho complaints,
tnent was not high enough, except In tho case OF
Mr.. Kountrca repltcd by reading tlle law goy-
crnlug the Board IN the matter of nssessments,
and then proceeded to correct an Impression
gained by tho Committee that tho banlss, or
uly 0tl5er ctass OF property, could be rcassesBcd
IN stch gascs. 1lc said his attention llad never
been called to similar situation before, but It
wns his opinion that to rrassess tho banls
Il would be necessary to declare thu whole
South Chicago assessment void, and reasacss
the entire toxin. The Board, fe said, had power
TO review md correct tho Assessors returns,
new assessment.
air. Buriick Then called attention to tho COM
plalnts against roal estate owned BY bank be-
iay listed With its stock, at,d asking that tho
that tho rcal estate should ,ios Ie deducted.
Mr.. Dur1ick next called attention to tho fact
TINT tho Assess0r l,aG fhilcd to
AYsEss 0AEENHAuKs
held by tho hAnkst and to the further fact that
many pcrso1s nnd corporations laborcl under
tho ,dea that greenhaeks were not taxable.
Afr. lsountroe replied that grecnbacks, or
were noney, alta money was pcrsonal property,
and that both the real and personal property
Of associations were taxable 1n.lor tho law, etc,
Some further acstltory conversation eneucd,
after Which hr. RountFeo saii, in in substance,
that lc did not rcgnrd tho complaint un-
I. raIse tSe yalun!isn Of 41a thaa shatas iass
Of a,y Of Thy banks, Tug complaints, l,c said,
ono bunk liad been asscssed too lnw. Tho COM
ptatnta ma1lo wcre all that tlietr assessments
lad been too high, which, unslcs the law, loft
thu con.mi:teo Without power to do anything
plaillants. It. could not raisc tho assessment OF
any unless up1B complaint that aome spceiisc
bank was too low, neither could 1t, under the
cannssionr hnriii1k INV, rcnd ..ip t"I thn it, ~
asscssepis M mb1i,hod IN trss s"1 ro1n,nus nm NJ
ycssest;av' In tie cot,rtc t sus'o ., so!xs Whirh
Rc ,1iractcd esrrIof at,nntlor n ~
fnrt TINT lin Asarssor j1ad nyrriontcd ~. ~
.rssmnnt NJ rssmhars a'. ~ }itstr"sn 'n ~ ~
snses ri t,st,t1;nns I,,'b h,t, to;r ~ ~
their yauIts wiile thcir nssessmsnt s scorro,v ~
cl,ynroti tlsir cnunters md tixt,,ers
vns o. 1idic,,ious ani tbnt 's'" wv 4see''a'nt
''s srxv .sszssuvur
f,r ,bo a,rtb ali" ,* i"as1 n,,rh. - h. x,,a.
R,,sitcE ss,s In ~ - n, a.sn,'.
II, ~ IL" az, rn,nrH .ia. r. ~, " Sotssa1
MANI ~ was ,u' ,sn.roi ~, ~ ons H. sssets
a",,th sS;c Mnw1,i ha -, s,.r, ~ ~. ~
Nat " Ma%s.stior to 'e'ey yy%i,h II sno n
a." a, '''', gan@a i,o,r "Asia ~ "ou.H ....,1
S,na nccn !Sn,.o MY ,niS rI1 HbtA III.
II tho ASSESSMENT 'v w., alInwea ~ st.na VIZ. ths.
- % %sue .l1 - nn1Ieateu* "ao Ao"C4 y. skauus tH9