The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1889-10-26

II the rate OF assessment per capita counts
for anything as showing whether an assess
ment is high or low, the best method would
be BY division Of the assessment according
to the white vote. This division, when APP
piled 10 counties somewhat similar to Carroll,
shows that the rate per capita is less N Car
roll than in Cecil, Howard or Frederick, and
not much above the rate in Hartford and
Washington.
While this comparison is mach more val
liable than the seatiaers still 1t is unreliable
in fact valueless as going to show whether the
assessment is high or low in Carroll as COM
pared with assessments in other counties
Frederick and Carroll lie side by side. In
area Frederick is about one.third larger than
Carroll. and her assessed value is 10 very near
the same proportion. Frederick city Is about
three times as large as Westminster, but her
assessed value is not greater than S5,ooo,ooO
as against $1,000, 600 in Westminster, for
Frederick city has much larger proportion
Of non-tax payers.
The land in Carroll, We have been inform
ed, is better aad more productive than in
Frederick, and very considerable portion OF
Frederick is mountain land Of little value.
There is very little waste land in Carroll, bat
there is considerable in Frederick.
Washington county is but a tribe larger
than Carroll. The assessment Of Wash
ington is, less about S5,0O0,Ooo for Hagers-
town, Sl2,096,4I0 In Carroll, less $1,000,
600 for Westminster, SI4,0eS,67l. In Wash
ingtou county, as in Frederick, there is a very
considerable body Of mountain land, Of little
value. In both Washington and Frederick
counties a considerable quantity Of land is
lessened in value by the outcropping Of lime
stone.
These facts 90 to prove that property is as
sessed higher in Frederick and Washington
counties, and the comparisons are fair. The
rate per capita, as given by the Sentinel shows
nothing, except it be that the people Of Car
roll are little better off than their neighbors,
which we believe to be fact, and It is sur
prisiug that the editor did not see that he was
proving nothing upon the matter in eontro-
versy.
Actual sales IS the best proof, and the An
YocArE has produced this. Ii has shown that
in sixteen property sales but three brought
less than the assessment, while the aggregate
price of the property was nearly S 900 above
the aggregate assessed value. Ii is we'll
known, too, that real estate values are less
now than for some years past, and sales made
this year are no fair criterion of real value.
All the sales reported by the ADVOCATE, with
two exceptions, were forced sales.
The Advocate has shown, also, that pro-
perty has sold in Frederick county, in dis
trict adjoining Carroll, 5eloc the assessed value
thereof; that by reason of depression in real
estate that but few property sales could be
made; that it was impossible to sell a good farm
in Washington county at anything like its sup
posed value; that in Calvert and st. Mary's
counties land had no saleabe value, for there
were no purchasers; and that land has sold
recently in Prince Georges county for con
siderably less than the assessed value.
These facts count for nothing with the
Republican leaders of Carroll. They viii
continue to SANDER the county, to the detri-
ment of its growth and material interests, in
the hope that party advantage may result.