Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-06
LET THERE BE LIGHT.
A Demand That the Work of the
City Assessors be Published.
LAWS TOUCHING THE CASE CITED.
Mr.. Lambie Says an Attempt Will be Made
to Work Remedy.
MEsSRs. CASEAND LARKIN OUT OF TOWN

Section % of an act in relation to the gov
ernment of cities of the second-class, other
wise known as "Pittsburg's new charter"
provides:
The Board of Assessors shall assess all prop
erty taxable for city purposes at its actual cash
value, provided that no property shall be as
sessed for a less amount than the price paid for
it at the last recorded sale, except when reduc-
tions are made for improvements removed or
DESTROYED; provided further, that this act shall
not be construed to repeal other acts now in
force for the classification of property for pur-
poses of city taxation. and provided further,
that descriptive list of all real property as
sessed for city taxation shall be published in
pamphlet form on the completion of each as
sessment. under such regulations as may be
prescribed by ordinance
WHERE WERE COUNCILS
when the light went out? The non-enforce-
ment of the last provision of this section may
vet cause trouble. 1t is threatened, if the
provision referred to is not carried out speed
ily that there will be trouble, and Councils
will be summoned to the bar of judgment.
Section % had It's birth in a controversy
between James P. Quinn and Squire James
j. Larkin, when the former invoked the aid
of the law several years ago. Mr.. Quinn
holds it necessary that q list such as pro-
yided for in the charter should be published
in order that people may know whether
there is Dartiality shown in any cases. Mr..
Quinn states that he has already called at
tention to the dereliction, and 1t is now sug-
pested by some complainants that there are
cases under the late assessment that need
oyerhauling. One instance is cited of
properry on Liberty street, which is alleged
10 be assessed at $500 per foot front, while
property opposite the Court House, which,
complainants hold, is not so valuable for
business purposes, is assessed at 81, 200 per
foot front, equal depths.
WOULD READ IT WITH INTEREST.
These complainants insist that the pam
phlet should be promptly published and
placed on sale at cost, so that all who wish
to study the problem of the equal distribu-
ton of the burden of municipal govern
ment may be given a chance to do so. 1t is
hinted by the complainants that If Councils
do not take speedy action, an attempt will
be made TO force it. They also ask the at
tention of City Controller Morrow to the
matter, as, since the assessment, the moon
has waxed and waned several times, and
Councils have met still more times, and the
act having been passed two years and two
months, all officials should have known the
law.
While the sin of omission lies, primarily
IT least, at the door of Councils, an attempt
gas made to see the Board of Assessors.
Mr.. Case was out of the city, and Squire
Larkin is fishing at Put-in-Bay. Squire
Hoerr was supposed TO be in the city some
where, but he was not at the office.
Select Councilman Lambie was asked
what he thought of the matter, and he ad-
lifted that Councils had been gravely der
ct. He also said he proposed to see that
u ordinance was introduced, and would
k for its passage.
IT'S A PULLING PROBLEM.
OF course some people who may feel
aCgrieyed at the late assessments will be
prone to suspect intentional omissions of
this kind, and will not be satisfied until
they can get the proposed book, and it is
afe to say that on many center tables Ii
will moi accumulate dust untll1t has besn
thoroughly studied.
The grumblers say that in the absence of
such publication the attempt TO get informa-
ton is a task too onerous to be undertaken
by private citizen.
Solomon might have been able to locate
a babv's mother infallibly, but were he
called on to decide the value of property
for taxable purposes in these DAYS, he
would, unless backed by an army and navy,
find it a task beyond his power. How
country assessors manage 1t, is problem
bevond the ken of any except themselves.
These are not the grave questions as to the
value of certain few feet for business pur-
poses, it is true, yet it is quite common for
a country assessor to rate two farms at
widely different values, irrespective of
buildings, and frequently the best is rated
the lowest As rule these rural assessors
are not agricultural chemists, and how
they reach conclusions would at least puz-
zle the unsophisticated.