Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-12
STATE TAX RETURNS.
A Most Remarkable Decrease in the
Salary List of Allegheny.
SOME OTHER PECULIAR FEATURES.
Counties in Which the Assessment Law il
Rigidly Enforced.
MARRIAGE AND DEATH STATISTICS
ESPECIAL rxLEeRAn TO THE n1sr ArcH,

The assessment returns from the several
counties of the State as compared with those
of 1885. show a marked increase in the amount
and value of all the subjects referred to except
| the value of salaries, emoluments of office etc.
In the number of taxable inhabitants returned
there is a gain of O,57l, the greater portion OF
which is in the return from Philadelphia. the
increase in that comfy being 1880 over the
| previous year. The reports from the counties
of Allegheny. Blair, Centre, Cumberland.
Franklin, Lackawanna, Luzerne Milf in,
Warren and Wyoming show slight decrease
In the number of taxables, while Juniata re-
ports the same as last year. The remaining
counties give an increase. although in some the
| gain is less than 100
There is an inrcease of 1881, l,g77 acres of
cleared land, and 1872 92S acres more timber land
reported than last year. The whole amount of
! cleared and timber land in the State by actual
survey, is % sos, 442 acres while the total num-
Der Of acres returned by the assessors as
cleared and timbered lands is % 500 3S2 leaving
5.2U9SO acres not reported The counties of
Carbon, Delaware, Huntingdon, Northampton
and Philadelphia failed to make any report ON
TINS ubJect. If the assessments were accurately
nade the return each year would show an In
crease of cleared with a corresponding decrease
of timber lands.
INCREASE OF EXEMPTED PROPERTY.
The report of 1888 made decrease of 81, ,O4a,-
765 in the value of real estate exempt from tax
alton, from the previous year. with Is counties
failing to report on that subject. The present
report shows an increase in the value of real
estate exempt from taxation Of sSS l5S, ,564 and
| the counties of Cambria, Fulton, Miff1in, Mon.
roe Snoder and Union not making any return
OF such property. OF course, a large amount Of
this increase is due to the fact that more coun-
ties report this year.
In the value of all real estate taxable for
county purposes there is an increase Of sl62 508
Increase of s4 Ss9 BAR sis sIS 7ss 6aUpSin an
SZ9, $50 279: Lebanon, S17, 500 92 Monroe S. S73-
l2S, and Tloga, 81, ,4l3 69S.
Some other counties show fair increase in
the value of real estate, while q show a slight
decrease. In many districts of the State real
estate is assessed at about onethird of its value
and it is presumed that in the counties referred
to in the above table an effort has been made to
correct this illegal mode of rating property
heretofore followed. and that the figures given
approximate the actual or cash value as re-
quired by law. That there should be an in
crease in the value of taxable real estate in
Dauphln county of nearly $50, ,009 600, over Sl6-
00OU00 in Blair, Sl4 000 900 in Beaver and nearly
Sl80OO, 600 in Lebanon, cannot. by any means. be
to the actual increase of the intrinsic
value of the real estate.
oBEYING THE LAW.
To what then must we ascribe this apparent
advance of values? Almost entirely to an
law which before had been disregarded. To
what extent does a disregard Of this law exist
in other counties? This is a serious question
Its answer might disclose a condition rejecting
upon those who execute the assessment laws.
and at the same time be sad commentary on
the equality of taxation; for inequality in
assessments of necessity produces inequality
in taxation, and therefore does violence to the
spirit, If not the clear mandates OF the consti-
tuition.
Tbora ;o a, ;nor.,sa of OK InA IN +h. nr,aho-
of horses returned and an increase of 81 733, ,496
in their value, and in the number OF cattle the
increase is II 36I, with an increase Of $685. OIL in
the value. The returns for 1888 make the aver
age value of horses and mules S68 81, while the
returns for 1889 make such value $50 81. The
average valuation of cattle by the returns of
SIS 81
The decrease in the total value of salaries
emoluments OF office, ETC.. as compared with
the report of last year. is s1l, l76,9O7, which is
accounted tor in the return from Allegheny
county. Last year that county reported $685.
$50 957 as the value of salaries, ETC.. while this
year the amount is Sl4S46,145. a decrease of
S64,2lZ Had the valuation on this subject
Ill Allegheny county been the same as in 1883,
the total increase in the State would have
been S7,5l3 3O5. We do not know
HOW TO ACCOUNT
for this remarkable change in Allegheny
county. Eighteen other counties show slight
decrease, while the balance report an increase.
The aggregate value of all property taxable for
county purposes has been increased Sl53 753,-
$751; while there is an increase of S691, ,U75 IA in
the amount of taxes assessed thereon.
All the counties return money at interest,
with the additional amount of S17,379,25l over
the previous year. In 2S counties there is an
increase in the amou Mt returned, while in 80
there is decrease: Philadelphia has an in
crease of Sl9. 639, ,S7a
Notwiths tanding the efforts of this depart
ment to get full return OF the value of stages
omnibusses, hacks, cabs, etc., which are taxa
BILE for State purposes. there still six coun-
ties which fail to give any information on the
subject. The increase in value, however. over
1855 is s48067. The counties not reporting on the
value of stages. etc.. are jefferson, Lehigh,
Mexican, Potter, Sullivan and Wyoming.
, In lsSS M the s, aggregate value OF all property
S43l, Ill ,8Sl, while for the present year it is
S448, 5S7l30, making an increase OF S17 425, ,249
anu the increase in the amount of State tax as
sessed is S52, ,219 81 over the previous year.
DEBT OF THE COUNTIES.
Fltty-one counties of the State show an ag-
gregate debt of s64, ,477,SSO 6S. AS compared
with last year there is decrease of ST. 647 73l2 0S
In ten counties the debt has been increased,
while in 81 it has been decreased. Seven re-
port the same as last year. and three report |
debts that heretofore did not do So while l6 are |
reported free from debt.
Although there is room for improvements the |
assessment returns for the present year are
more accurate, and come nearer completion
than any that have heretofore been made to |
this department.. The completeness of these |
returns are due largely to the generous re- |
sponse made by the Boards of County Commits
sioners for the information requested
During the session of 1889 the Legislature of |
Pennsylvania passed law by which provision |
was made for the collection Of statistics show |
ing the entire amount of taxes collected for all |
purposes, the several assessment districts OF |
the Commonwealth. One of the purposes of |
the act was to obtain this information SO that |
in applying revenue laws a thorough knowl- |
edge might be had of all taxes levied and COL |
lected, not only for county and State govern.
menIs, but also for ward, city, borough and |
township governments. Fairly complete re-
turns have been received from A counties |
Among these counties are included those of |
Allegheny and Philadelphia, in which very
large percentage of all the taxes of the Com |
monwealth are collected. The counties making
returns show
TOTAL OF TAXES
collected of $2a,326,9l2 OIL, of which amount
Allegheny county collected S. SSS. 80 So, while
Philadelphia appropriated for the several pur-
poses indicated in the return of the county
Sll, $50, l72 A. 1t will be observed by reference
to the return from this county that the amounts
given do not indicate that such amounts were
collected for specific purposes but were the
result of general levy for the maintenance
for city and county government, and the dis
tributlon for particular expenditures was made
by virtue Of ordinances passed by Councils.
Some deductions might be made from these
returns which would be of some public inter-
est, but owing TO the fact that they are incom-
plete. q counties not having made any returns,
we have concluded that a publication of the
detailed returns together with a consolidated
statement thereof, will be sufficient for the
present year.
The counties which reported in time to be in
in this report are Adams, Allie
gheny Armstrong. Bedford, Berks, Blair,
Bucks. Center, Chester, Clearfeld, Columbia.