The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-26
OVER $4,000, INCREASE.
S12,14i 800 OF PERSONALLY RE-
TURNED FOR CITY TAXATION.

The Personal Returns S11, 5o5, o3o-
The Questions Taxpayers Were
Called Upon to Answer When They
Made Their Returns-The Real Es-
tate Assessors Still at Work-Their
Assessment Expected to Approx
mate S1S,ooo,ooO.
The footings Of the personal returns for
municipal taxation were made up yester-
day, and they amount TO 81, 595, 039. To
this over half a million, or, to be exact,
$500, 623 of returns, increased by the city
marshal, swell the SUN to s12, lie, 662, but
there are likely to be some decrease in the
last figures added. To this add the value
for taxation of 2, 556 horses, buggies and
carriages at $40 each, making go, $50, and
$50 dogs. $50, and the sum total is $12, AL,
SOP, which is So, 40 in excess of the
personal returns for 1889, which were
s9.112, 1872.
Credit is given to City Marshal Wade for
much of this large increase. Four years
ago he assisted the city treasurer in receiv-
ing and making up the personal tax returns,
and there was al increase that year of
about 81, 100000. but since that time there
has been a gradual decrease until this year,
HOW TAXPAYERS WERE CoRNERED.
The most searching inquiries were made
into the personal holdings of taxpayers,
and whenever a merchant came in
with small return Of stock in
trade, he was taken aback when
he was asked, show much insurance
do you carry on your stockP There was no
lodging it, He had to be frank, and he
was required to return as much stock in
trade as he carried insurance on, else in
case OF loss his sworn tax return would
prove damaging thing to be confronted
with if it did not cover as great sum as
that covered by the insurance policy.
A MORNING NEWS reporter asked Mar
shall Wade yesterday how the people gener-
ally stood the more rigid valuation, and he
replied that in the main it was taken good
naturedly, but he added that he supposes
there are about forty people who are feeling
bitterly toward him now, but who will
hereafter thank him for doing his duty and
trying to reach all taxable property.
THE REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT.
The assessors # real estate have not yet
completed their labors. The real estate and
improvements are required to be assessed at
their market value, out an alderman said
yesterday that he does not expect it will
reach the real value of That clsss of prop
erty by about 20 per cent He estimated
that the valuation OF real estate and i'm
provements subject to municipal taxation,
exclusive Of ground rent lots, will reach
about SIS, 0G0, 900, and with the personal tax
return, al say $l1, 500, 900, it may be posi-
bic, if it is found that all classes
of property must be taxed a. a
uniform rate per cent. to fix the rate of
taxation slightly under ~ per cent. The
contest over taxing the ground rents will
not make them source of revenue from
fa1e 4ha oil Il -. e
the present council, but if the city wins in
the litigation, the next council will get the
benefits of the revenue to be derived from
the taxation of that class Of property.
Capt. John r. Dillon, receiver of the tax
returns for the county. was asked last night
how much the real estate and improvements
In the city, subject to taxation, exclusive of
the ground rent lots, will amount to on an
assessment of actual value In reply he
said he would not like TO fix figure AWAY
from his books, but he was inclined to think
that it will reach $40, 000, 900, or there
about.