Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-03-09
The Board of Assessors Commences
Work on the Triennial Assess
ment of Real Estate.
ADOPTING SOME NEW METHODS.
The Result of the Work Expected to En-
phaSize PittSburg's Remark
able Prosperity.
UYEXPLORED PLACES IN THE SUBURBS.
Anticipating the Usual Trouble With Dissatisfied
Taxpayers.

Tomorrow we commence work on the
trlennial assessment" said Chief Assessor
Frank ?. Case yesterday. Our clerks
completed the record OF the property owners
in the city yesterday, and we will at once
begin the work OF valuing the real estate.
This work, in accordance with act of
Assembly, is performed every third year,
;he assessment on real estate remaining
stationary during the other two years.
The triennial assessment is a big job,
and we will have to work hard to complete
q by January next, when we have to make
our report Heretofore we have gone ahead
aud made all our valuations first, and then
have heard the appeals from the assessments.
In many cases months necessarily elapse be-
tween the time we have visited the property
and the appeal This TACT often necessitates
another visit to the property and con-
sequent loss Of time. To avoid this,
we will this year go over three
four wards at a time and then hear appeals
while the character of the property is fresh
in our memories BY this system we will
get the work cleared up faster, and will be
in no danger OF falling behind.
Increased Value of Real Estate.
There is 10 doubt that our assessment
viii show a remarkable increase in the Valu-
alton of the real estate of Pittsburg. 1t is
surprising how the price of property has
gone up. 1t has not jumped all over the
city al once, but has been affected in spots
until the entire city has felt the effects. For
instance. the Second ward took jump and
then the Seventh; after that the Eleventh
and 50 on until every ward in the city had
participated in the rise in values"
Assistant Assessor Larkins is prepared TO
take of his coat to-day and go over the city
foot by Foot In speaking OF the compare
tive value OF property he said: I'VE have
been criticised at times for not assessing
property al the price at which it is held
by the owner. For instance, in
some portions of the city land is held at
So 600 and SO, 600 an acre. 1t is used, per-
haps, for farming or market gardens, and
Its actual value TO the owner is often not
more than OF 10 per cent Of the price he
puts upon it. OF course, if he sells it and it
is laid ont into streets and built upon it is
worth all that is paid for it and should be
assessed at that figure, but while it is used
f0r farming 1t would be ridiculous to think
ofassessing it at s., 600 an acre
Good Effect of Schenley Park.
"Onc great factor in increasing the value
oi real estate has been Schenley Park. A |
few years ago you could buy property in |
that neighborhood for next to nothing. You |
can't now. n fact, if you want to buy a |
I1t near the park you must fill your pockets !
with $1,000 bills. Squirrel Hill property has
NOT Chau-pi rnuch in yalue II had hOom
shortly before the last triennlal assessment, |
caused hy the projected Squirrel Hill Railroad |
The probability o. Il revival OF this road will |
sun hold up tins property
There lS considerable property in this city |
tAat Is difficult to assess You will hardly |
believe IT, but there are spots IN the Twenty |
second and TwCuty-Jrird wards where tie foot |
Of no human being but the red man has ever !
troddeu. Sot even the people who own 1t have |
gone through. Il Is the virgin forest. At the l
present rate Of Pittsburg's growth it will not |
lie long until The last yeStige of this disappears
In The ihickly settled portion of the city as
-esslnS property Is not the easiest thlnS IN the |
world. You have 10 consider the character Of |
the lot and the nature of its surroundings.
Trying to Keep Things Even.
AFTER street has been assessed peple come |
and say 'So-and-so has sold his property at $50 |
"a foot front, and is assessed at but SIS, /
while we are taxed for all our property |
is worth Then we have to adjust |
values all over again. Perhaps the increased !
price j, not due to a rise in value, but because |
tins piece OF property is desired for particular /
purpose and the purchaser is willing to pay |
heavily 10 Cet just what he wants. The people /
come here and declare that their property is |
all cut up by ravines with water enough IN |
1leu 10 float I Mississippi steamboat When /
we tell them that We were able 10 step over
Elr~e gigantic gUlCheS they insist that we |
could not have seen the property at all.
The work do III PittSburg with three
men Is performed in Philadelphia by u men,
anu there l. no more TO do, If As much, as there
is here. The increase in the number of prop
e-ty-I olders in this city Is something astoniSi-
.u- 1t keeps two clerks busy ali the time
masking records Of the transfers. 10 nine eases
ont ut len a transfer means that another
r.ruucIty-hulucr ha, been added to our already
lauE fsl aud gives US so much more work
20 do
Want to Tax Land Only.
The Board Of Assessors is in receipt of a
communication from the Tax Reform Club of
Buffalo. urging the taxing Of land only, and
suggesting that if improvements were ex-
eu.pted, there would be more building, which
would help the workingman and result in in-
creased prosperity.
chief Assessor Case is not particularly in
faJuaJed with the idea. He admits that in
some cases it would result in .he improvement
os idle property but says that as most of the
large estates are leased cn long terms the lessee
would have to pay the taxes.
Assistant Assessor Larkins thinks il would |
Inure 10 The injury Of the poor man, who wolld
have to nay much taxes his little home
as would his wealthy Heighbor who lived in a
mansion.
Controller Morrow believes there mrght he
something IN the idea, but would like to take
time to Fl cure il, while Chief Brown declared
that such subjects were not IN his line.