Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-08-22

therefore in the law;' and "you can't
have public improvem ents without
money TO pay for them" These re-
plies arc open 10 criticism. Let rs
examine them.
The law has always required proper
~ 10 bo assessed at "a cash valuation"
or at "a fair cash value" which
means the same thing. Bnt the pro
sent law defines It's own meaning and
says
"Tho terms value and fair cash value
mean tho amount at which property
would DO taken Ia payment Of just debt
due from a solvent debtor"
This definition has been dcrldod by
some Of the officials Interested In max
Ing exorbitant assessments, but every
intelligent person eau understand Il
aud SEQ that II Ia n fair guide. Cash
value does not mean fancy price fixed
by the Assessor, but what the property
would fetch ON cash sale for debt.
II Is well known that real estate has
declined ia price, ever since the Glib
erals" captured this city by fraud.
The boom burst, bona fide transfers are
few, values arc much lower than they
were two years ago, aud forced sales
would bring but small figures. Yet IN
the mids, Of all this, taxpayers arc
assessed at speculative prices, and fic.
iitous values are placed upon their
property, and there is no wonder that
they cmpiatlcally object.
Then the public improvements are
chiefly 10 DO seen In boasiiul comments
Of the "Llberal" organ. a few streets
have been levcled aud improved.
Sidewalks havo boon graded 80 that
tho property adjacent In meuy In
stances has been neatly ruined. II IL
either let away up so that steps have
h he made to reach u, or 30 low down
that a ladder must be placed 10 get
down TO u. Some Of the most cranky
and utterly ridiculous work has been
done Mt immense expense aud TO
the de;rlment OF adjacent property
holders.
What else? Who can tell7 What IL
there to show for the oxorbitanl taxes,
reckless expenditure and enormous
debt which are the result Of "Liberal"
municipal contiol9 The cry for more
money at tho expense u the over
buriened taxpayers /, impudent and
outrageous, AMI the meth cd Of obtain
ing Il Is deserving Of all the odlvm
which 1t bears.
al nn.sysiem Of paying per centagc
n lioa,sslng property Is premium
Ia ,Ipjuslicr. II Is an incentive TO
M. ol.iccr h make valuations cxorbil.
MT. My should these values ba kept
teinake big per contage for tho
Assessor, aud provide mon revenue
than Ia actually needed for municipal
purposes, as the muidlcJ estimates
show?
The Board " Equalization have n
heavy task before them. II Is 10 be
hoped they will be considerate 10 the
taxpayers, even " being 80 shall cut
down the amount 10 be- reaped by the
Assessor and Collector. tits not unlike
ly that tho matter viii be taken Into
the courts before II Is done with. The
law Is plain. Its Intent and purpose
have not been considered. The Gu
dclvor seems to have been TO get as
much out Of the Taxpayers as possible.
There should be remedy for this. We
believe II eau be had In the courts.
Last year the pleadlngs Of the OPP
pressed Taxpayers were, In most In
stances, sneerIngly dlsregardcd. Till
year, unless they are listen cd 10 with
reason aud some attempts at fairness
the aggrloyed should com bino to pres
their appeals to legal Issue, thai
burdens may not be- fastened upor
them too grlevous to be borne. Mean
] while lot oil who are over asscssct
make their applications to the Bear,
before the close OF the coming week
Don't leave It until II Ia too late.