Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-06
ASSESSORS m COURT.
Major Negley Will Fight Their Decis-
ion on Classification.
HIS OWN PROPERTY AFFECTED,
And He Represents Number Of 0thera
Similarly Situated.
REvIsIoNS IN TIE EIGHTEENTH WAR;

REVISIoNS IN TIE EIGHTEENTH WAR;
There will be no delay in getting couri
decision on the newly adopted rule of the
Board of Assessors for the classification Of
rural and agricultural property. Major w.
B. Negley has already served notice that he
is opposed to the operation of any such rule
and will fight it out in court He owns ar
acre of valuable ground at Fifth and Am
berson avenues. on which il situated hi.
brick mansion, and on this property the
fight will be made.
In addition to his own estate Major Neg
ley represents the James Rees estate, the
George Porter estate, T. D. Messler, vice
president of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company, and E NJ. Ferguson,
the we'll known capitalist. All
these have properties of large
frontage on Fifthavenue in that aristocratic
section Of the city and of an acreage area Of
21l acres with handsome mansions thereon.
Major Negley believes that under the law
the whole East End district, excepting the
built-up portion known as East Liberty, is
properly assessable as rural property.--
A Demand on Assessor Case.
He called on Assessor Case on Friday and
stated his objections to the new rule on that
ground, demanding that his property be as
sessed as rural. He was informed that his
property would certainly be assessed under
tie new rule, and instead of being classed
entirely as rural, as it was last year, will be
divided into two parts, the front being as
sessed as full taxable and the rear as rural.
He denied the right of the board to do this
and demanded transcript of his assess
ment, saying he would contest the matter
in the courts.
The decision of the court in this question
will affect many millions OF dollars-worth
of property in this city. The question has
never been decided in court. The rule in
question has been in vogue in. Philadelphia
for number of years, but as there has
never been an appeal to court under. it the
legality of the proceedings could not be
decided. Major Negley, when seen at his
home last evening, said: .- -, g.
81 base my argument against any but
rural classification for my property on the
general recognition of this part of the city
as rural district by all the laws relating to
it. In the act Of 1876 which covers the
vision that one of the members of the
board shall be resident Of the rural dis
trict of the city. Now, what does that
mean? Does it not directly imply that
there is rural district? And the fact that
it is given representative o: that small
body of assessors. does not that indicate that
the rural district is one OF considerable i'm
portance.
The Intent Of the Law.
"Without going into discussion ofthe val
uations Of the assessors, contend. that this
section of the city is not what the law con-
templates as built up city property or full
taxable on its value. 1t is to all iptents
and purposes rural residence property and
should be so assessed. The only, excep-
tional localities in what is known as the
East End district is the built up business
portion known As East Liberty and down in
what is known as the Bloomfield district
People don't want to pay city taxes on
rural property and unless the city recog-
nizes the justice of thS claim the people
who own and who have beautifeds this sec
tion of the city will move out where they
will be free from such heavy taxes. 1t is a
serious matter and needs serious consi6era-
tion."
When Assessor Case was seen relative to
the matter he said: eve will not not be-
gin to recede from our position at this
early date. We have adopted our classif-
cation after full deliberation and are pre-
pared to stand by it in the courts else
where -.-
The assessors completed their revision of
the Eighteenth ward assessment yesterday.
They have yet to complete the Fourtt enth,
Nineteenth and ndTwenty-second wards before
their work is done. The application of the
new classification rule to property in the
Twentieth ward is now being made by
Chief Clerk jenkins and his assistants.
Mr.. jenkins says it will require several
days to complete the change in this one
ward, and The same length of time for
others that have already been revised by
the board, but in the wards where revision
was not made before the adoption'of of the
rule no time will be lost, the classification
being made as the books are first made up.
The Revision in tho Eighteenth.
The revision in the Eighteedth ward
shows the following reductions: ;
On Butler-street. from Fffty-second to Nc
Candless streets, all depths redu ced $40 per
'front.' foot on the right side; from Fifty
third to Fifty-fourth streets. right side, same
reduction; IRON FYfty-fOurth to Fifey-fifth
streets, both sides fixed a $50 per front foot,
a reduction OF IS; from Chislett street to
Haight street, reduced to an increase of 5 per
cent over last years assessment.
On Kendall ana Lewis streets, between
Kent and Celadine streets, both sides re-
dnced 20 per cent from original assessment.
On Camelia street, between Fifty-thfrd and
Fifty-sixth Streets the loot frontage is re-
duced to SIC 50. --r
On Celadine, between Fifty-fourth and
Fifty-fifth streets, reduction OF. 20 per cent
is made. ..-,. go. . ..~.,
On Duncan street. between Stanton ave-
nue. and McCandless street, reduced to SIS
per front foot.
On Stanton avenue. from Lotus alley TO
McCandess street, u 10 per cent reduction is
made. -,-......
On keystone street, from Fifty-fourth to
Fifty-fi:th streets, right side reduced to the
same v:lua tion as last year; LETT side reduced
to $25 per front foot. t1-..s ... ....' -
On the Morningside road, from Wither-
spoon to Halls line, and from Adelphi street
to D.mpster's line, q reduction of 70 per cent
from original assessment.
On Haight and Antietam streets, from Java
alley to Gardner property, reduced SO per
cent. - .i--t
On standis. Manhattan, Bishop, Baker,
Greenwood, Witherspoon, .Adelphi, Elgin,
FL Paso and Trinity streets. general reduc-
On FIfty-third street, from Wicklif to
Celdine streets, right side, Is per cent re-
duction is made. -
On Fifty-fourth street. between Dresden
per cent is made, and between Duncan and
Kent Streets 10 Per cent is added to last
years valuation. = 80 81"
Appeals From County Valuations.
The County Commissioners yesterday
heard appeals from the assessments in the
three wards of Williamsburg. The assessors
books showed slight increases and the Com
missioners added Is per cent in the First
ward, GO per cent in the Second ward and