The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-09-23
FROM MORN TILL EVE
Taxpayers Keep Coming in a
String to Demand Justice.
THE NUMBER OF COMPLAINTSRlSE
Into the Hundreds Already-..somc
Specimens of tho Appeals YeSter.
day..-Aa Iron Works Among the
KIokers.-Tho Sub. Committee have
Their Hands Full.


and as late as nine at night people call
at the city building to examine the re-
assessment books and protest against
the inequalities and injustice Of the as
easements made. There is constant
stream through business hours, many
women being among the callers, and all
the city officials are kept busy examin-
ing the books and filling out the plank
petitions.
Yesterday was Fourth ward day, but
all the progress made was to refer the
petitions which had been received to
the sub.committees. The First ward
subcommittee was Yesterday transferred
to the Third, and that for the Second
again went over the ground. No re-
port or recommendation were made
by either committee.
There is one piece OF injustice about
the whole business. A man who thinks
his personal property is assessed too
high has to make affidavit to that effect
before notary public, and pay him
fee OF so cents for administering the
oath. That is a species Of indirect tax
alton which is generally regarded as I'M
fair.
Among the Fourth ward petitions
filed yesterday was one from Mrs.
Annie f. Ditmar. Last year she was
assessed at $500, and this year at
S4,5OO. AS the property only rents for
$3.50 year, she thought the increase
unjust.
been assessed last year on lot "a, in
East Wheeling, $500. Half the lot was
taken by the Terminal Railway Com
pany, and yet the valuation this year
was increased to 81 500.
Herman Zwicker said he was assessed
beyond all reason. He thought HIS
real estate assessment ought to be re-
duced 05 per cent, aud that on his per-
soAal property 70 per cent.
G. w. Franzheim said the property
at 1888 Main street was assessed at
$4,000, which was at least $1,000 too
much. Mr.. Franzheim also protested
against the valuation put on. his resi-
dence on the Island as excessive.
= L. Scalley said his property would
not sell for $1,000, at which figure 1t
was assessed.
The La Belle Iron Company appealed
from an increase on its property from
$4,000 to $l3l, 400, in the face OF the
fact that the Belmont Companys
property had been reduced from $780,
400 to Sl52,050. The latter company
has, besides its nail mill etc, a large,
we'll equipped blast furnace. Its assess
ment was not referred to by the petit
toner as too low, especially since nails
have declined 80 per cent in price in
the past three years, but the assessment
of the La Belle Company's property is
referred to as manifestly above an
equitable basis.
Among the new petitions filed yester-
day were the following:
Patrick Kenny, OF the First ward,
said his property was assessed at y, lOU,
and was not worth that.
Jerry 0'Brien's was put up to $500.
He has long tried to sell at $1,000 and
Anthony busch was swelled at one
Jump from $4,000 to $4,000.
Jacob Bentz was assessed at $500 on
lot which cost $1,000.
Charles H. fancy objected to $1,000
as against $500 last year.
Mr.. Reilly's estate was raised from
$1,000 to 5000 on the pork and powder
house in Manchester, which is vacant.
The Atlantic Refining Company is as
sessed at $500, which Manager A. F.
Gerstell thought excessive.
W. ]. Bodley, William vaas, NJ.
Owens, Annie Carney, NJ. Reilly's agent
and 7. j. Hughes filed additional petit
lions from the Fourth ward.
From the batch OF petitions filed
from the Seventh ward It looked as II
every property owner on the Island was
protesting. That ward will be taken
up to-day, and in number Of protests it
bids fair to lead all the wards.
SO far, from four wards, about $50 pc
titions have been considered, and they
are still coming in from the First and
Second, and piling up higher every
day.