Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-02-20
A NEW LAW PROPOSED
To Secure Equality of Taxation in
the Cities and County.
A DIVISION IN SEVEN DISTRICTS,
With the Same assessment Tor All Pur-
poses, Is Proposed.
ARGUMENTS OF TAX COLLECTOR FORD

Time does not lessen the interest mani
Tested in the tax assessment question and
since the elections are over the matter is
discussed even more than before. When
ever group of pen gather about City Hall,
whether citizens or officials, the CONVEX
sation is sure to turn sooner or later to this
topic 1t is seldom, however, than any new
plan is suggested.
One such exception was discussed in the
Controllers office. yesterday afternoon and
seemed to meet with general approval. A
group of well-known gentlemen were argu-
ing the question there when Delinquent
Tax Collector w. R. Ford entered and
Joined in the conversation. He has given
the subject considerable thought, so, when
he unfolded plan of correcting the alleged
evils, he was listened to attentively
The Plan Proposed by Ford.
His suggestion, briefly stated, was this:
Abolish the present Boards of Assessors,
the ward, borough and township assessors,
and take the county assessment out of the
hands of the County Commissioners Di-
vide Allegheny county up into seven as
sessment districts, making the division so
that part of Pittsburg and Allegheny
shall be included in each district Have
board of three assessors appointed by the
court for each district, one men,
Der of each board to be Sc
lected as q member of a, general
board of seven, to be known as Board of
Revision and Equalization, and no member
of a district board to participate in the
assessment of the district in which he lives.
These assessors, he said, should be paid
an annual salary, the same as other county
officers, be put under bond for faithful per-
formance of duty, and be required to put
in all their time in taking-the valuation,
make changes as they result from building,
street or other improvements, and in keep
ing a record of all changes and transfers Of
property.
When the assessment thus secured is
turned over to the Board of Revision they
should have authority to change and equal
ize, as fairness and equity would demand,
this completed assessment to be taken as
the calculation for all taxation purposes,
city county and State.
Arguments for the Plan.
Mr.. Ford argued that this plan would Sc
cure an unbiased equitable and reliable
basis for taxation, and that under it city
property holders would not pay more than
their proportionate share of the county
taxes, as he said they always have done in
the past. There would not be the delay
now experienced in getting in the assess
ment from any part of the county and the
expense for maintaining the system would
be no more, if as much as that now in opera
tion, not to mention other advantages that
would be gained and which are obvious to
anyone giving the matter consideration.
The County Commissioners assessment of
the Fourteenth ward has been completed, the
books are in the hands of the city Board Of
Assessors and large number of transcripts
have already been sent out to the property
owners. 1t is expected that many of them
will be returned in the form of appeals
to-day. Appeals will be received until and
including next Saturday ON this ward. The
Assessors are still at work revising the
Twentieth ward assessment, and will prob
ably finish it to-day.