Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-26
TERMS OF THE DISPATCH.
POSTAGE FREE IN TEE UNITED STATES.
PITTsBURG. TUESDAY. JANUARY &c.
TWELVE PAGES
cry ASSESSMENTS AND TAXES.

Commenting upon the increase of valu-
ations, The DISPATCH has urged, as the
only practical way of ensuring that it do
not increase the taX-draft upon citizens
pockets, voters insist upon pledges from
Councilmen to reduce the mil!age in pro-
portion as the aggregate of valuation may
be increased. Our cotemporary, the
Leader, which, while honest in its pur-
poses, is sometimes inaccurate in its per-
ceptions and hasty in its conclusions, is
not satisfied with this. 1t thinks nothing
ran be had by pledging Councilmen and
Councilmanic candidates now, and that in
discriminate berattng Of the Assessors will
best check the tendency to municipal ex-
travagance.
If our cotemporary can point out any
better plan than THE DISPATCH urges
that of limiting the appropriations
to last years schedule, and insisting
upon reducing the millage by as much as
the aggregate of valuation is larger than
last years aggregate-we will be glad to
accept and push the amendment. But it
is hardly necessary to say that it is in
Councils the spending power lies; that by
them, if at all, retrenchment must be con-
sidered; and that unless public opinion is
brought to bear upon Councils, upon cam
didates and setting Councilmen-the most
immediate and effective means of keep
ing down the taxes is lost sight of. In
short, it is the function of Councils TO say
what the gross sum of city expenditures
is to be; and the function of the Assessors
is simply the distribution OF this burden
upon individual taxpayers according to
the value of their holdings. Suppose
Councils increase the appropriations-will
not the taxpayers have to put their hands
in their pockets to meet the increase, re-
gardless of the general scale of the val
uationS?
EXtravagant, unnecessary and wasteful
expenditures must be fought Items must
be scrutinized and limit set to city eX-
penditures. This implies immediate COM
munication by taxpayers with their sit
ting Councilman and with Counciimanic
candidates. To do this does not imply
neglect Of exorbitant valuations. While
pointing out, as justice required, the fact
that hitherto valuations have often been
very much under in place of over 'cash
values" and that the Assessors are not to
be blamed so far as they go honestly ac-
cording to their lights in determining
"cash values" The DISPATCH has by no
means approved their judgment in all cases.
1t has pointed out that they have erred
undoubtedly in a great number of cases in
assuming too high general values in a
neighborhood from special sales governed
by special motives, and that they make
great mistake in assuming that all the res
idence property and vacant ground in the
rural wards could be put upon the market
and sold at the prices that at
intervals are paid for occasional lots.
All this will have to be corrected;
and if it is not corrected it is the
duty which every taxpayer owes to his
pocket and to his sense of equity to carry
his appeal to the courts. But it is no less
the duty of the Assessors to raise manifest
under-valuations when they meet such
upon their books and of these there have
been many.
Essential as it is for every one who feels
that he is imposed upon by an assessment
above leash value" to resist to the end, it
is still more important to bring public
opinion to bear upon Councils to keep
down the city expenses. Now is the op-
portunity, when the city elections are so
close at hand and when men who refuse
to pledge themselves can be rejected at
the polls. As the taxes fall in the end
upon the people who do the voting-not
merely upon the real estate owner-it is
precisely the business of those who intend
to 60 to the polls to take pains to know
beforehand whether they are or are not
voting for an increased burden on them
selves next year.
In short, it is only by vigorous insist
ence upon reduction of millage CORE
spending to the increase of valuations
that any increase of valuation can be de-
prived of its sting But in doing this it ny
no means follows that every raise OF valu-
alton which has been made by the Asses
sors Is unjust. There are many cases of
generalization we feel assured; but it
would also doubtless be found that pre-
viOusly there were very many more cases
OF differentiation The over-vaIuations
can and should be brought to court il the
Assessors do not on revision give relief.
Meanwhile the more imperative duty of
lool<ino after tbe annronriationc h,r Cau,