Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-27
UH[h 0l[jJUUU EU0h
Result of Exempting Rich Cor
pOratiOns From the Pay
ment of City Taxes.
ONE MORE FREE LISTED.
In Ignorance of Escape Some Have
Been Paying Up Willingly.
TRACTION PEOPLE NOT KICKING.
How the Board of Assessors Defend Their
Course of Action.
)NE MORE FREE LISTED.
TRACTION PEOPLE NOT KICKING.
SHOULD EXEMPT ONLY CITY PROPERTY

Under the law expoundsd by the attor-
news on the exemption of public CORPORA
tions from local taxation the city will lose
over S125,OOO. This only applies to the
taxes of 1892 and previous years. What it
will amount to in future years can only be
coniectured. In fact, the city can congratu-
late herself that the question was not raised
wears ago. Most of the big corporations
have been keeping their taxes paid up,
evidently ignorant that the courts had
freed them from the annoyance of paying
for the privileges they enjoyed. The Board
of Assessors, for various reasons, have de-
clined TO make public the list of corpora
tion properties which are exempted, but
they have such list prepared and it shows
q total of something over S125, 900.
Only one corporation demanded e1onera-
tion yesterday, but no doubt is entertained
but that those vi no imagine they are entitled
TO it will all come forward and make . de-
mand.
A Big Saving in Taxes.
The Nonongahela Water Company came
to the front yesterday and secured what it
wanted without opposition. The Board of
Assessors promptly allowed the exemption
after Controller Morrow had signed his ap-
proval to it. and the Delinquent Tax Col
lector checked the charge off his books.
This company had paid its taxes each year
until 1891. Its assessment this year on its
property in the Twenty-fourth ward alone,
including the water works, basin, improve
ments and machinery amounted to ST.
615 80. The company owns property in the
Twenty-seventh, Twenty-eighth and Thirty
first wards aggregating about 1900 in
value, on which the tax would amount to
$50
The Allegheny County Light Company
has not paid any city taxes on its Third
ward plant. The assessment for 1892
alone amounted to S1,770 A Its new plant
in the Ninth ward is assessed to the pre-
vious owner at valuation of So, 900, on
which the city should receive 81, 1S6 in
taxes.
Waiting for an Exemption.
The Pittsburg Gas Company has already
paid part of its taxes for 1892, and no
charges appear against it for previous years.
Its plant In the Sixth ward is assessed at
Sl20, 400, yielding S1,625 40 in taxes Its
ofice building in the Third ward, assessed
at ST, 600, yielded SS62 Il In the Four
teenth ward, where the plant of its East
End branch is located, it has paid S39S on
one piece of property valued at $50, 200, but
on the balance, valued at s639, 600, which
should WELD S. 434 so in taxes, it has held
of, evidently waiting for the exemption.
The traction companies have all paid up
on their power plants and car sheds The
car barn used by the Duquesne Company at
Bellefeld is assessed to Senator Finn, but
the power plant located in the Sixteenth
ward, on ground which is not considered
valuable, is assessed to and paid by the
company.
The assessors have not yet recovered from
the sharp criticism of their case contained
in the communication from the City Attor-
ney. They defend their action by saving it
was not their duty to assist the corporations
in evading the taxes they should pay.
Position of Chief Assessor Case.
81 en- opposed to the exemption of any
but citv government property from taxa
ave have been aware of tine Su-
preme Court decisions bearing on
the case, but as long as the rich
corporations were willing to pay
or could be induced to pay their share for
the advantages end protection they receive
from the people of this city, We felt it our
du1v to get all we could. 1t relieved the
other taxpayers for whom there was no
escape, and was nothing more than right.
Al these big corporations have lawyers,
generally smart fellows, whose business it
Is to look after the corporation interests,
and if they did not know it
was possible to avoid the payment
OF this money to the city, VIC would be poor
of the people to call their atten-
tion to it. BY watching this matter and
standing some Of the corporations off from
time to time we have prevented the loss of
sum to the city in past years,
3 sum compared to which the amount to be
paid on the liens illegally filed is only a
trife.
Opposed to Granting Exemptions.
Gas to the exemption of the properties
named in Mr. Frazer's opinion, l was op- |
posed to them and would not have granted |
them But after Controller Morrow ap-
proved them no other course was left open. |
This board has beer wrestling with that |
matter ever since the early part of June,
and had it received less publicity at this |
time, ] feel satisfied number of corpora
lions affected would not have found out |
their opportunity to escape, but would
ave paid their taxes as usual
II don't consider these corporation ex-.
erations exactly as legal exemptions.
ev rather strike me as an escape from a
tax, which rich corporations are really
er able to pay, and in all fairness should |
properly pay than the average citi-
Controller Morrow said yesterday that
be wdt Id approve all generations that we're
covered il the City Attorneys opinion, not
because he thought it right or just, but be-
cause he has no choice in the matter.
However" ne continued, ''the fact that |
generations are approved by me or by the
assessors, will not have any effect if we SUBJ
find that they are illegal If we
end later on that that these corporations
are not legally exempted from taxation we
ran notify them, and, on their refusal to
pay, can file liens against their properties.
Dur signatures do not make the exemption
legal If the law does not. We are acting
now as we understand the law, but can
easily reverse ourselves if we find the law