Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-01-06
BITTEN BY THE RAISE.
Money Lenders Howling Over the In
crease in the State Tax.
REvISIONISTS DID NOT REVISE.
County Commissioners Disappointed in the
Assessments.
DIFFERENCES IN TOWNSHIP VALUES

There are great many people who do not
know that an act of Pennsylvania LegIsia-
ture of 1891 makes the State tax mills on
the dollar and case has arisen under 1t
which has made it necessary for Cashier
Montgomery, of the Allegheny National
Bank, to consult legal authority. 1t IS said
that o considerable number of people who
invest their surplus in mortgages are IN
condition of more or less broken-hearted-
ness on account of making contracts on
basis of 3-mills-on- -the-dollar tax, and are
mourning the loss of mill on every dollar
so loaned.
But though the State tax has been in
creased 25 per cent, there is comfort in the
knowledge that three -fourths of the amount
so raised is left in the county, the Common
wealth being liberal in its pay for collec-
tion.
The Tax Revision Falls Dead.
1t is also probable By this time that the
County Commissioners have decided that as
tax revisionists they are "not in II" to any
great extent. 1t is indeed very
difficult task under the making-bricks-
without-straw plan of revision at
present available. They have records of
sales in most parts of the county, but these
are subject to so many contingencies that
unless testimony were taken in almost
every case there woulu be no certainty OF
getting at correct results While the valu-
alton will be much larger, and in conse-
quence the millage substantially reduced
this year, with a greater reduction next
year, the general results will be far from
satisfactory to those who demand absolute
justice in the division of the burden.
Take for instance the Guckenheimer
Bros. property in Harmar township. A
recorded sale shows it to have been valued
at SAG, $50, while the assessed value is
S37, $40, but it is claimed that there was
something in the sale recorded that does
not come within the assessors purview, and
to determine this and all similar cases
would keep the books in the Commissioners
office all year.
Township Assessments go Away Up.
There is slight increase in the townships
are two townships lying side by side and so
far as known generally, thev have increased
in value about equally, but i'll one the
Assessor has raised the valuation 4S19 per
cent and the Assessor in the other finds but
2% per cent increase in value. With some
assessors the grandfather plan has been
good enough, while others have consulted
their conscience The latter are supposed
to have drawn the drapery of their political
couch about them, reconciled to the
idea of political death, for that is the
reward of infexible honesty in this direction.
Although the increase in McKeesport is
81 per cent, it is very disappointing, and
many of the taxpayers of that vigorous
young city share in the disappointment.
Instead of So ,O00, 900 valuation this year,
they expected it to be at least $50, 900, 600,
especially in view of the fact that the
wealth of the citv has been asserted by Nc
Keesporters supposed to know at $50, 900, 900.
1t will be seen that the life of a reyiser is
not a happy one.