Gloucester County Democrat., 1894-08-16
VALUES AT PITMAN GROVE.

| c;rco tax hiI,s hava hoan uaeaad arnrrnd
49, '- - -,
at Pitman Grove wall Oh compiain1 MAJ
| gone mp not only from the various avenues
of this popular resort, but also from the
nlet form If tho and;tor;rm ,ha now esea,
f., - .-N-- nj
sof Oh nlantua lo"nsnip nas Deen accuseo
OF allowing malice and spite to guide his
Judgment in rating Pitman values. These
ohoroes have fonn5 f,llsst axnrsss;or
$500
tnrougn tne Oamden ana fniiaueipnia
press, and Assessor d. 5. Pancoast has
therefore made his first reply through
tbose avennes Rv reonest ve reproduce
-, c.,,.-:- ~ r,
'no o'io"ins ii'na 'io oa"uen oos
| In the various articles lately published
concerning the valuation and assessment Of
the property here, there is room for much
Misrepresentation and misunderstanding,
and it is evidentlthat it is the purpose OF
the officers OF the Camp Meeting Associa-
tion 10 cloud 1ne real facts OF the matter as
much as possible TO further their own sell
fish and penurlous schemes in the near fu-
ture, not even hesltating to venture over
the line OF Misrepresentation In the matter
of assessments, and uttering wilful false
hoods in the matter Of Sunday trains
service, as In the quotation cited IN the last
previous article OF news from Pitman,
which must have been furnished BY them.
IL must De apparent 10 every one tnat
some OF Inc ASSOCIATION authorities have
gone conslderablytout OF the way to bring
in the matter OF Sunday train service, but
as they nave seen nt to do so VIII place
what they choose to call the lie" where 1t
rightly belongs: Inc statement made TO-
tne railroad oMcials tnat Ine secretary OF
tne BOARD was IN iaVor OF SUNDAY Trains
came direct from one VINO neard MIN ex-
press tnat opinion wniie visiting mere at
the mouse OF MS son-ln-laW. so 1t Is
question OF veracity between him and his
auditor
AS to the assessment OF the ASSOCIATION,
ratner tnan oeing IN tne ngni Of naving
peen imposed upon, 1uey naye lol years
!. peen inpos:ns upcn anu inulIec,ly iop,
ulng 'ne cl.lzees Vi manlua 'oMnsnip anu
'ne residents oi .ne uroVe py giving 70 tne
assessors wrong vaiue on tneir properly,
tnereDy eVadlng taxes tnat tney snouia
nave paiu, and II same nad Deen paio IL
would nave reduced the rate on ali the
residents OF the Grove. 10 make the case
plain, the ASSOCIATION nave always claimed
that the entire Grove should be assessed on
a OASIS OF woodland Yaiue OF @4z per acre,
NOTWITHSTANDING the TACT that the larger
part OF the tract Is lad out IN building lots
and same are enhanced IN value as such Dy
the Improvements placed thereon by the
residents OF the Grove, and that the asso-
citation values these lots from 500 to $3.50
per lot OF ~ feet front, and receive from
cnttagers an annual rental 20 to $3.50 per
lot and now are taxing measures to In
crease this rental
The cottager who was 30 fortunate as to
purchase lot some years since within
these most desirable precincts, has always
had the exalted privilege of paying taxes
on his purchase at building lot values,
wniie the poor unfortunate ASSOCIATION
uaso siPpsu 'uiousu .ne noSnos u gus'lcc
auu ID" w 'noii o'u anu wo,, Auo"n :
scneme OF misrepresentation az the rate Of
$42 per acre, although receiving an income
..~-~.-s-.a. n the shape of ground rents at
about $225 peI atre. The present Assessor
has simply endeavof.d to equalize the as
sessments tnrougnouC tne "noie township
and In doing TINS mas assessed at very
low lot value property owned Dy the Asso-
clatlon and occupied Dy q cottager and such
other lots, as near as he could ind out, on
which the association received rental
and deducted the total number Of these
lots from the number Of acres In the tract
All other lots, regardless OF the high figures
placed on them by the Associatlon, We
oeen assessed as woooiand at tne rat OF
S4V per acre. notwitnstanoing the iaise
statement tney make tnat such lots gre a.
sessed away above true value. The law
exempis school property, churches, church
lots, parsonages and cemeteries, but not
business offices, even if the same are used
as lodging houses for preachers. The Rev.
Mr.. Walton stated TO large congregation
OF worsnlpers tnat tne assessment on tne
property OF non-residents nad been IN
creased lOO per cent. and over, thereby
giving the impression to all who heard or
read that statement, that this rate of in
crease was general and uniform, while the
truth is that of the increased valuations
made, 45 per cent. were only $25 per cot
tags, 4O per cent 900 each, and per cent.
Sl0O each, and only twelve properties
were increased over 500 each. As to the
other statements made and published, to