The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-12-01

| the same water had remained for the
past four years. He thought there
| was nothing in the ordnance to war
rant such an assessment.
| BOARD OF EQUALIZATION SUG-
| GESTED.
Superintendent Of Waterworks Daley
thought it would be a good thing for
the council to appoint a board of equal
ization to examine in each case OF
alleged over assessment and correct
any errors. He was anxious that no
injustice should be done to any There
were cases where some allowance or
rebate might be just, but the law gave
the assessor no discretionary power.
Major Downey, representing the
Commercial National bank and the
Commercial block, said the block had
been assessed at $500 this year against
$3.50 last; most of the rooms had no
water at all, but they were assessed
Just the same a. If they had.
M. H. Walker said the Walk
er house assessment last year
was $500, this year it is 1904. The Mer-
camille block last year SOS, this year
s355. Central block, last year $133, this
year s177.
In reply to a question by Mr.. Lynn,
Mr.. Walker said according to strict
construction of the ordinance he didn't
know that the assessment was excess
siye, but compared with last year 1t
was very high and that was what he
couldn't understand.
Mr.. Connolly complained that on
private house occupied by six people
the assessment was $50; last year it
was only ST. According to his read
ing of the ordinance the tax should not
exceed $40 The house was double
house and one boiler heated both, yet
two boilers were charged for, one for
each house.
o. A. Woolley, the representative OF
the Standard Steam and Hand Laun-
dry company, complained that hereto
fore his tax was s72, but it was now
put at $3.50, and that without any in
crease in the quantity used
MI Mccoy, of the livery stables,
complained that he had been raised
from $50 to $3.50.
One gentleman who lived In cot
tage on West Second South street said
his assessment was so high that he
was seriously contemplating doing
away with the use Of water altogether
and substituting beer.
EQUALIZERS APPOINTED.
Councilman Young said he had heard
enough to convince him that COM
mittee should be appointed to receive
and attend to grievances and that the
ordinance should be changed in such
overtaxed Mr.. Mcintyre, who had
levied most of the assessments, had
done the best that could be done under
the ordinance, and the only thing to do
is to fix the ordinance.
Hardy thought board of equaliza-
ton should be appointed and the no
tees which had been sent out that the
tax would be delinquent in 20 days
should be rescinded, as that was not
sufficient time in which to make the
corrections. AS far as he could ascer-
tain every property-owner in the city
had been over-assessed.
O'Meara wanted q board of equaliza-
ton appointed at once to levy an en-
tirely new assessment and suggested
that the assessor and the board person.
ally visit each establishment before
making the new levy.
Bache thought 1t was no use having
a. new assessment. The great bulk of
the private residences assessed were all
right and no kick was made on them.
Office and hotel buildings and factories
seemed to be where the difficulty was,
and a board of equalization could adj
just these without any re-aSSeSSnent.
Young moved that the matter be re-
ferred to the committee ON waterWorks
with power to act as a board of equal
ization, and suggested that all COM
plants be made in writing and that the
tax be not considered delinquent until
after the grievances had been adjusted.
Bache amended by proposing that in
addition to the committee on water
works, Two others be appointed on said
board. Thus amended the motion pre-
vailed and the chair named OMeara
and Newell to join with the committee
on Waterworks in the equalization
work. The first meeting of the board
will be held on Wednesday evening
next and it will continue to meet every
night until the whole matter is disposed
of. It was suggested that the treasurer
give pubic notice of the intention of
SAID board of equalization to sit and
adjust grievances, and the meeting ad-
journed.