The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-02
HARD HEARTED ALDERMEN.
THEY GRANT A FEW REDUCTIONS
IN TAX ASSESSMENTS.

AEnAnAAh AlAHAAAna "
the Savannah Theater i'm order 10
Secure a Reduction of $1,000 In
the Assessment-The Improve
meRts on the Building Cost S2O,-
OOO-The Assessors Placed Them at
$4,000 and Failed 10 Allow Any
thing for the Demolition of the
Old Building.
The city council spent about three hours
last night hearing appeals from the de-
cisions OF the assessment committee As
usual, there were a number OF appeals
from the decision Of the tax assessors TO
the assessment committee, and as usual
the assessment committee granted very
few reductions, and a number appealed
10 the council.
All the members Of council were pres
ent. with the exception of Aldermen Glea-
son, Kolshorn ard Bacon. In the ma
jority Of cases the council sustained the
decisions of the committee. Alderman Fal-
ligant showed a disposition 10 reduce
assessments. but in the majority Of the
cases his brother aldermen were against
him.
The most interesting appeal heard was
that Of the Savannah Theater Company
from an assessment Of $1,000 for new i'm
provements in addition TO the former as
sessment for Improvements Of Io'Oo'
which. with the assessment Of the lot at
5000 made a total assessment upon the
property Of $500. The financial AFFAIRS
of the theater company were given an
airing during the hearing. Emile New
man. Esq, appeared for the company. He
succeeded in proving an error upon the
part of the assessors in overlooking the
fact that a large part Of the old building
was torn away in making the new i'm
provements. MIR. J. Mclaughlin, OF the
old board Of assessors. was put upon the
stand by Mr. Newman and testihed 10
this effect
Contractor ]. A. Sullivan was put up
bv Mr. Newman, and stated that only the
Two side walls, the old rear wall, ana
Dortion of the roof were left Of the old
building. He estimated the value OF the
walls an s. 800, the roof at ABOUT $iVJ anu
the basement at about Sl,2V1. me IVii ~
ing as il stands, he thoushu SOulu NC
erected for $1,000. ~.
Alderman Lester inquired OF ar. NSM-
man If the property did not receItlg Ssiits9
hands al S60,0OO, and MT. New man tSPi'ON
that this was not the case. - -.
Manager c. d. Coburn SAID ne Vas a.
the theater when the assessors csneu,
and stated TO them ludl Alib NeHN Va
improvements would be about Sls,v0o. ne
building was Quilted, he SAID, anu al lHe
inside work torn out. a., -
Mir Newman said that a great deal OF
the work done on the building was WORTH
less and would have TO be torn OUT any
replaced this summer. rms WoIk WIN W.
cost between 5000 and S4,vJJ. ne salu' MI
Newman said he considered the as9Sss5
mont excessive The theater owners hau
been treated badly, he thought. he Weht
an 10 explain to Alderman Lester Soile
things about the theatrical business. Inc
Greenwall company, he said. boIght OUT
not simply the building, bnt us pusille.ss{
its franchises, and everything cohheSteu
with it. The cost OF rebnilsdlng tne LII, SIT1
Ter was $4,000 The old building was paruy
forn down and Quilted, and all tnat was
utilized in the new building We're tile vi
walls a portion of the roof, ana 80 cuai i
on this account he claimed thal 70 IaiSS
the assessment to $4,000 was an lnJusuce
10 the people who had invested nhei
money in Savannah. The savannah inca
Ter Company, not the building, was pur-
chased for $4,000, he said, and the pur-
chasers were willing to give TINS amount
in order to keep out competitors
on motion of Alderman Faihgant the
assessment on the building was reduced
to $4,000, on account Of the admitted error
on the part of the assessors IN estimating
the improvements.
Mrs. Anna Murphy was allowed re-
duction of $50 on the assessment OF hef
property on the north part OF lot u, CraW-
ford ward, originally assessed at SSV0
MI j. r. lsuDS StNulGu n ltAANAANAA a.
the assessment of 5000 on the improve
ments on his property at Liberty and Hao-
ersham streets, TO Sl,Og.
Mr.. Selig Mendel asked for a reduction
of the assessment of 1860 on eight small
houses on Farm street, No. Is, Oglethorpe
ward. Mr. Mendel admitted that ne
rented these houses at - month each,
but said that the class OF tenants was
such that they had TO be frequently
thrown out for non payment of rent A
revenue of 5 per cent in some portions
revenue of 10 per cent. in other sections.
Alderman Falligant argued that It was
a wrong principle to assess houses at
more than they cost simply on the basis
Alderman Lester declared for the princi-
pie that the selling price of property was
the only test of It's value. The appeal was
dismissed and Mr.. Mendel retired with
some excited remarks on the injustice of
the board.
assessment of 5000 on lot and 81, $50 on i'm
provements on her house and lot on Tay-
Tor street, between Bull AID Drayton
streets. Mrs. Chisholm said that the prop
erty only cost a. $50 and that il had been
offered at $500 without securing pur-
chaser She did not understand, she said,
that the city assessed property at 1t full
value any way. The property was first as
sessed at So 80 by the assessors, and re-
duction of $50 was made by the commit
tee The decision of the committee was
sustained by a vote Of 8 to 3.
Charles Hohenstein appealed from the
decision of the committee on his lots with
six houses on Charles street west of West
Broad Mr.. Hohenstein said the houses
only cost s.. 400 and We're assessed a 50 600.
The assessment was reduced to s., 400 the
contract price for the erection of the
houses.
S. Wachstein appealed from an assess
ment of $4,000 on lots and FIVE brick houses
on Taylor. near Price street. MIR. Emile
Newman. who represented Mr.. Wachstein.
stated that the latter only paid 900 for
the property and had offered il for 5000.
As il appeared that the committee might
have made an error and included the cor
ner lot in the assessment. the matter was
referred back to the committee of the
whole.
The appeal of Mrs. NJ. r. Heineman, by
Mr. E. @. Black, for a reduction of the as
sessment of So, 80 on the improvements
on her property. Castle row, at Ahercorn
and St Julian streets was refused.
The decision of the committee was sus-
tanned in the following cases; Ralph FL
lott administrator estate Ralph ENNIS
Elliott, assessment Si4500 on lots six and
seven, second tything, Arson ward, and
improvements: A. J. Merkae, for estate of
Anna G. Funk, lot and Improvements.
north one-half No. 40. Ebert ward, lot
and mproments, north one-half. No. 39ia
Elbert ward. assessed at 81 300; w T. Bel
I,F.-