El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1897-07-26
VOL. XVII, NO. 176
to the seance and listened to the argu-

| to the seance and listened to the argu-
| mepts. -.1 e
Judge Harper was made chairman of
the meeting and Mr.. Courchesne stood
just back of the chairman to back him
up in his decision. ~
| Mr.. McCutcheon got the chairman g
eye and made a motion that a commit
tee of ten citizens be appointed to join
with the commissioners court in order
to fix and regulate just and equitab BILE
valuation of property within the city.
This motion was seconded. Then each
| tate agents who are all considered first
class off-hand takers began to register
| their kicks. Judge Loomis thought
| that taxable valuations should be plac-
ed at about what property could be
sold for at sheriff's sales. He said that
property was valued higher in Ell
Paso than at any other point in the
state. ---.-- .,.t --usl.7-r. frr-s
A. P. Coles then got the ear of the
chair and said the increased valuations
would drive investments from the
county and ruin many of the property
owners of the city who could not. pay
their taxes. He wanted values reduc-
ed and favored increased taxation but
lower valuations. 1se abrai1f bnaa
Harry Woods took issue with the
court on the system they had adopted
lOr VdlucluS City properly.
Judge Harper here remarked that
the court had adopted what it cOnsid-
cred fair and equitable system for
valueing property and from thissystem
they would not bulge, but if it could
be shown that any one had been assess-
ed too high then the matter could be
remedied. He said that he understood
that the idea of the meeting was get at
fair and just valuation of the pro-
perty, aud he felt sure the system
adopted by the court was the only way
the matter could be properly reached.
After considerable more talk of q
similar character Commissioner
COurchenne. made few remarks and
said it was the intention of the court
to treat everybody fair and just, but
that the county was going into bank
it were much fairer to increase
valuations than it WAS to increase the
taxes. He said the new Is cent tax
levy next year would all be applied to
the counties contingent expenses,
which would be kept at the lowest
notch, and that by the end of next year
that county scrip that is now worth SO
cents on the dollar, would be worth 80
cents and that at the end of two years
county scrip would be at par and there
would be money in the treasury. He
also said that next year taxes could be
decreased Is cents on the hundred dol
lars and still the county would be out
of its unbounded Indebtedness.
The chair remarked that under the
system adopted by the commissioners
that it was found that some citizens
er figures than those fixed by the
board of equalization and these people
were certainly entitled to the lower
rate. The chair then put Mr.. McCut-
cheon's motion which carried. 3-u
The chair then appointed the follow
ing gentlemen as committee of ten to
confer with the board of equalization
is fixing values: ......s
Judge Loomis, H. B. Stevens, A. P.
Coles, Harry Wood, Judge MagOfi1n,
w. S. McCutcheon, j. L. Hammett, J.
p. Dieter, S. J. Freudenthal and Zach
White. Judge Wood. of Austin, and
w. r Martin were afterwards added
to represent the railroad interests.
This committee then went into con-
ference with the commissioners and
worked up to Il o'clock. bs,ts- fa 10
The board met this afternoon when
the proposition to make q general 25
per cent reduction on all the last val
uatiOns was taken up and considered;
and that was the stage of the game
when the HERALD went to press.
The board was to have met at 2 p.
NJ, and COurchesne said 1t would meet
as Judge Harper was expected
every minute. So the real estate men
and prominent property holders stood
around, first on one leg and then on the
other, and related tales of their youth
TO each other, the crowd stopping
Colonel Courchesne every three min
ltes to know when the board would
meet. They were suavely assured the
board would meet directly as Judge
Harper was expected every minute.
Finally every body got very tired of
ibis expected every minute business SO
lnder Sheriff Jones was sent after the
udge. and the officer rustled him up.
t was 300 p. m., before the
BOARD settled down to business,
md the property holders and real
estate men forgot their stories and
became interested in the doings of the
BOARD