The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1897-09-23
Communicated.

The following letter was received
at this office from Mr.. George i. Mi
chaels, district assessor for Blooming
ton district, and is published in these
columns without comment EDITOR.
To the Editor of The Republican.
crave space in the columns of your
valuable journal for the following
statement of facts:
When | took up the schedule of the
Davis Coal and Coke Company for
adjustment, | found that there had
been no valuation placed upon the
coal underlying the tract of land
called "Rectitude,n containing 272
acres, it being listed at $6 per acre,
which is not surface value. This is
the tract of land that the said com
pany is shipping coal from at the rate
of 300 to 400 tons per day. | proceed
ed to act upon the best information
obtainable from the persons acquain-
ted with big vein coal, and raised
the valuation to $3.50 per acre all
through the whole tract, from which
appeal was taken to the board of con-
troll and review.
While the appeal was pending |
was requested by letter to eau at the
office of the vice president to explain
why certain items on their schedule
had been raised, which call | obeyed,
and at that time and on former Occa-
sions | urged the officials TO place a
proper valuation upon their coal, but
was informed by company official
that they had been instructed by
certain attorneys to say nothing
about coal in listing their land. At
this time my attention was called to
a report made for the company by
I Mr.. Randolph before the purchase of
the mines by the Davis Coal and
Coke Co., showing the general condi-
tiOn of the part of mines then work
ing, and estimating the amount of
coal to be twenty-five acres solid.
Said report also referred to an old or
abandoned working wherein was the
greatest value by reason of numerous
pillars left standing, and a large
amount of OutcrOp surrounding said
| abandoned mine, together with about
| twenty-five acres of gas coal over said
mine. The company is now working
| the gas coal and are also opening the
old working to get the pillars and
Outcrop.
The time for the hearing of the
appeal came. Several witnesses APP
peared before the board of control
and review with maps, etc, and test
| ified that there was not more than
seven acres of solid coal and not more
| than an acre of 'blackn coal in the
mine, and that the surface was
worthless for pasturage or anything
else. Upon this evidence, which was
all on the side of the company, the
| board reduced the assessors valuation
from $40,S00 to $2,640. The board
assessed the company with seven
acres of solid coal at $3.50 per acre and
| the remainder of the tract of 275 acres
at $6 per acre, making the above
amount of 81, $40, thus keeping from
the books $3S, 100 without calling the
assessors, as provided for in the act
of 1896. The vice president of the
company intimated to me at the
above mentioned interview that they
would be willing to pay taxes on
twenty-five acres of coal according to
| the report of Mr.. Randolph, and asked
me to accompany him to Oakland at
| the time the appeal would be heard,
and would give me notice of same,
which he failed to do.
Mr.. Editor, have trespassed upon
your valuable space to make the
above statement in justice to the
assessors and taxpayers. | am in
formed that the president of the late
board of control and review publicly
charged on the streets in the town of
Oakland last Tuesday that the asses
sors had assessed the Davis Coal and
Coke Co. with what they did not pos
sess at the time the assessment was
made.
Now as to this charge | acted upon
the information of the company's
own people. One individual, an ex-
pert, in a report to the company put
the amount of coal at seven hundred
and fifty thousand tons, and said that
was low as others had placed the
amount at million tons and over,
which believed to be nearer correct
than Mr.. RandOlph's report, which
places the amount at twenty-five
thousand tons.
| demand as the matter now stands
an early hearing in the case.
! GEO. l.. MICHAELS.