New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-12-04
BROOKLYN NEWS.
PREPARING FOR A FIGHT.
THE BROOKLYN LEAGUE TO TAKE VI
THE ASSESSMENT MATTER.

EQUALIZATION TO BE INSISTED on EVEN IF
THE COURTS HAVE TO BE CALLED ON
An ALLEGATION THAT THE CHAR
TER PROVISIONS HAVE BEEN
plsREGARDEp 80
The Brooklyn League is preparing to force an
eoualization Of the assessments IN brooklyn ana
Manhattan, even If it has TO carry the matter
into the criminal courts 10 secure the rights Oh
Brooklyn property-owners. The League Is gain
erins evidence of the most convincing sort tha'
the charter provision regarding equal assess
ments has been grossly violated ana WIN ''''
evidence it will soon make a formal demand
that the Board OF Assessors do its full cuty. IL
this demand be ignored, the Republican DIS
,rict-Attorncv who will succeed JOSIAH l.
Narean on January Will he urged to prooeeu
against the Board of Assessors crlminai!'
The League is not going into so serious anu
important an undertaking as this without '"o'
ough preparation. Data have been sa'he'eu ''''-
corning five hundred sales OF real ESTATE "
BROOKLYN Manhattan and The Bronx M"' -
these were foreclosure and executors sa''S' az
tho facts concerning them. the CONSUMERS ''''
the terms and the manner OF the sale nave oee'
recorded I'm full The League proposes 10 Neep
right on until 1t has fortified IseI1 VIII" o'0
thousand sales The averages pointed OUT ~
such a large number Of sales will scarcely De
questioned by any one. not even Il la'''''''''
offic-l. da
,,rood, careful comparison has been MADE
ho,ueon the Brooklyn and the Manhattan sales
calculated and they show that practically no
-vor, has beeu made by the Board Of Assessors
,o soualize assessments. as demanded ny the
charter II is true that there has been an APP
narentlv large increase In the assessment /"
Manhattan and The Bronx. but the invesusa-
lion made 10y the League indicates that TINS III
crease is really only slight when separate pieces
=. oo.rtv arc considered. Instead OF the %
= mt increase that would be necessary 10
hiring il ND to the valuations placed upon brooA-
yn property. the League investigators ASSERT
that the increase amounts on an aNer"se u
only a small percentage and that oio ->e"
vork assessments are still the 90 per cent
basis. while Brooklyn assessments range i'0"'
10 to so per cent.
The struggle betW cen the consohuauoh anu
decentralization forces in Brooklyn IS sun
1891, =, ,ho memory of every one. The friends
~ consolidation maintained stouty that anheAa-
49,, ,.o,,,d be n good thing for Brooklyn, as IL
,.o,,1d hiring down both the tax rate and the as
,ss,,sn,s in BROOKLYN. They pointed out tha'
,avos wore low in New York because or us
s,sa+ office buildings and its taxable water
front. ., ..o,arlv
Tho fire. draf, Of the charter did not properly
safeguard Brooklyn in the matter oi
mont MAYOR Wufster was MEMBER Vi vi"
charter Commission and he INSISTED '"a'
clause be inserted in the charter permitting '"'
COMPARISON of properties lying in Inherent '0'
ouehs in enforcing equalization OF assessments
throughout the bis city
NEITHER METHOD ADOPTED.
According TO the assertions of officers or inc
Brooklyn League The equalization prov 'S'ui -
tho charter is a dead letter. SO Tar as inc IAN
many Hail administration - concerned 4"e'e
were two ways in which the equa'za'oh III a.
sessrnent could have been efected-'he value"
ton could have been increased In Ma nnaUaa
and The Bronx or it could have been decie8. t
in Rrooklvn Neither method or renewing uo
overburdened taxpayer of Brooklyn mas -. =.
adopted by the Board Of Assessors. according u
There NAV be A big surprise after the first or
the year The Board Of Assessors may be asked
publican District-Attorney may present the
Board 10 the consideration OF the Kings county
Grand Jury. ,, T.,
stead of paving smaller tax rate as was prom
ised her for consenting TO consolidation may pe
called upon next year to struggle under TAX
rate Of 81 -, on 500. This would be unprece-
dentedly large. even for Brooklyn, and nothing
could be hoped for as the result Of it except the
sale OF great quantities or property 10 pay tdAeS'
STATEMENT BY THE LEAGUE.
The League issued an appeal for new members
yesterday in which it said:
Dear Sir: Your attention Is respectfully called to
the importance Of the movement undertaken by the
BROOKLYN League 20 secure the proper enforcement
OF the charter provisions. requiring an equanzSton
OF of real estate in all the borouehs of
the greater city.
The Board E<i!ioae October 81 adopted I'll the
budget for 1899 providing that total of $4,000
0s2 % must be raised 10y taxation 10 meet the eX,
penses Of the city government next year Inc lotdi
assessed valuation. including personal ana real es-
tate. the five = 'Oughs IL lsNl was about ssOS;-
1852 II this assessed valuation IS not increased
the tax rate therefore will be 81 - on eacn ~"
WORT, OF aIssIsSd T19Ee an r. ynHatSns
IN brooklyn should be reduced to fair figures the
rate will be stili higher
have TO pay this enormous tax on 'helr p hessnt
high vaidat:oHs g. l. necessary that the charler
provisions requiring equalization OF assessments
Tnves,iraiio.s thus far made by the league show
that Irop.ly in Manhattan is assessed AZ about %
per cent O. lis real marke. value, and In BIook-
i'm al about ~ per cent In 1891 real estate IN
Manhattan and The Bronx was assessed a. La
was assessed at S5solc1,742
Should the valuations in Brooklyn BE reduced 10
the same percentage Of true value as in Manhattan
n reduc ion OF s2l. 3e would he made Tor bIOok-
lyn. II. on the oth": ndnd the Naluallolls III Mai
haitian be raised 10 IA" same percentage or true
value as they now are in Brooklyn. an ADDITION OF
S012 32G,4 would 10 made on the NaludUOn Ol ledI
estate in the Borough o. Manhattan. Elmer one or
these alternatives would give the relief to the tax
rayers OF BROOKLYN which ne Legislature intended
tney should have. ard which was in fact, tnc con-
dton on which consoh42iion became posH'pih'f.
Either through defects in thc cha ter or waste III
eminent has been enormously Increased since
consolidation Mat the consideration or eduanzed
assessments aas boone o. "tcn more '"p'''""'e
than II appeared ~ auvanC" 30 be. .
The league Is actively collecting. both IN Manhat