Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-13
Taxpayers Dissatisfied.

The tax department is crowded daily with
indignant taxpayers and lawyers who are
dissatisfied with the assessment books for
1899 President Feltner and the tax COM
missioners are listening to more complaints
about alleged exorbitant assessments than
they ever before heard. These complaints
come principally from the owners of down
town business property in the borough of
Manhattan. In this district the assessments
have been raised 33 I 3 per cent over last
year From the boroughs of Richmond and
queens come hundreds of indignant real
estate owners. The Richmondites are mar
ticularly outspoken in their claims that the
assessments levied are eXorbitant and I'M
just Instances are found of building lots
valued at $4,000 in 1897 that are now as
sessed al 5000. Houses assessed for 81 600
in 81 are assessed this year for $1,000. The
assessments on corporations have been in
creased enormously.
No figures will be given out until Nav
when the books will be closed but II is
known that nearly all the large corpora
tons have been hard hit. The warehouSing
trust which practically owns the BROOKLYN
water front from the navy yard to Gowan-
Us canal is preparing a formal protest
against their real estate assessment for
1889. The valuation on their property has
been increased over $4,OO0,000. This is the
largest increase placed on the property of
any single corporation, and it is announced
that the matter will be fought out in the
courts.
1nere Is considerable ialR IN the political
world about Richard Cookers declaration
against free silver and in favor of cxpan-
sion; also the recent statement attributed
to Bryan that Croker represented no one
but Croker. The manifesto OF the Tam
many chief is not taken to mean that he
necessarily will endeaVor to become the
leader of the national democratic party
But it is considered as evidence that
Croker has been selected by the leaders
of the party to make the fight against
nd fn ms re- thn ,3aIn
to the democratic convention of 1900
The fight is now said to be on for dele
gates to the democratic convention, and
the work of getting them has been intrust-
ed to the Tammany leader. To him if is
asserted, the leaders of'the party look for
sufficient delegates to control the next con-
vention and stamp out Organism. With
Bryan as the leader of the party, standing
for 16 to / and against expansion, the east
ern democrats realize that iefeat will be
a certainty. NJ
Croker Kens Patriotism,
Croker soon after the recent election said
that patriotism was the factor that con-
tributed more to the election of Roosevelt
than any other thing. He attributed the
election of Chandler to Congress over Opipp
to the same cause.
officers of the Continental League. found
ed to sustain the principles Of Washington
and Jefferson and to oppose entaneIinS al
liances with European powers have an
nounced that a big mass meeting has heen
arranged for at the Academy of Music on
January 22, to protest against expansion.
The meeting is said to have received the
Endorsement of United Senators Hoar and
Hale. The two principal speakers will be
Samuel Gompers. president of the Ameri-
sons general master workman Of the
Knights of Labor Members of the league
assert that the policy Of expansion and the
British alliance are lndissolubly linked to-