The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-06
WHAT AFFIDAWTS WILL SH0W---THE 81
MONTON INJUNCTION.

| assessment OF raliroadS py the 1otpofi
| ton Commission, says:
I'm Mecklcnburg county farm recent
| IL sold for sci 800. while the assessed
| yoauation was $4,000; and another farm
sold for 100000 which was assessed at
SI416. These facts, together with many
others OF the same nature. were brought
| TO light yesterday mt the court house 10y
| the affdavits taken, to be used befotc
Judge Sinonton at Ashevllle, on the trial
| of the case September 3lst. The aft
davits taken in all the counties of the
State are of similar pufRort. showing
that the property of the Stare han, not
been valued at more than - per cent,
! OF its true value.
We doubt the truth of this statement
| The assessors of Mecklenburg when an
pointed took an oath that they would as
seSs all property ut tits true value in
money" After making the assessments
they again swore that they had valued
all property at sits true vahie in money!
III the Observers correspondent is COR
rect. the assessors of Mecklenburg coun-
ty have committed perjury, and not for
one moment do we believe THAT the as
SCISSORS i'm historic Mecklenburs have
been guilty of false swearing
If. however. under bad advice. the as
SCISSORS of that county have assessed the
property below sits true yaue in money"
that county is not paying it's just pro-
portion of the burdens of State Govern
ment. and the Legislature at its next
session would he justified in directing
the Auditor to charge UP against that
county taxes on such property as IT'S
officers swear they have failed to list at
sits true value in money"
Even if the specific statement as to
Mecllenburg should be true, the CORE
spondent is wide of the mark when he
says that the "affidayits taken in I'LL the
counties of the State are of similar pur-
port. showing that the properly of tie
State has not been valued at mocc than
IS per cent. of its true val
ne" So far from this be-
ing true our information is that
the affidavits from most Of the counties
of the State prove exactly the opposite
In Hartford county, for example, one as
SCISSOR swears that since he listed prop
crty last June five tracts Of land have
been sold at private and voiintary sales,
and only one of them brought n much
as it's tax value, and taken together the
five tracts brought 81 800 less than t,eir'
assessed value. A similar affidavit
comes from Wayne county, giving sales
of land at less than the value at which
they were assessed last June. Others
eff bike purport viii be in evidence before
Judge Smonton mt Asheville.
There are no doubt inequalities in tax
alton, some property is put on the tax
lists below its true value in money
some above sits true value" The fol-
lowing extract from letter written by
tax assessor in Nashville township,
Nash county, is given to show that the
instance cited in Mecklenburg is not
general
purpose of the other two assessors to do
our duty, but l believe if we were to
value the land ut its actual cash value
the first day of June, we could not raise
enough money to pay the expenses of the
county, and the county would be bank
rlpt. We used our best efforts to equal
ize and treat all as near right as possible.
and it is my honest opinion that the land
I'M ic ut al m
more than it would bring at public aiic.
ton, and this has been the case, | think
for the past seven or eight years. ] re-
fer to one piece in particular, the old
John Kicks place which brought at a,c-
ton 81 ,625. the tax valuation was So
500 and it has since been reduced to 3d.,
900. / believe $1,000 is big price for
it."
This is not general throughout the
State. The truth is that in matter de-
pending upon the discretion and jtlds
ment of so many assessors, inequalities
and differences must of necessity exist.
The presumption is that all have sought
to obey the law The fact of AN under
assessment here and an over-assessment
of i'm the courts. Even the Circuit court
has held that the under-yaluatbon must
be general, systematic and in pursuance
of an agreement or understanding.
If the contention of the railroads is
true, if other property is undervalued,
the remedy is to increase the assessment
upon all undervalued property. Before
this litigation is ended it will be estab
lishea that the railroad property in North
Carolina is worth ut tits true value in
| money" $12o,000,C00, and that the as
sessment of S42 600, 900, instead being
excessive and unjust, is as much below
| the true value of the property MS the rail
roads say tie assessment of other prop
erty is below its true value. The dis
| cussion will be of great value, an" it
| ought to result in proving tLs wUd
| that North Carolina treats Corporate
property with the utmost fairness, ;,.5.'
| caccsina ailroaJS OF Iasc tll.lu half fna.