New-York tribune., 1899-06-10
ENGELHARDS "JuDGMENT."
SURE 1T EMANATEs FROM HIS HEAD BUT
CAN'T GIVE REASONS FOR 1T.


CAN'T GIVE REASONS FOR 1T.
Daniel Engelhard recalled.
Mr. Moss.Your district Is the Fifth? Ayes.
sir But would like TO correct statement made
yesterday to the three years in which said
out, unemployed.
Q.-Yes Al employed temporarily. In the
Tax Collectors office. during those three years for
n short time. And also with expert accountant
in examining the books-the Receivers books-and
the bonded indebtedness OF Long Island City 1
assistant to James Walden.
Q.-Your district is the Fifth? A.-Section 5. one.
two. three and four
Q.-I want you to look at Block 1888 there. NJ.
Engelhard handng book to witness) What was
the assessment Of No SIC Fifth-ave. for 1887 A.
One hundred and ten thousand dollars
Q-What Is II for 1892 A.-One hundred and
twenty-five thousand dollars
Q.-That is an increase OF 10 I'll per cent. Now,
what basis did you make that increase? A.
No basis or the increase. My judgment Is that that
Is what the property would sell for
Dwell, what do you base that Judgment ont
A.-On my belief.
Q-There Is your book. got all your memoranda
What is your judgment based on? A.-on my
belief
Q.-What is your belief based on? A-What
think.
Q.-What is your think based on? A.-What en-
anates there uapping his head.
Dwell. what emanates there. Mr.. Enselhard?
A.-You have my answer
OIL ask you what your thought emanates fromf
Al don't know. QIaughter)
Q.-Can you give. are you giving the very best
answer you to my question? Ayes. sir
Dwell now have got that. Please to look
at No. 5ls Ffth-ave. What was the assessment
for 1898? A-Eignty-three thousand dollars.
Q.-what is it for 1899? A.-Ninetyhve thousand
dollars
Q.-Eighty- three and nnety-hve-well. now that
percentage OF increase Is l2 12s In the other case
It was 10 I'll. What do you base your increase ont
Al didn't Increase percentage.
Q.-Of course you didn't increase on percentages
A.-That my judgment
JUDGMENT BASED ON THINKS"
O-What was your judgment based on7 A.
What thought and what believed.
Q.-Why didn't you increase those two houses IN /
the same ratio? A.-Because | didn't believe that
the previous assessments what they ought to
have been.
Q.-why did you believe that the previous assess I
ment was not what IT ought to be? A.-Well. that
was my judgment.
O-You were not in the tax Office the year be- 4.
fore? A.-No.
Q-You didn't go the district the year be- |
fore? A.-No.
o-How could you tell? Al didn't consider that
assessment didn't consider the 1895 assessment in
making that. ..
Q-what is it on the book for? Al don't know. /
Q-Wasn't It on the book guide to you? A.
NO, sir, the deputies assessments OF 1870
Q.-That is your field book, supplied to you by
the Department with all the help they give
YOU There are the figures for the last year. there
are the figures put on by the clerks for all OF the
sales and mortgages they have any record Of Those
figures for 1895 put there as guide TO you. q,
What right have you to say they are incorrectai
Alt is a question Mr. Moss whether they are
put there as guide to me. They put there as :
the assessment of 1895
Q.-What are they put your field book forf Al
The deputies use the field book to the dis~f
trct and they make memoran ndums there.
Q-How did 1t happen. in that large tract eastj
OF Thlrd-ave we talked about yesterday, there
was page after page where you put down exactiyj
the same figures as last year? A.-Because in my
Judgment. that was fair
O-How did you figure out that in part OF
your section last years figures were fair. and in |
another part Of your section last years hguresi
were not fair? Al didn't care about last years!
figures
PERCENTAGE VARIES GREATLY.
o-Now. No 500 Fifth-ave.. three houses rishel
alongside of each other? Ayes sir.
Q.-Last Year, A.-S5000.
O.-And this year? $50 COO
O-That is an increase OF 20 per cent. Now. wd,
have an increase on three adjoining houses onet
is 49, the next is H. the next Is 90 Are they tho
same class OF houses? A.-They not the same
in size.
O-What Is the difference in size7 A.-No SIS ist
23x7O and a three-story extension. covered ex-
tension. covering the whole lot, and the other Isl
20x40, extension, one story.
Q-That was allowed for In 1898 in the difference,
in assessed values? Alt wasn't allowed for by
Q.-sliOOOo in one case, $4,000 in the next. and
s75Oo0 in the next? Alt wasn't allowed for by
Q-But you allowed for 1t shs year, A.-The
assessment this year? I wasn's governed by 1883
assessment
Q.-Now look Sherry's? Ayes. sir.
Q.-what was IT assessed last year? A.-s575Oo.
Q.-And what Is ii assessed this year? A.-N.lO~'
O00
Q.-What is the increase for7 Anew buildings.
Q.-Is it marked so? A--Yes. assessed In
progress In 1898
Q-Is It so marked there? A.-Yes. sir 20,
marked here.
Q-Now we have the Bar Association increased.
from $4,000 to $500 900? A.-Where is that?
Q-The Bar Association is in the same block on
Forty-fourth-st? Al don't think that name ap-
pears here.
The Chairman-No ~ West Forty -fourth-st.
The Witness-No az West Forty.fourth-st. that
wouldn't be 1t isn't in this stretch ~ 1t Is No.
42: but II must be between Fifth and Sixth aves,
but the house there doesn't appear here. IL 10 No.
SO far as go.
Q.-Never mind II you can't find II there. Let me-
ask you this question. You say Sherry's was In
creased because IL was not a finished building last
wear Now will you tell me how you go to work
70 find out the value OF the lot and the building on
Il the whole thing Now. there is a corner not
built last year this year there Is lot and build
ing on e. How do you go TO work TO find out the
value OF that piece OF property? Ave have here
rho cost OF that building think which was Med
with the plan.
THINKS" BEAT FIGURES
o-What was the cost OF the building? A-Ss0..
600 I think the architects cost 100000 but what
oonaidar tho proDerty-my Judgment.
oRu, sir YOU have not yet given Va the basis
.or YOUR Judgment In any one case. Now. you have
something TO figure there? A.-Nothng but
what think
o-You have $4,000 for the cost OF the building.