The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-09-02
TAX ASSESSMENTS.
Member of City Board Replies 10 Mr.
william Hunter.

To the Editor of the Post.
Houston, Texas. September MY at
tention has been called 10 an erroneous as
sertion made by William Hunter in a let
ter in The Post. in issue OF last Thurs
day The excerpt thereform, to which |
refer, is as follows:
THE city is assessed at high water
mark. l will venture to say that there
is not piece of property in the city that
could be sold in ninety days for the price
assessed, l sold half block in the city
last week for $500 assessed at S35OO
Now. Mr.. Editor, do not belong to
anybody save and except my church and
the democratic party. and my motive for
writing this article e that both sides of
the question should be heard"
Now. do not propose to take up your
space by going into lengthy argument
concerning Mr.. Hunters propositions on
electric lights. street paving etc. for
the actions of the city council and board
OF public works are before the people and
speak for themselves. But in regard to
assessments of property, Mr.. Hunter
are known, shows his total ignorance
upon the subject about which he presumes
TO know so much.
1t is fact known to many that tax
values in the city of Houston have never
been equalized since the town was In
corporated OF my own knowledge and
from experience o, over seventeen years
with the FAX records OF this city, | can
say that our system OF taxation Is poor,
and the system Of appralsement Of prop
erty is worse still.
Mr. Hunter ventures" most remark
able assertion, as quoted above. will
state positively and without fear OF sue
cessful contradiction by any one that
there are thousands OF properties that
the owners will not sell at an advance OF
so per cent on the assessed value as placed
by the board Of appra.eement for 1900.
Speaking for the board, l Will say that
no board for the past seventeen years has
tried harder 10 equalize values for taxa
tim than has the present one. We have
worked overtime and done our best under
the circumstances, yet We realize that we
have only partially succeeded in our eff
forts In 1897 the writer was the cit
izen member of the board of apprsisement
and since that time has continually ad-
yocated charter amendment providing
for a board OF appralsement 10 remain
in session long enough to revise values
on the entire city every four years.
The general public is not aware OF tins
difficulties under which an appraisement
board works. For instance ! VIII cite
q case where a tract OF one acre out OF tie
John Austin 1856 acre survey was made
10 appear from the city's block book as be-
ing located adjoining Beauchamp Springs.
when in fact the present board discovered
the truo location TO be on Washington
avenue pavement near Wrights hover
garden. Is 1t any wonder that values
are enormously placed under such c1n-
disions? Again, you can hnd some OF cur
citizens, some good church members TOO
in their own estimation. who VIII sign
rendition OF their property at one-thi'd
OF rs value, and II the board raises u
ana places the value on fair basis OF
equality. the board is called set OF rob-
hers One cause OF my running for the
office of alderman was desire 70 correct
n possible some existing evils in our tax
alton laws, and incidentally to help the
taxpayers get what they vote ioF ana
what they want W. W.