Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-01-19
street IN mind that / viii call atten4

8AAlQt ~ A4%HA $3.50
ton to later on.
see If / raised the property out Of all
reason there We will take the Franz
helm property which was assessed at
5000. / raised it to $1S.100. It sold
a few weeks ago for $4,000. Take
Mrs. Cecilia Brues property. Il was
assessed ait $10,160: raised to SIS, 500:
sold only about a week ago for ST.
500. Then take the A. A. Howell
property, purchased by Mr.. Water
house. It was assessed at $17. $40;
raised to $27, 900; the price that was
paid for it was $4,000.
Coming back to Market street / want
to call attention to the property op-
posite the German Bank. It is the
Eliza j. PAUL property. 1t was as
Sessed at &c. 800; raised to SIG, 800; re-
fused $35, 900 for it. The offer vas
made by the German Bank. Take the
Beck block. 1t was assessed at $685.
600; | raised it to $44,800; 1T recently
sold for 100000. I have one more case
l wish to call attention to for which
/ have been criticized and probably
justly, not for raising the property too
high. but because I did not raise it
enough and that is one of the mis-
takes / made and am willing to recti-
fly when the owners appear before the
Board of Equalization. The property
refer to is the Mcclure House. In
the first place / would call attention
to the interview had with one of the
owners by the Register reporter in
Mondays issue. If the gentleman had
been correctly reported, he certainly
does not know what he is talking
about. First I did not assess him at
the rate of $500 per foot. Secondly
they do not own 126 feet. Thirdly, the
increase in taxes is not 5000. I as
sessed 145 feet, which Mr.. Berne Nc
Lure told me they owned, (this includ-
es the archway and the Gruber build
ing), at $500 per foot which amounts
to $4,000 for the ground. | ASSESS
ed the building at $45, 900, or a total
of 100, 900. AS to the increase in taxa
tion on my increase, which was from
$50,31 to $103, 900, it would not
amount to $S75.50 total, including the
old assessment. How about the i'm
provements on this property that were
made a short time ago? Will the
owners enlighten the public as to the
cost of the same? I only added $12,-
900 on the building. The other raise
is on the ground at the rate of $500
per front foot on Market street, mot
on Twelfth street,, just the same as
all the property was assessed in that
block on that side Of the street.
Now, l have given a number Of cases
here for the public to draw conclus-
ions from. A great many complaints
are that the property in Ohio county
should not have been raised as it takes
the money from this county and the
other counties get the benefit of it. |
fully agree with the people who make
these complaints, but it is a matter
over which l had no control. / could
not give any relief for this evil without
neglect of my sworn duty, and plac-
ing my bOndsmen liable for my action.
The law provides a remedy for this
evil. We have a State Board of Equal
dzation whose duty it is to equalize the
assessments among the different
ties of the State. There is the prop
er place to do your protesting. We
have a very able and esteemed citizen
on that board in the person of Col.
Thos. O'Brien. He is familiar with all
the facts connected with this assess
ment. If he is not, any information
furnish him will be gladly given.
My first duty was to equalize the as
sessments between the poor. and the
rich. That / have done as near as /
knew how. I do not say that resi-
dence property has not been touched
at all. Wherever I found residence
property that was not assessed at a
fair cash value it was raised. Where I
found it too high | reduced it. I was
approached and requested to reduce all
the assessments equally in Ohio coun-
ty, Getty district. Some requests
were for as much as so per cent. If
I had done as requested, would that
have been just? Not by any means.
The inequality would still have ex-
listed. My first duty was to equalize
the assessment; place the rich man on
an equal footing with the poor man,
so that all may be benefited alike. If
the assessor does not look to the in
terest of the poor man, there is little
chance of justice being done him. I
have had no friends in the matter and
have not allowed politics to have n
influence whatever.
Some claim that the Board of Com
missioners met with me and influence
ed me to make increases, but that is
not true. | made the assessment and
then requested some of the commits
sioners to meet with me and famil-
iarize themselves with the work I had
done, and make any suggestions that
might benefit the public in general.
AS for political rings and candidates
influencing me and being the cause of
these increases, that is false. I alone
am responsible for. this work, and am
ready to accept any just criticism that
I may be made. If any wrong has been
done, place the blame where it justly
belongs. l have done what I consider
my sworn duty rs ear as l knew how
and am willing to stand the conse-
quenceS.
l now leave this matter to the pub
lie for their consideration, whether /
have done right or wrong.
c. A. HELMBRIGHT,
Commissioner OF Assessment,
First District Ohio County.
Cheap Shoes for the Eighth Ward.
After being in business for seven
years at No. 3742 Jacob street. will