The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-01-04
OBJECT TO S., F. & W. VALUE.
TAX ASSESSORS DECLARE STATES
ASSESSMENT is TOO LOW.

ASSESSMENT is TOO LOW
Annual Report of the Board Protests
Against Such a Reduced Valuation
UDon the Railroads Property
within the Corporate Limits-Re-
auction of s147 $3.50 Over Last Year
UncaIIed for and Unjust, Assessors
DecIare-TotaI Assessment for the
company Upon Its Savannah Prop
erty Would BE Moderate ut $780,
600. Though II Is but $24S,5T9.
The Board of Tax Assessors submitted
its annual report yesterday to the Mayor.
and one of its leading features was the
very decided objection the assessors en-
terrain to the assessment upon the prop
erty within the corporate limits belong
ing to the Savannah, Florida and West
ern Railroad Company. Messrs. ]. H. H.
osborne. Samuel Reynolds and Philip NJ.
Russell are the assessors.
Last fall the Plant System, of which
the Savannah, Florida and Western is a
part, had a valuation fixed upon it by
the controller general of the state This
allegation being that the assessment was
exorbitant An arbitrator was chosen by
the Plant System and another by the
state. the two choosing a third. The
Board of Arbitrators went below the
amount the Plant System had made it's
tax returns for to the state, and the cut
in the valuation of the property in Sa-
vannah, which has to be adopted by the
city, formed the subject of the following
protest of the assessors:
Under the action of the arbitrators
sustained by a decision of the courts, the
returns for the property of that corpor-
alton in the city limits is placed at $24S,-
$500 reduction from the returns of last
year of $147, 969 This reduction appears
to us entirely uncaled for and unjust
to the city and to other taxpayers. If
there was to be a revision of the taxa
BILE value of such property the effect
should have been, we maintain, to in
crease, rather than diminish, the returns
The land owned by the Savannah Florida
and Western Railroad, from the southern
limits to Liberty street, embracing over
four million square feet, if the returns of
that corporation were made to correspond
ty, should be returned to the city for tax
alton at something over 100000. The
wharf property of the company, on the
same basis, should be assessed at not less
than $l50,000 These figures do not take
into consideration the valuable improve
ments, such as Office buildings round
houses, machine-shops, machinery. track
age, etc. which would increase the total
assessment of the property of the com
pany on a moderate valuation to fully
5000
1T is manifestly unjust to the great
mass of taxpayers, whose properties are
returned at a reasonable valuation, and
to the city, which is deprived of the
taxes from proper assessment that this
return of the Savannah, Florida and
Western should be allowed to stand. We
would recommend that steps be taken by
the city to test the returns in the courts
the coming year. and endeavor to compel
a proper statement of the values for the
purposes of taxation"
Mayor Myers was seen about this fea-
ture of the assessors report He said
there was nothing for it but to accept the
valuation this time, but next fall it is
possible that the city may bring some in
fuence TO bear to procure a more equita-
bic assessment.
The following are extracts from the re-.
port:
The following returns of railroads own
ing property in Savannah have been re-
ceived from the controller general for the
year 1900:
Central of Georgia Railway ... .$4O9, 725
florida Central and Pennsular
haliroad ..,..-.. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 24,06l
Savannah, Florida and Western
Railway .......- ..................... 24S,5T9
City and Suburban Railway ....... ,49S
Savannah, Thunderbolt and Isle
of Hope Railway INSTRUMENTATION. 10S, 10$
West End Railroad ................. 1000
Total ............ .$85O,471
We have inspected and assessed during
the year 1900 Alb new buildings, repairs
and improvements, the total assessed
value of which amounts to s3S2,375 We
have reassessed all the property bound
ed by Bay and Broughton, East Broad
and West Broad, and also Springfield
ward, which, together show an increase
in assessed valuation for the year 1901 of
SOP, $40.
The assessors further showed that the
total returns of personal property dur
ing 1860 amounted to S10,S77 1925, while
those for 1899 were $40, O65. the increase
for 1900 being $3.50, 260. The total taxable
property of the city, including real es-
tate. ground-rent lots, stock in trade,
personal, and banking property, was
shown to be 37,1OSO77. which, taxed at
I45 per hundred, yields a revenue of