The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1901-03-22

Second year, Mr.. Wallace assumes CD:
| That assessors can be hoodwinked by
the preceding flimsy scheme. Mr.. wal
| lace reasons that the assessors have
| enough judgment to assess accurately
| without the aid of reliable standards,
! but he does not credit them with the
good sense to apply those standards
with discrimination. They would not
submit to swindling scheme such as
| he describes, consequently the second
year would assess the same property,
| according to the law, at its present
market value" which, Mr. Wallace
| says, is $4,000.
The owner will probably not repeat a
| scheme that has cost him net loss Of
$3.50. If he does, then the city will again
| make net profit of $3.50. Going a t this
rate it would take the city a long time
to be swindled out of $5,255, as Mr.. WAL
lace figures.
The answers to Mr.. Wallace's other
points have been given repeatedly. I
will instance one about the so per cent.
clause, which he makes so much Of, 1
explained three months ago, and many
times since, that this bill is now design
ed to correct fragrant cases of over
assessments. The so per cent. clause
was inserted as precaution against too
much use of the bill the first year. At
the next session Of the Legislature, after
the thousands of cases of assessments
at $50 and 200 per cent. are corrected, 1t
may be wise to extend It's operation to
80 per cent; In later years perhaps to IS
or 100 per cent
1t is the prevalence of excessive and
fragrant valuation which prevents
its more general application immedi-
ately. In case Of a great epidemic
would you refuse the medicine which
will cure a thousand of the worst cases
and abuse the physician because he
leaves the milder cases to other doctors,
or until later time?
This bill is a direct and simple way TO
correct and prevent fragrant over
assessments How 1t will work Is a
matter of sound business judgment and
practical sagacity, The editor of the
Register assumed in the first place that
he possessed more of the above qualities
than the scores of successful business
men and lawyers, members of the
Chamber of Commerce, who prepared
recommended and approved this bill af-
ter weeks of study He showed this
assumption because instead of modestly
suggesting error he at once stated posi-
lively the bill Is absurd
Now, he may have more business sa-
gacity than all of the business men and
lawyers who have prepared recon-
mended and approved this bill, or he
may not have as much as either one of
them, but I think he made a mistake in
assuming that he had more than all to-
gether, and since his defeat in the
Chamber Of Commerce debate he writes
one and half columns daily in a fran
tic attempt to kill the bill, which, he
asserts, is dead already.
Professor Farnams communica ton
was full of argument, so also We're the
replies of General Bradley and Henry
G. Newton. Mr.7Wallace's communica-
tion Is also all argument, although it
seems to me erroneous 1t would seem
better If the other opponent of the bill
would try to follow these examples and
introduce one or two lines Of argument
into each editorial. Anyone who knew |
nothing about this matter except the |
Register editorials might readily sup |
pose that those who advocate this bill |
were engaged in some nefarious under |
taking instead of sacrificing their time |
and thought for the public welfare.
HENRY c. ROWE.
al