The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1902-09-22
The Voice of
The People
PROPERTY VALUATIONS.

| Editor Providence News:
The committee on parks of the com.
mon council OF the city Of Providence
| finds itself at odds with the owners OF
| the land which the city seeks to obtair
| for the purpose Of enlargng Blackstone
| park, so-called in the easterly part OF the
| city.
The owners OF the land In question de.
mand price from the city, which Is said
TO be somthing like three times the
amount at which IL is assessed for pur-
poses OF taxation.
Now. as the law requires that all prep
erty liable 10 taxation, shall be assessed
at its full fair cash value and as land Is
recognized by the law as property so re-
quired to be assessed the question, why
is not this property lawfully assessor
presents itself.
This calls for an explanation from the
assessors of taxes.
IL rhe board of assessors Is so dereIict
or incompetent that part of the assesa-
able property OF the city is contributing
To the support of the government only
one-third or the amount that Il should
contribute. IL Is surely time that the city
shall employ a new board OF assessors or
require that the present board shall con-
form to the law and assess all property
liable TO taxation at it's full fair cash
value.
III, on the other hand, the assessors
are neither derelict nor incompetent but
that strict obedience to the law is an
impossibility, (and this writer believes
that IL is an impossibility) then the law
should be changed and society cease to
require impossibilities from its agent
government, OF whom the assessors are
a part.
In the Blackstone Park extension mat
ter, however. there is no inherent diff
Guilty in complying with the present law
relating to taxation. The property lies
out OF doors and can be seen OF all men:
moreover its value which is what II will
exchange for is known in every real es-
tate office in the city. There is no excuse
then for ignorance of the true value of
this particular piece OF property on the
part OF the assessors, and IL may be that
The figures at which 1t appears on the as
SCISSORS lists rs It's true value as disclosed
by the quotations in the realty market
for land similarly located. If this latter
Is true there is a difference of opinion be-
tween the owners OF the land in question
and would be investors and II would
seem to be the duty OF the assessors TO
accept the statement of the owners as 10
the value OF their land and rate 1t ac-
cordingly.
A deed to land is a special privilege ac-
corded by society. II guarantees to the
grantee exclusive possession of the land
which the deed covers. II is a franchise
exactly as the exclusive privilege OF op-
Grating street cars In the city OF Provi-
dence is a franchise. There Is no differ
ence In kind. The one is a special govern
mental privilege exactly as the other is
a special governmental privilege.
Now If justice demands that the full an
nual value OF the exclusive privilege
granted to the street railway people or
paid into the public treasury and this
writer believes that IL does so require
then equity demands that the full annual
value OF the exclusive privileges granted
to the land owner be likewise paid into
the public treasury.
What this value is In the case of the
land needed for the enlargement of
Blackstone Park we have the opinion of
the holders Of the franchise for its ex-
elusive possession that its value is three
times as great as the sum they are now
paying. The public therefore has a right
to expect that this mistake Of the asses
sors shall be corrected In their next as
and that the owners of the
land In question shall be required TO paw
for the privilege they enjoy at least what
they themselves declare that privilege is
worth. GEO. d. LIDDELL.