The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-03-14
WORK OF
ASSESSORS.

William Lawton, presided at til
meeting of the Board of Trade Las
night when the report of the specia
committee presented its report 0
the special assessment. The repol
on the assessment, as read by Nj
Pickcls was adopted by the board ur
Rnimously. and was as follows:
"To the Board Of Trade,
"Gentiemen: Your committee ap
pointed to investigate the method!
and results of the special board o
assessors appointed by the City COun
Gil to an assessment Of all the rea
estate in this city, beg leave to repor
as follows:
sit appeared to your committee
that the special board OF assessor
were actuated by the idea that it wa,
their duty to increase the assessment.
wherever possible, regardless of th'
law, which requires that all real
estate shall be assessed at such
figure as it would sell for, If sold TO-
cash. This criticism applies especial
ly to manufacturing and industria
establishments.
The following summary has been
made Of the results of our laborS
after as full an investigation as the
time at our disposal allowed.
eleven of the largest manufactur.
Ing plants in the city-aggregatne
under tho old assessment 81, Az, $50
five of them amounting to $77l,O75,
have not been changed, and six OF
them, aggrcgating SG7l.7s4, have
been increased by the Board of Reyi-
sion $l55. 100, equal to % per cent
advance The three steam railroads,
with an aggregate assessment of S540
$50, have been increased $29. 500, or
about 81 per cent.
Eleven morocco Establishments
representing an assessment of s4O2.
130-Iiyc have not been changed: one
has been reduced $l2. 900, and four
Others have been increased $4,000,
an increase of $4,000, or about one
per cent, OF nineteen miscellaneous
manufacturing companies. aggrcgat.
ing under the regular assessment,
s453. 800, three have not been chang
ed; five have been reduced $ll. 300,
and eleven increased S37,G3O, ora
total increase of per cent. In an
aggregation of thirty-throc >manutac.
turing plants, and industrial cstab-
lishments, representing an assessment
Of S2.0lO7l5, there has been no
changes in valuation.
There has been no change in brew
ing property.
Lots, lnimprovcd, in the Ninth
ward, under the ownership OF several
companies as well as private indiyid-
uals, aggregating under the regular
assessment, $l55, 44O, have been in.
creased to $27l,2SO, an increase of
$1i5, 100, about "A percent.
In the judgment of this committee
the appointment Of the special board
of. assessors. was utterly uncal ed for,
without warrant in law, as well as IL |
waste of the peoples money
In view of all the facts in the case.
1t appears to your committee that
there Is a very great need for some |
system or method for cqllalizing the
of real estate in this city, !
81 that all property owners shall have
their property assessed at the proper
value.
Mr.. Rossell, in response 10 a
qucry, was informed by Mr.. Pickels
That the percentage oil increase ran
from to "a per cent. in the differ
ent wards.
Mr.. Rossell considered that this
inequality 10 the assessment was
sufficient to condemn 1t.
Speaking ol the Ninth ward,
Samuel Ii. Baynard said that ten
'sars ago a company in which he
8 interested bought a piece OF low
ground at East Lake in the Ninth
ward Tor IS. 200 1t was first as
'essed at that figure aud later was
increased gradually 10 $1,000.
Then the "sky scraper assessors"
;ame along, he said, and increased
he assessment TO $4,000. lie
pointed out taat Joseph l.. Carpcu-
er. Jr.. at a public sale a year ago
old the adjoining property for
rom 50 10 Sl..75 a foot. while The
and In which Mr.. Baynard is in
crested is. assessed at 50 a loot,
With the knowledge th al thi, sale
ook place, it indicates that the as. IL
essors were either iamentably ly- y
orant or deliberately dishonest" q
eclared Mr.. Bavnard lie SAID ::
nat the owners today would glad O.
sell the Ian! at Its original cost a.
nd iorego the taxes and interest. a
lie also referred 10 Il property on P
he north side that was bought ten $
cars ago for 10000. The asses. X