New-York tribune., 1903-01-15
4RoTT ASSESSMENTS

To all the voluhle critics Of the new tax as
eessment We commend the temper and philos-
onhy Of Mr.. Frank Bailey. of the Title Guaran-
tee and Trust Company. who. when asked what
he thought Of the schedules. replied:
In what capacity do you wish me to answer?
If vcu ask me as an officer of the Realty Asso-
ciates Of New-York of which I vice-presi-
me as director Of the Brooklyn Development
Company. I should say Vile, atrocious'" If you
esk me as vice-president of the Title Guarantee
and Trust Company. 1 should Excellent
# you ask = citizen. 1 wouldn't know
what 10 say.
It is the same old story. Everything depends
on the point Of -,iesy from which the assess
rnent is regarded. The man who finds his taxes
raised thinks il afrocious: the man who finds
1hsm lowered thinks it excellent: the man who
has not figured out the effect Of the assessment
On himself personally does not know what to
say If we keep these facts in mind we can
easily preserve composure while the storm of
mere or less uninformed protest RACES over the
new arrangement. As tire Controller points out
unless the assessment Oh a piece of property is
Increased at least ~ per cent-and, if the new
sinking fund plan becomes a law, 81 per cent
in Manhattan and least 40-probably 81 per
cent-in Brooklyn, the taxes on that property
will be lowered. He speaks of q banker who
IN a published interview, denounces the in
creased assessment on his bank building and
shows that the banker viii pay certainly $3.50
and probably 81 495 less than he did last year
on account Of the new assessment 1t is prob
ahie that fhis basty critic of the administration
is trVica rev Of the people who are wailing
resNy l-.ss. what they are wailing over. The
1ace e me whose assessments have been so
raised a. 10 make their tax bills heavier can
easily he accounted for. They say ''atrocious'
with personal feeling. but il is not so certain
thst the public will share their Indignation. If
iheir assessments have been lower in proper
ton than their neigbbors, il is right 10 take
advantage Of the present readjus1Gent 70 equal
ize valuations
This we are told, has been done TO a ccDsid-
erable extent That perfect equality has been
reached nobody viii assert; but il is said that
the owners Of small buildings which have
hitherto borne an undue share of real estate
taxes have been relieved 10y proportionally
larger Increase in the assessments On great
blocks end vacant tracts which have often been
retained on the books at little more than old
farm value figures, when they were held at high
prices If any properties have been enormously
oversssessed IN comparison with others. the tax
officers will doubtless listen 10 an appeal and
grant Just relief If'they fail, application may
he made 10 the courts, There are doubtless
many mistakes in this first attempt 20 approach
2 conservative estimate of actual values, and il
is easy 10 say that they not actual and are
unequal. As TO equality that can partly be
corrected now by calling attention 10 specific
overvsluations and from the review and com
parison incident 10 the next assessment il would
naturally still further be remedied. As TO actu-