The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-09
Big INCREASE IN
TAXABLE PROPERTY
TAX DIGEST COMPLETED.
VALUE OF PROPERTY RETURNED
FOR TAXATION Is 33,13O.723.

Increase over 1903 Is $4O4,43O-An
but the Total of Polls Was Conn
pIeted NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., Realty,
shipping. Tonnage and in Fact
Nearly Every Item shows Increase
Over Last Year-Tax Receiver
Baker Credits This to Increased
ProSperity-Mny Mean no Raising
of County Taxes.
More than 100000 increase in tax
returns is the record for Chatham
county in 1904.
The tax digest, completed by Re-
ceiver of Tax Returns Marcus S.
Baker. was sufficiently completed yes
terday morning to allow of an esti-
mate of the increase and late last night
the completed digest bore out that es-
innate. The total valuation for taxa
ton this year is $685. 130 723, an increase
over 1903 of $4O4, 49O. This is the largest
return ever made in Chatham county,
though not the largest increase.
The gain is all the more notable
when it is considered that this year
there were no large manufactures
started, as was the case last year.
Some of the larger business firms
went into bankruptcy. In spite of
these conditions there has been an in
crease of nearly $780, 900, and Mr.. Baker
attributes this to general prosperity
This excellent showing may mean
that there will not be an increased tax
rate, as far as the county is concerned.
Though the County Commissioners
have been compelled to make addi-
tional appropriations this year for
schools and other purposes. they have
been comparatively small increases.
Receiver Bankers Work.
Despite the increase in valuations
and the consequent additional labor
incident to its return. the amount in
default is nearly $4,000 smaller than
in 1903. This is due in large measure
to the earnest and conscientious eff
forts of Receiver of Returns Baker,
who has endeavored to get in every
class of property.
In this he has been successful many
being on the books of the county with
values that have escaped the officials
in the past. Then, too he has kept
his books open longer than in nearly
every other county in the state in or
der that every one might have an OPP
portunity TO make his return and that
no one might be double-taxed 1t is
said that he has saved those who could
not afford to be double-taxed more
than $4,000 in the last few weeks that
the books were open. Besides keeping
his books open, he has been constant
ly importuning delinquents by letter or
in person to make their returns.
what the Digest shows.
The tax digest shows that this year
the city realty is valued at $19,676. 3OS,
as against $19,375.41 last year OF the
total this year S19.150,90S is owned by
white people and $525, 1896 by colored.
The total valuation of the county real
~ this year comes to $2,771,954, as
against total last year of 50, 491, 100
OF the county realty total of $780,
81 is owned by the white and $24l, 143
by the colored population. The above
figures show healthy increase in real
~ holdings in both county and city.
The total values of the stocks and
bonds this year is S69O,522, and these,
coupled with the bank holdings. also
shows a healthy increase. Inasmuch
as there have been no large manufac-
turtles established, any increase is all
the more remarkable, and speaks in
the highest terms of the healthiness of
the financial world in Savannah.
There is also a gratifying increase in
the shipping and tonnage. This year
this item totals SS6S0s5, as against
S79O.S45 for 1908. A similar increase is
shown in the other items of the re-
port.
The polls this year show white polls,
6.397, and colored polls S35.
Is High Water Mark.
Here is a digest of the tax returns OF
the last twenty years. which, when
taken in the light of comparison, will
rroya interesting.