Evening journal., 1904-05-09
CHANGES UNJUST
SAY CITIZENS
Board OF Assessment, Re-
vision and Appeals Make
Big Reductions
RAILROAD PROPERTY REDUCED

Taxpayers Say Increase to Whining
ton Mallsable Iron Company Plant
isUnjust--Assessment on Ford Build
ing Was Reduced.
Material changes made by the Board
Of Assessment. Revision and Appeals in
the assessmentQ I a number az proper
ties have caused great hubbub
among taxpayers who claim some OF
the changes are outrageous and a detrl-
ment TO the growth OF the city
These reductions and increases were
made from the figures set by Assessors
Mccall and Sayers.
The Board OF Assessment, Revision
and Appeals Is composed OF the Presi-
dent of City Council Francis j. McNul-
/ ~, who has just been appointed as-
sistant 10 the chief engineer OF the
/ Water Department, James Kane,
chairman Of the finance committee OF
Council who Is foreman OF the repair
shop of the p. b. & w. railroad. and
John j. Cassidy, building inspector, who
Is holding on to that office as a result
of deadlock ON the part Of the DEM
ocratic members Of City Council
Railroad Property Reduced
One Of the most important changes
was In the r., b. & w. Railroad Com
pany's property by which company Mr..
Kane is employed. It was reduced over
half million dollars. The assessors
had fixed a total assessment of Si.3i2,
$50. which was reduced by the board to
1892, 1903, a reduction of S549.746. The
greater part Of this reduction was from
the assessment on the new shops at
Todds Cut.
The figures on these shops were re-
duced from S593.s59 TO Sl69.6l3 and the
latter sum Is TO only be half rate.
In other words on these immense
new shops the company win have to
pay taxes only on an assessment equal
. TO sSiSO6.50 The assessment on the
new buildings was fixed by Assessor
, Mccall directly from the building per-
NIT. at $3.50 $50. no addition being made
to the assessment FOR the ground. Last
5 year the ground on which these new
3 lshops stand was assessed az $4,000 and
8 the railroad company paid taxes OF
r that amount az the figures set by th'
board. the company after putting near
r ~ 100000 in buildings on the ground
n win hWe TO pay taxes on only S34S06.
q so more than Il paid on last year.
i The county assessment on the SAINT
property as si5i.S00 and as there arr
. no balf-rate taxation bases for countl
purposes, the company viii have to pal
full rate.
The actual difference between the citl
Z land county assessments. leaving out the
" matter Of tax rate. is S2sS .1s7, being tina
much greater on the county than thl
y city assessment.
i Claim il is Marsh Land.
The reason given by the board 10
Il this reduction is that the buildings a
e Todd's Cut are on marsh land, whicl
~ under an act of the Legislature o
1898, Is exempt from all taxation 70
- municipal purposes for period Of ten
i years from the time it was made fas
/. land.
= II is claimed by persons who know
the ground that IL Is not marsh LAM
and cannot be classed as such. The
claim Il has always been fast land ant
that its name, TOdd's Cut indicate
that the railroad company found Il ne
'r cessary to grade it, 1t is not though
re by these people that the compan
ie would have paid taxes on 1t on am as
sessment OF $4,000 last year had it bee
marsh land.
H. other railroad property here in tn
,s city was also reduced. while an In
l. crease Of $4,000 was made to the as
q sessment on the Pusey & Jones Com
\. pany's plant, an adjoining property
Some Of the railroad property is assess
! ed at the rate Of $50 "a foot, while IN
Pusey & Jones Company Is assessed a
the rate OF 500 a foot
,s Raised Tax on New Plant.
no The board also raised the assessmer
a on the Wilmington Malleable Iron Con
10 panys new plant I'm South Wilmingto
ST from S150.000 TO $500 000 This is claim
ed to be a terrible injustice. as II ma
have the effect Of stopping other plant
from locating here. The kind am
as value of the property and also tt
pc buildings are about the same as
" Todd's Cut. yet one pays only on Ss4
" s065O and the other must pay on $50
he 600.
e. Decreased Water Commissioners Ia
The reductions made In propertll
~ owned by Water Commissioners Pet
y ]. Ford and David Lindsay has cause
~ a great deal Of dissatisfaction amor
as taxpayers as they claim it is not just.
President Of Council McNulty was n
an Gently appointed assistant to Chief ri
ed gineer Leisen. of the Water Depar
r. ment
he The modern six-story building
is Tenth and Market streets was reduc,
from S4s 900 TO $4,000 To show the fl
ms consistency Of the boards work, a
ct, though this modren building was r
nat duced to $4,000. the Law Building
000 Ninth and Market streets. which
las but three stories high. is assessed
ger $50 00O and the board did not touch th
figure. Two other properties of NJ
Fords In the Northern district we
also reduced. one from sl400 to $40
s. and another from 500 to $500.
rs. The residence Of Mr.. Lindsay,
q. Pennsylvania avenue. between Rodn
el and Clayton streets. was reduced fro
S42. 900 to $30.0OO making a reducti
of $4,000 though taxes were paid Ia
-, year on an assessment Of S42. 900.
The property at No. 923 Market stre
-, owned by Joseph L. Carpenter, ]
$" whic his but two doors from the Fo
we building and which IS an old proper
'ie and but three stories high. is assess
at S2O500. Mr.. Carpenter, when Sc
this morning said he did not consid
the assessment too high. but thoue
ly. there should be more than $50. 900 I
res tween his property and the new Fo
res building. Mr. Carpenter is we'll
lly quainted with the ground where {
railroad shops have been erected a