Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-07-03
MENT OF
WATER SUPPLY
COMPANY CUT
ASSESSORS FIGURES
REDUCED BY $4,000
Warm Tilt Between Attorney
for Water Company and
Assessor : Alleged LatterS
Opinion Is "Worth Nothing"

The assessment Of the Water Sup
ply company was cut from SOS. 600 Ia
$4,000 by the board of county COM
m~issioners sitting as a board of equal
ization in the court house yesterday
afternoon. Assessor Sigfried Grune-
field had raised the company's assess.
ment $4,000 over the 0 1000 return
made by the company, the equalization
board reducing this by $4,000. and
leaving a raise over the return of
SO, 600. The change was made after
long and heated arguments before the
BOARD by the assessor and Attorney
a. y. McMillen, appearing for the Wa
ter Supply company.
Mr.. McMillen in his objection 10 the
assessment. c%ontrasted the figures OF
the water company with the total as
ssesmen % SAP, 600 on the properties
of tho Albuquerque Gas. Electric Light
il Power company, operating three
big plants a-ggregating according to
AR. McMillen, double the value, az
least of the property of the water COM
pany. In regard to the offer som
years ago of the water company to sell
its plant and franchise to the city foI
$3.50, 000, Mr.. McMillen said hat what
a man asks for his properly is no fair
basis upon which to assess its value.
but whatever the property viii bring
under a forced sale.
The assessor in reply declared that
he mad beer almost too lenient With
the water company in raising its as
sessment $25, 900. He said that he haG
figured on "A basis of 100000; TINT
the city had doubled i'm population
since the return of $4,000 in 1900,
that the company had a great many
more customers and that many ana
valuable improvements had been made
ou the properties. He alleged thai
the company had made practically the
same return for ten years, a reference"
10 the tax rolls, however, indicatins
that mis- statement was hardly accur>
ate. MIR. Grunsfeld alleged mat the
company should be taxed double what
it was in 1900.
II am placed at rather a %dlsadyan-
tage." said Mr.. McMillen. lin having
such an eloquent assessor TO argue
with. I did not know that it was the
practice to select orators for assessors
will ask the assessor two questions,
said the attorney. Does he take what
people ask for their property as a ba-
sis OF assessment? ~
Yes said the assessor.
DO YOU think The property of tha
Water Supply company worth double
mat ~ ANAf 0DAtAftAAHh hAE punt 'f'N
electric plants Of the Gas. Electric
Light and Power company asked
Mr.. McMillen.
The assessor replied, in effect, that
did.
..Then / want to say to this board,
concluded Mr.. McMillcn, that The
opinion of the assessor in the matter
Is Of absolutely no value Whatever
and should not be considered for a
moment"
The arguments closed after the at
torney for the water company had
mad some difficulty ia exercising his
privilege of having the last word. tn"
assessor maintained that he was let
ting the company off easy In adding a
total Of $4,000 to the return as made
seven years ago. and the attorney for
water company stuck by his text
that It was rank discrimination to
his clients assessment larger
than that Of the electric light company
which has properties alleged to be
twice as much.
Commissioner NJ. r.. Springer hna!iN
a motion that the raise be
choupcd down $1,000 Ar. McMtllen
objected. asking that the assessment
hc reduced an least TO 100000. The
motion was amended To this affect anu