Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1907-02-14
COAL MEN
APPEAL. FROM
Assessments.
Valuation Will Now Be Fixed
By the Court.

Last Saturday was the day fixed
ny the County Commissioners to heal
appeals from revised assessments fix
ed by County Commissioner, on Goa
lands throughout the county. The
appeals brought large number ol
parties interested to the county seat
Among them were Hon. William
Connell, of Scranton, Manager o1
the Connell anthracite mining com
pany, and also one of the santhracite
strike Commissioners appointed by
President Roosevelt, with j. 5. Ne.
Aulty, A. III. Hale and Thos. V.
Mclaughlin, all connected with said
company. Seth 4. Mccormick Esq.
of Wiiliamsport. their attorney was
also present.
The Jackson Estate interests were
represented bp w. w. Jackson and
L. j. Mullen, Esq.
The O'Boyle- Foy anthracite coal
company also had representatives
here. A. Walsh Esq. appearing as
their attorney
The County commissioners an
nounced that they were ready to hear
any statements or testimony in re
gard to the valuations they have fix
ed upon these properties. Much to
their surprise the companies repre-
santed, declined to offer any testi-
mony or request any reduction in
the assessments, but stated that they
had decided to appeal to higher court,
and Withdrew from the office.
The matter will therefore now go
to the court of Common Pleas of
sullivan county for adjustment.
In Bernice district there are at
present four coal companies operat
ing. They are the ConnellAnthracite
Mining Company, the lesseess and
of the Old State Line and
Sullivan r.. X. Co.; the Northern
Anthracite Coal company, lesseess of
the lands of the estate of George ID.
Jackson, the O. Boyle Foy Anthracite
Coal company and the firm of Ran
dali and Schaad Brothers.
The Connell Anthracite Company
lesseess covers about five thousand
acres of land of which about one
thousand acres are coal land. The
Jackson Estate has about four hund-
red acres of coal land leased to the
Northern Anthracite coal company,
and the O'Boyle-Foy company about
two hundred acres. The acreage of
the Randall and Schaad Brothers is
very limited.
These lands have never been as
sessed at any thing like their value
until this year. Previous to the year
of 1904 they were permitted to go
upon the assessment books at the
paltry valuation of 81 per acre. In
1904 the Commissioners raised them
to SIS per acre. The present board
of Commissioners after very full
and complete investigation in which
the acreage, tonnage and values We're
carefully ascertained by mining en-
gineers, fixed an average valuation
of about $3.50 per acre. 1t is from
this assessment that the various
companies propose to appeal.
That the County Commissioners
have done nothing more than their
plain duty in raising the valuation
on these valuable coal properties
will be apparent to everybody who
will consider the matter.
Farm property and village and
town properties have for years been
assessed at fair valuation. Why
not the coal companies: III is boubt
full if an acre of coal land in Bernict
district could be bought for less than
81 900. The owners of the lands are
getting from $500 to $1,000 per yeal
in royalties.
If the valuations that the County
Commissioners have jplaced upor
timber lands and coal lands in Sulli-
calculated that the county debt cal
be wiped out,in about eight years
after that time the county tax rate
can be much reduced.
1 The Commissioners have don