Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1907-05-22
Taxing Time

As the date for levying taxes for 1907
approaches, County Tax Boards In va
rious parts of the State are getting busy
If newspaper reports are to be credited.
Assessors must realize that the Coun-
ty Boards do not take their place or
perform their functions, but are rather
a supervisory Board and Board of ap-
peal.
If the instructions of the State Board
are obeyed and the laws complied with
Assessors will, to the best Of their judg-
ment, assess at the true value, or in
other words at the amount it is thought
property would sell for If disposed of in
the open market.
Chairman Alex. Fithian. of the Cum
berland County Board, is accredited
with saying:
I'm fixing the value of property too
much attention should not be psid to
is producing value, (the matter of rent
CLASSY because if we do we may be as
sessing a mans emit rprise and not his
property.
"Personally, do not believe In as
sessing one farm or one city lot higher
than an adjoining property simply be-
cause the owner in one case has kept
his property up and in the other case
has neglected it. If 1 were an assessor
fixing values in such cases would be
very apt to lean, ii at all, toward the
owner, whether of land or building,
who improved his property and kept it
up SO that it is credit to the neighbor-
hood. Nor would show leniency to-
ward the owner who blocked improve
ments by holding his property waiting
for other owners in that particular To-
cality to bring it into favorable
MARKET
Mr.. Fithian has struck the proper
note. 1t has been the custom to tax
the man who keeps his property in fine
condition for his enterprise, while the
man holding valuable lands which he
will neither sell nor improve, and
which in fact are an eyesore to the pub
lie because of broken down fences, side
walks overgrown with weeds and bram
BILE, eecapes-not because the property
would not bring a good price but be-
cause it makes bad appearance.
All over the state complaint is made
on this score. Many real estate owners
blnor oil improvements because they
I refuse either tou .,;o.,
or to improve their w. with.
al are not generally assesse1 =,
their properties would bring.
In reference to tax discrimination
Mr.. Fithian further says:
"The man that has all he owns IN
veste d in furniture in his house is as
sessed perhaps on value of two o.
three hundred dollars, probably all i
is worth. whereas his neighbor who car
ries good bank -acerpSa MpA - :
pIpMuMop psluIad ea SBm III oys
q ter boats, stocks, bonds, bills receivabl
9 or other taxable securities is apt to b
y assessed on different basis and belo,
a what is right and equal"
Everybody knows this statement
t be correct. Assessors levy on what the
= actually see, and in many instance
IS make little effort to pry into the privai
business of the assessed, because 1t
o not pleasant task and is annoying
h both parties. If there is to be equaliz'
3, tion, however, neither personal nor re-
n property should escape just share
II taxation.
p All property should be assessed on
u equal basis. All persons or corpor
4 tions holding exempt securities shou
n be granted the exemptions.
er The fixing of the value of proper
is not an easy task, and it is, therefor
important to select an assessor with
eye to special fitness along that lin
He must be man of good judgment
such matters and not easily influence
;" by the arguments of those who wish
be let down easy.-Elmer Times.