The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1907-04-09

, same kind N business.
Cleveland has found Il 10 her advan-
tagc to adopt the somcrs system and
II enthusiastic over its success. New
York has also partially accepted this
system. but not fully, owing to political
influences
The wonderful success OF the Somers
system In It's own home. together with
its very apparent business and Impair
TALLY. and It's known practicabllity.
lead me TO assert that It's adoption To-
cally would prove OF more vital salts
faction to the taxpayer and OF greater
value TO the government than any in
novation OF recent years.
PRACTICAL WORKINGS.
After reading MS paper. Mr.. Mer-
RAM explained the practical workings
of the Somers system, by means of a
series OF specially prepared charts and
diagrams.
For the benefit of inquirers Mr.. Mer-
RAM made the following explanations:
There are three scales utilized in de-
termining the value OF corner lots,
which corner lots in the city of ST
Paul carry unit value OF n fixed sum
for one foot front by 100 feet deep and
in that city the corner influence Is con-
sidered to affect n lot or rather two
lots so feet deep by 100 feet deep, maxi
ing thereby a square 100 feet. BY
means of specially constructed corner
scales the value OF these two corner
lots is mathematically arrived at with
out the necessity of figuring. as the
value of the lot fronting on the more
valuable street has a similar value af-
fixed to the triangular scale, and upon
running along the line indicating that
value to the intersection of radiating
line which carries value similar to the
value OF the lesser valuable street, there
will be found on a horizontal line the
actual value of the lot. If the lot
be of a greater or lesser depth than the
unit, reference is made to the scale
showing the percentage of value for
different depths of lots which by
rule for application of fractions will
give the value OF the lot.
Where lots are Of a less depth than
the unit the value of the lot would
be according to the percentage of the
narrower width as compared with the
unit.
The units as fixed are not arbitrary
but are the result of the committee
of representative citizens who definite
ly determine what the various depths
of lots shall be placed at, and varies
according to the various uses to which
the lots are put in a general way: that
is, business, residence and outside lots.
These scales when once fixed bring the
valuation of each lot of it's class under
irving at their value.
The commission in st. Paul was ap-
pointed by the mayor. In Honolulu
the commission would probably be ap-
pointed by the Governor.
An animated discussion dealing with
the above mentioned points of the sub
ject followed, a number of questions
being answered by the speaker of the
evening.
At the conclusion of the discussion a
motion was put and carried to the ef-
feet that when the Tax Commission
has been appointed their attention
shall be brought to the method of levy
ing assessments for taxation purposes
under the Somers method.
A unanimous vote of thanks was ten
dered Mr.. Merriam for his valuable
paper.
Among those present were Messrs. |
Kotinsky, Nicely, Holt, Vetlesen, Deni- |
son, Armstrong, Andrews Keene, Dove, |
Emory, DR.. Clark. Bryan, Beadle, King, |
owen.