Bisbee daily review., 1908-01-04
NOTICE.
CocHISE COUNTY ASSESSMENT.

SSoSGS0mGNls
 Douglas International-Americ
 County Assessor Charles Howe, for whom we have personal good will, writes letter to the International American in which he takes excep- ton to some statements made in this paper recently concerning the raise in the valauation of property for as sessment purposes. If the Interna- tional-American has, stated anything which is not true concerning the property valuations, it hastens to cor rect the same and we give to our readers the letter of Mir. Howe so that the readers of this paper may judge for themselves.
 The assessor states that in other counties a 50 per cent basis was adopted for assessment. That may be, but that would not necessarily controvert the statement of this pap CT that the assessments were too high in this county. One assessor might have extrayagant ideas of the real value before fixing the 50 per cent rate. We based our remarks largely on expressions of taxpayers who are paying more taxes this year on prae- tically the same property than they paid year ago when the tax rate was 65 cents more on the hundred dollars than now. There has been some increase in property in certain parts of the county, but we do not believe that there was justification for all the increase shown on the assessment books.
 So far as our statement concerning the delinquent Hist is concerned it was in accordance with the state ment made by the tax collector as to what the delinquency was. Whether anyone. complained to the board of equalization abol1t their individual as Asessment wouldf not prove that none were too high, because no person with less than several thousands dol lars worth of property could afford to make trip to Tombstone to pro- test. as the expense and loss of time would be more than the tax. The fact, if correctly stated by the as sessor, that tax payment has been un- usually good this year shows that our people are prompt in meeting their they have not paid more than their just amount of the expense Of run ming the territory this year. If all the taxes paid in. Cochise county were for the use of sCochise county the matter of assessed valuation would not be so important, but it should sot be forgotten that nearly half the taxes paid goes to the territory.
 One thing more in MT. Howe's let ter is worthy of attention and that is his statement that the daily papers of Cochise county desired the appoint ment of an employe of the Copper Queen as assessor. Why this fact should have been mentioned we can not understand, as certainly Mir. Howe would not want to put himself on record as believing a man un- worthy of political preferment be- cause he happened to be employed by the Copper Queen or some other min ing company in the county. There are many thousands employed by the Copper Queen in Cochise county and there are a great many who would be worthy and qualified to hold any office in the gift or the peopis' eielief by election or appointment.
 The statement that there has been a depreciation of property valuation in this county Of 25 per cent since the last election cannot be substan- tiated in Douglas, at least, where re cent sales show that property values are equal and above what they were last year. However. the people will welcome the lower assessment prom ised for next year without disruhng with the assessor as to the cause which bring 1t about.