The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1910-11-07
How the SmOot County Assessor
FayOrs Friends and Pun
iShes Enemies.
SALlSURYS OF BOARD OF
EQUALIZATION FAVORED
Men Who Are Active i'm Ameri-
can Party Affairs Are Hit
Hard.

The story printed in The Trlbun,
Sunday morning showing the outrageous
assessment upon the Felt building OF
South Main street, caused a great dea
| of comment. The Felt building is owned
by the Salisburys, one member of the
family being member Of the board of
| equalization. Tho buildIng is assessed
at $4,000 or one-niuth of its value, II
Is assessed by the Smoot machine coun
ty assessor-there is no city assessor. The
story printed is worth reprintiug, for
IT is striking object lesson. II fol
lows.
Outrageous Assessment.
one OF the most striking Illustrations
OF the way tie county affairs of Salt
Lake county are run in favor OF the local
church Republican gang, is the discrim-
ination in tax assessments.
Take FOR Instance the Felt building and
real estate on Main street Just north OF
The Boston building.
This property is owned by the Sails
hurys One OF the members OF the fam
itJ is on the equalization board and is
King -pinner for the local Smootites.
Inerc are siXty-ivc feet frontage on
that property. and the assessment Is but
$CSi0o. IL is worth fully $40 600
ne improvements. Il very fine building
'uat cost no ieSS IMAM S225.OOo. IS only
assessed mt 225, 000 Think OF il
The entire Smoot machine is a sort
OF mutual benefit association. They
never let anything get away that they
want.
II there were an honest valuation of
property. instead oc valuation favoring
INC friends OF the gang and penaliznc
those who are not supporters of Smoot
nnd his crowd. no one would have com
plaint against his assessment
Inc Smoot county assessor makes the
assessments in this city as we'll as in
the county There Is no city assessor
Down on Jefferson street lives an
ardent American party worker His
name IS c. l.. Schmidt. and his home is
No. 951. He owns a home, the actual
cost Of which was $l24O. The Same
Smoot county assessor who assessed the
felt property AT one-ninth of its value,
assessed the home of Mr.. Schmidt at
$500, or two-thlrds it's valnc. The rea
son Is apparent. Mr.. Schmidt is against
the Smoot machine. Here is a letter
received from Mr., Schmidt by The Trib-
unc on Sunday; it tells its own story:
Editor Tribune:-I notice In your wall
uahle paper this morning an item about
the taxation Of the Felt building. which
! nope every voter In Salt Lake county
mas read twice, and particularly noticed,
and Will no, forget on election day
l lave a little house the actual cost
OF which is Sl2i0. located at 95I South
First West The valuation OF the lot
Is $40 and the valuation of the house
$500. The taxes are $31.35 You talk
about an outrage-what do you think
81 that? My tax notice is No. 1881 book
Z page sos. But as am an active Amer
can party worker and we'll known to bo !
such in this district (No. 16). this needs |
10 further explanation. Yours truly, c. |
-. Schmidt, 9JI Jefferson street.
Salt Lake City, Nov. 6.
Here ficures. as said above, arc strik-
nC object lessons as to tho way the
omoot county machine is run