The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-01-05

plan adopted by the Charleston city
council to ascertain the market VAL
ue of property In that city. as a
guide for the board of equalization
In making assessments for taxation.
should be read and considered by
every property owner In Sumter.
TN accordance with the rece mt
resolution of City Council. commits
sion Of real estate experts have be-
gun the appraisement Of Charleston
real estate. which has been so long
needed. and which will now offer a
basis of taxation as we'll as of trans.
actions just when Charleston proper
ty u 30 much in demand for invest
mont and speculative purposes.
"rhe work has been started In the
upper portion Of the city. and good
progress is being made by the COM
mission. consisting of t. T. Hyde,
Melvin Israel. Allen Legare, T. J..
Price and J. ID. Lesemann. 1t is ex-
pected that perhaps three to four
months will be required to complete
the work. although every effort will
be put forth to finish 1t as soon as
possible
The special appraisement of
property has been undertaking on
the suggestion Of Chairman F. @.
ONeill, Of the committee of ways
anc means. and City Assessor Sink
:-r with view of providing an in
teiiigent basis Of action to the coun-
ty board Of equalization for the pur-
pse OF correcting the glaring Unequal.
itiss In the tax assessments. The ap-
praisement which is now being made
has OF course. no direct effect upon
the county board Of equalization un-
der the law. but as City Council is
represented upon the county board,
the chairman Of the ways and means
committee being ex-officio. the chair
man Of the board and as the county
board welcomes any plan or sugges-
tion which enables the board to bet
ter perform Its work. It Is certain
that the kindly Offices of the City
Council In providing a true and cor
rect appraisement of real estate by
competent experts. will be appre-
ciated. AS matter OF fact. 1t Is un-
derstood that the board has COM
municated its desire tn City Council
- perform this very service, for
which 1t Is especially qualified. and
ie II hardly possible that the county
board VIII refuse to be guided by
the report which will be made
through City Council.
1T is. of course. to be understood
that the work which the commission
are rfow engaged upon. and for
which they will receive $500 COM
pensation. Is simply and entirely an
appraisement and not an assessment.
The commission has no authority to
assess property, nor has even City
Council this right for only the board
OF equalization has the authority to
fix the assessment.
1T is expected. however, that with
the filing OF the report OF the COM
mission. giving the market value Of
every piece of real estate In the city
limits. the board will then adopt a
system of assessment on a certain
percentage basis, which will take the
place of the arbitrary system of
township assessments, now in effect,
with It's slaring inequalities. The
present system allows favoritism, po-
itical and other considerations to
weigh. but under the proposed new
system OF first establishing the mar
ket value Of property and then put
ting on a percentage basis Of assess
ment. new and better plan will be
adopted.
Opportunity will be given TO the
property owners TO offer such objec-
uohs as they may have to the new
assessments. which will probably fol-
low the appraisement of Charleston
real estate.
"'rhe new appraisement will mate
rally clear the real estate situation
for the buyer of property. He will
be largely guided by the value which
the commission will place upon the
property. and II will probably re-
dound more generally to the seller
to have the new appralsement put
into effect than otherwise. although
OF course. some parties who may be
holding property Mt spnreasonably
high figures may not take the de-