The Detroit times., 1912-05-02
EDWIN S. GEORGE RESEMTS
BEING CALLED AX-DOOGER
Sends Letter of Protest TIC
Board of Review-Fails To
Have Assessment Cut

When a letter from Edwin s. Georg
10 Assessor Plass was read before tn
board OF review, Wednesday morning
the members OF the board INDUCED Il
laughter. Mr. Georges request tina
the assessment OF $4,000 on tn
Standard Auto Co., No. $50 WOOD
ward-ave., OF which he is proprietor
be reduced TO $4,000 was refused
The board had previously turned dow
his request for cancellation of $500
assessment on a building he is cree
Ing on Woodward-ave., between Wi
lis and Canfeld-ayes., and Assesso
Nagel had referred To Mr.. George a
"a tax dodger." This assertion
reached Mr.. George, and he replie'
To II In his letter 10 Mr.. Plass. Ii
part. 1t is as follows:
You have been on the board for
some years, and you know 1t TO
be a fact that Edwin S. George
has never tried to evade or dodge
any of his taxes, and ii after re-
ceiving this letter you still think
that the amount OF taxes should
be $4,000 instead Of $15,000--Ed-
win s. George will not kick.
III YOU will refer to the records
on hand In the city OF Detroit,
you will find that my taxes have
yearly grown from the insignifi-
cant amount OF 500 or 5000 20
last year total of $5,0S774 for
city taxes and S1,154.07 for state
and county taxes, and | presume
increased assessment on real es-
tate will again increase my taxes
In 1912.
| have made my money in De-
troit. and have enough faith in
the city SO that every cent | have
outside OF my home in Bloom
field Hills and the Standard Auto
Co., of Detroit, is invested IN De-
troit real estate, and | am only
too delighted TO pay my just share
toward the support OF our city.
Only this week | went on record
in board meeting OF the Board
OF Commerce as stating that had
no objection whatsoever If our
taxes went even above $40. as
long as the money was properly
city.
| take the liberty TO address
this communication to you, due TO
the interest which you took in my
statements at the TINE | appeared
before the board of review in con-
nection with canceling an assess
ment which was continued on my
wholesale fur business, after the
same had been destroyed by fire,
and was no longer In existence,
and, therefore, ask that you
read this communication to the
board OF review, for which thank
you.
The letter was no sooner read thar
Aid Vernon reverted TO the subjec
of the $4,000 assessment. Mr.. Georg
leased the land for 40 years from tn
University OF Michigan. clause in tn
lease making II necessary that h
erect $4,000 building, to becom
the property OF the University o
Michigan at the expiration OF tn
lease Corporation Counsel Lawson
held that under such terms Mr.. Georg
could not legally be made to pay al
assessment on the building which h
is now erecting. but the board refuse,
TO cancel The assessment.
The reason We refused Is becaus
the building Mr.. George is now putting
Up is not the building called for II
the lease" said Mr. Vernon. 1T is
row of shacks that cannot possibly b,
added TO so that the cost will b'
brought up 10 $4,000. Mr. Georg
probably intends TO build that $4,000
structure later on"
Vernon offered a motion. which tn,
board adopted, to have Assessor Ma
gel state the circumstances TO tn
University OF Michigan and subml
photographs OF the George building
asking the university authorities !
they are willing to consider the pres
ent structure as complying with thu
terms OF the lease IL they say tn,
building fulfiIls the terms OF the leas'
the board will exempt II from taxa
ton, classifying IL as state property.
The board refused to reduce tn,
personal property assessment agains
the estate of Alfred Hooper from $13S,
600 TO $4,000 Most of the heirs 0
the estate are residents of England
and the Union Trust 60. was repre-
scented as executors The latter state;
that there is a dispute over an item
of $4,000, a claim OF the estat'
against Berry Bros. for unpaid divi
dends. He stated that the court
might knock out the claim. The bal
ance on which exemption was aske'
consists of mortgages.
The estate of Charles j. Hupp wa
refused a reduction from $4,000 I,
$4,000 in personal property assess
Inent.