The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-08-17

tempted. In all OF the cities, how
ever. there has developed a general
confidence In the integrity and fair
ness OF the assessments that does not
obtain in any other American city.
1t Is seen that in the very opera
ton of making an assessment under
Somers system methods there must
necessarily be square deaf'-some-
thing that no citizen has ever before
believed existed so far as assessments
were concerned. No matter how hon
est an assessor might be in his desire
to make proper assessment, under
old methods the public always felt
>that something was wrong-if were
not dishonesty X was thought TO be
woeful lack of ability and knowledge
on the part of the assessor All OF
this Is done away with when the SOM
ers system is used. even though the
same assessor. as has often happened,
is continued in office.
Publicity Causes Approval.
The chief cause of this feeling on
the part of the public when the SOM
ers system has been used is the pub
licty that attends every step in It's
operation. The public discusses street
values and contributes directly to the
proper formation of opinion of value
on the part of the assessor. The
opinion that he finally arrives AT ana
uses for the assessment Is set down on
mans in public, and all may have &C
cess to these maps. They are usually
printed in the newspapers, which has
the effect Of fixing them TO such an
extent that they cannot be secretly
changed for special reasons.
The method Of figuring lot values
at once appeals to the public. The
citizens know that mathematics is very
impersonal. that when computation
il substituted for guessing at mathe-
rnstical relations of value. all are
likely to be treated alike. They know
enough about the method of compu-
tation to see that no lot value can
be wrong all by itself--if one Is wrong
several are wrong-and II several are
wrong that fact Is more easily ascer-
tanned than IL only one is wrong and
the owned Of that one ia burdeneo
with the task OF proving II.
The confidence Of the public In the
fairness and honesty Of the assess
ment Is to he obtained only by en-
blowing methods that appeal to the
public rs calculated to treat all per-
sons alike. regardless of wealth. stand
ing or influence. The Somers system
methods are the only ones known that
produce this result IN a community.
Lower Taxes on Homes
In the cities of Cleveland and Co
fumhua the result Of tho use of the
Somers system was to lower the taxes
raid unon homes. 1t was estimated
mat this saving to home owners
amounted to s2.soo.noo per year in
cleveland. and was in nearly the same
in proportion IN Columbus The as
easements Of these two cities were ac-
cepted az made by the State tax COM
nisx,on without change which was
4 - Va 10y
the State.
In Springfield. IT.. and East st.
Louis. I'll. the same result as to
home owners was brought about. In
Springfield there was complete re-
A. adjustment In the total assessment or
land and buildings. so that the land
was assessed at 20 per cent OF Its
par value and the improvements at SO
ne~ cent. Whether 1t il wise to make
this difference is no part Of the effect
Of Somers system methods, the only
point being that wherever II ~ the
local policy to discriminate In this
manner the Somers system provides
the only way Of doing II euuttably.
Snyre~ t,f abe sHrne, difference was
brought about in East ST Louis. The
assessor of East st. Louis was after
wards elected to the legislature of
Illinois.
In Denver, Colo. the Somers svs-
tenn was used In 1911 only in the
business part Of the city. for the rea-
non that the assessment work was
pretty well along before the sssessor
heard OF the Somers system. The as
sessment was practically finished In
the homecoming sections OF the CITY.
But the use of the Somers system In
the business sections so Increased the
total valuations that a horizontal re-