Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1914-05-02

In a form accessible to the taxpay-
ers and open to their criticism
Community opinion of street values
is greatly strengthened and harmon
lied by the participation In the work
by the taxpayers, and their knowledge
of its detail. This also brings about
the satisfaction In the work necessary
to its success In the City of St Paul
3S representative citizens served on
these committees and they carried out
their work by holding only 20 short
sessions, and In q manner that met
the almost universal approval Of the
taxpayers.
The scales for carrying the tldgs
ment of the committees. expressed in
unit values, to an expression OF the
value pilots or tracts, are not arbi.
trary Indicators Of value. but are bas-
ed upon the expert opinion Of the COM
mittee OF represent .tiye taxpaEers,
They provide for enhanced value on
account of corner influence and for
every factor that enters into the de-
terminatiol of falne Eheir, opera,
tfon Is easily understood and Is not
beyond the comprehension Of the ordE
nary clerks. :
a system Of map making has been
,inaugurated in the local tax office
and is now well advanced, which
should prove Of great assistance in
case the Eomers system Is adopted,
for plans must be secured before such
a system could proceed far. It Is
quite certain THAI the acdaifement of
mays of all city property will result
In the discovery of enough un-asses-
sed property to more than offset all
expenses incident to such change
In assessment as Is here advocated.
A very important element in the
valuation Of city property must next
be considered the value Of improve
ments. With certain available infor-
nation to place before builders, it Is
not difficult for them to ascertain the
value of any building in city. The
work of placing valuations upon city
improvements Is only difficult on &C
count of its magnitude. The informa-
tion necessary for asreliable estimate
of value must be gathered in sys.
Etematic way, and to properly handle
this great mass of Information, with
the least possible labor and in the
best shape for use, the building slip
has been devised. A record is thus
made of every detail and factor that
should enter into the consideration OF
its value, such as, dimensions, rooms,
material, finish, age. cost, rental val.
ne, etc.
This information is collected by I'm
skilled labor, and the cost is not large.
Different building slips are used for
various classes of improvements, and
there are many other details that
might be mentioned, but 1t Is suf1.
cient to say that it is the only known
system having value for the assess.
ment of improvements. It Is doing
practically what the insurance adjust.
ers work out when an insured build.
ing burns-namely, ascertain what ii
can be replaced for, and then they de,
eide whether they will pay the insur'
ance or replace the building.
With the value of each lot and its
improvements thus established, the
largest part of the assessment is com
pleted.
At this point the question raay be
asked, and it should be answered-is
the Somers method of real estate
valuation practicable?
! In st. Paul, the home Of the system,
over $4,000 lots and $4,000 buildings
we're valued, and this valuation prov
ed highly satisfactory to the taxpay.
ers, eDn though the final figures
convinced the citizens that the valua
| ton of st. Pauls taxable property
was increased 25 per cent. This hap
pens partly through the finding of IN
assessed property but largely through
the equalization of the valuations
This result would be reversed in
cities where property was uniformly
oyeryalued.
Cleveland has adopted the Somers
system and is enthusiastic over its
success.
Houston, Texas, in adopting the
Somers' system in 1912, reduced the
syaluations of over 5000 taxpayers, yet