New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-07-19
HOLMES LIBRARY
means a consequent loss Of interest to


the city.
In the last six months the Board OF
Assessors has apportioned and adver-
tised lists amounting to S7,222,82 30
against S3,227,322 81 for the CORE
spending period of 1913, this showing
an increase of more than 1875 per cent
in the amount of work actually handled
and completed by the working force,
In the same period lists amounting to
S5,675,284 62 were confirmed and trans
mitted to the Controller for collection,
against S3,710.674 SO for the CORE
spending period OF 1913, being an IN,
crease Of S1,964 500 rs, or more than 52
per cent. OF the total coniirmations
S4.911 ,468 81 were confirmed by the
Board Of Assessors in the first SIX
months of 1914, against S2.226,264 50 IN
the first six months of 1913, an IN
crease Of S2,685,203 ~, or more than
121 per cent. 80
This work was so we'll done notwith-
standing its largeness that the amount
of assessments which had TO be con-
sidered and approved by the Board Of
Revision of Assessments was cut IN
half in the first six months of 1914.
OF the lists confirmed in the first SIX
months of 1913, 81, 485, 4l0 O6, or over
81 per cent Of the total combinations
was confirmed by the Board OF Ne
vision of Assessments, while IN the cor
responding period of 1914 only S'63'-
8l6 10, or about 10 per cent, was con-
firmed by that board. This reflects the
policy of the present board to appor'
ton assessments so fairly that they
NAV be proof against criticism or Cd
I. III. o,,iI % n 4 a
Board OF Revision.
In it's new quarters in the Municipal
Building Mr.. Tucker has had his office
placed in the large public room, giving
him view of the counters where prop
erty owners come TO make inquire
about local assessments. He has sept
note of the kind OF reception given
them by clerks, and where he has OBJ
served that the inquirer was apparent
~ not satisfied he has made 1t his
practice to come forward and devote
himself to making necessary eXplana-
tons.
Another innovation, made through
the efforts of Mr.. Ormond, has also
met with hearty public response.
This has been the personal notification
of the various property owners by mail
of assessments to be levied against
their properties. The only provision
under the law for such notification IS
by advertisement in "The City Record
the Brooklyn assessments being in add
ton thereto advertised in five Brooklyn
papers. In the past it has been found
that most property owners know moth
ing Of the assessments until they re-
ceived the bills for them, and after
many months of effort the Board of As
SCISSORS recently obtained from the
Board of Estimate and Apportionmeht
an appropriation to meet the expense
of notifying the property owners by
mail where assessments were about 10
be levied.
The members of the board have also
done more work than ever in the past
in the examination of properties az
fected by assessments or damaged by
change Of grade, etc. in all parts OF the
city from Coney Island to the utter
most Bronx. Upon the care with which
such personal inspections are made de-
pend the satisfactory results which
have been obtained by the board in sat
isfying both those who have claims Tor
damages and those who are subject 10
In some cases these claims
consist of but a few hundred dollars
or even less than one hundred dollars
for some one small parcel. In other
cases they affect numerous parcels, ex-
tending into many thousands of dol
lars. II is a rule Of the board that all
claims of any Importance are inspected
by the whole board, and many days are
in this work, improvements
being visited some two, three and four
times.
Much valuable time has been saved
in getting out the assessments by
speeding up the work of the clerical
force. II was customary in the past to
hold back the clerical work of prepar-
ing the apportionment of assessment
lists while the originals are in the
Finance Department awaiting the ad-
ditions of the Controllers interest
certificate. In the last six months the
board has devoted earnest efforts TO do
the preliminary work on duplicate lists
while awaiting the return of the orig
inals from the Finance Department.
The result of this system is shown
by the fact that at the close of the
first half year of 1913 lists amounting
TO Sl,0i0,33l 80 were on hand TO be
and advertised. while at
the close Of the first half Of 1914 lists
to only $3.50 1854 a were on
hand. most of these lists having been
received in the last thirty days OF the
period.