The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-06-25
Mr.. SWTnDELL'S brief"
REMARKS ON ASSESSMENTS
Lakeland, Fla, June "a. 1919

| hS ENculuS Telegram.
since s. NJ. Stephens sets fad anG
FASHION of tales and details" amen,
our mutual tax assessments he's
Tor space in what l trust is final in
the premises.
First, as to that $4,000 rock pii
purchase. He says | got enough
surfacing material for 20 miles Of
road. | told him the road then
building two miles was probably all
that would be built by the county
from that pit, as there would doubt-
less be more lasting surfacing used
IN near future road work.
He asks, why | did not tax the
railroad, etc?" am not the railroad
commissioner nor have | or the conn
ty commissioners to do with that at
all
10 assess the railroad is the States
province. If could get portion of
the $1,000 freight refunded to the
county for the people. I'd do it
The a acres of my land inside thu
city limits? Forty acres of it is an
irreclaimable marsh unless Lake
Bonnet may be lowered at least five
feet. If Mr.. Stephens can get to the
waters edge dry shod from the ap,
proach of my arabic land across
this 40 acres of worthless marsh, |
VIII deed him gratis the 40 acres
that he vaingloriously exploits as
Take front" There is no hard road
at all abutting my Il acres home
place It is one-fourth mile from
my home place to nearest county
hard road. The railroad shops, big
in fact and in perpetual noise, adj
join, it is assessed at 100000.
| am certain that any frank citi-
zen, after inspection of my Il acres
and of Mr.. Stephens Lake Hunter
and Hollingsworth groves and land
would agree with me.
AS to his Grey Locks" or $4,000
assessed grove and home place? Well
| leave that to the public; but the
most beautiful wide sandy beach in
front of Grey Locks on the most
beautiful lake in America. the Boule-
ward. the Tampa to Jacksonville
hard road, and Lakeland to Barlow
hard road, the Jitney line, all abut-
ting on Mr.. stephens magnificent
Grey Locks estate and most valuable
and productive grove, would, at
Palm Beach or anywhere in Cali
fornia sell Grey Locks for $780,
O0G and it will within a little time
do it here, because of its environ
ments and situation. Immediately on
and between Lakes Holling sworth
and Bonney. 1t is a paradisaic in
looks, likings and values.
About our Banana lake place. He
says we bought it several years ago,
etc. The truth is we bought it last
summer Cor in 1910. The taxes on
that property were assessed and the
value fixed prior to our purchase.
Only such taxpayers as Mr.. Steph-
ems would "kick at" or exploit that
TEN. Coming back to Lakeland.
here is one of the most beautiful
spots in the entirety of any of all ,
If the municipalities of beautiful
high, splendidly, magnifi-
,ent, munificently in perspective and
prospect To the north. great, glor-
ously Lake Parker, scintilatine and
rridescent in the morning and af-
ernoon suns, and to, the south,
heavenly Hollingsworth, and to the
vest Lake Morton, who can describe
is scenic splendors, its ozonic at
nosphere. This is Park HILL" Mr..
stephens owns 20 city lots of it. He
ellis them $500 to $1,000 each. Let
IS take the minimum-$G00 times
q lots equals $4,000. The assessed
alue of all these 20 lots is S3,42o-
ess than one-twelfth of their mini
mum sales price. Then we get TO
hat splendid modern fiat building
nd its spacious % acres park,
alisaded up to the Lake Morton
Inning waters fit for Semiramlus
nd Cleopatra and the nymphs, and
n the heart of the most desirable
esident section in all the South
and. This fiat and park is cheap
I $4,000. They are assessed at
. 600. or one-ffteenth OF their
alue. Is the county and state los
ng on these assessed valuations?
In recapitulation ! deny raislne
he valuation on any or all OF Mr..