The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-02-24
.REDDING MAY FACE
LITIGATION OVER
TAX ASSESSMENTS.
II Crowded by Relief Board
Messrs. Luttgen and Peck
Will Sue.

the busiest and most interesting of
/ the four held. Features of it were an
intimation by: Senator L. o. Peck that
the discrimination which he believed
+ to have been exercised against him
in the matter of taxation, was in
spired > by political anfmosity, and
plain declarations that it depended
on the boards action whether at least
two lawsuits should or should not be
brought against the town. 1t seems
that the cause of Commodore Lutt-
gems appearance was not dissatisfac-
| ton with the valuation placed on his
property my the assessors. but result
ed from a notice given him by the
relief board that they contemplated
raising assessors figures. The relief
board formed this design at their
first meeting, evidently without taxi
ing the trouble to ascertain by what
! methods the assessors arrived at their
decision to cut the mnodOre's as
sessrnent about $4,000 below that of
last year. What the assessors did was
to find the actual cost of the build
ings and deduct from it a certain per-
centage for depreciation. Even this
percentage gave a. total of $1,000
more than the owner thought it
should be, but he nevertheless accept
ed the boards finding.
He did not attend Mondays hear
ing. but was represented by Attorney
Bowers. son of John M. Bowers, the
prominent New York lawyer who was
Roosevelt's leading counsel in the ia
NOUS Boss Barnes libel suit. Mr..
Bowers also appeared for Senator
Peck, although the latter was pres
ent and mainly handled his own case,
and also for Mrs. Peck and Mrs.
Florence Luttgen,s the latter appeal
ing from her residence assessment
and the former on land. The grew
ance of Senator Peck was the alleged
excessive valuation on mis- land, which
is now listed as an average of $85 an
acre, having been reduced by the as
SCISSORS from last years average of
| 500. Even at the reduction Mr.,
Peck asserted that in comparison
with other land assessments in the
Sunset Hill and Ridge sections the
| figures were much too high. He said
that if considerable sprout and other
inferior land which he owned was put
| In. at the figure placed on like land
of other ownership in the same To-
ca1ity it would bring the rate on his
remaining land to about $3.50 an acre.
In his comparison argument he cited
the assessments on the Wood Viii
1ia1ns and Reynolds farms on Sunset
Hill and those on the Osborn, D. S.
Sanford and other Ridge properties
To some degree there was the same
sort of Inequality in the assessed val
uation of his wife's real estate Dur
ing the hearing Mr.. Bowers asked the
/ board what percentage of the full
value of property served as their
guide In reaching decisions, but OBJ
i tanned so satisfactory manner His
n parting short was an announcement
that if the board was intent on being
| oppressive towards his client relief
/ would be sought In the courts. Sena-
tor Peck gave a like notice on his own
account.
The latter may or not be right in
thinking that he is a Victim of poIit-
Ifca1 malice and the, controversy over
/ valuations is one thaG should and u1ti-
| mately will be decided upon its
merits. All will agree that no one
fought to receive undue favors in the
matter of taxation, but as the general
public views the case the needless an
ltagonism of such citizens as Messrs.
Luttgen and Peck would be most I'M
fortunate. Since becoming residents
i Of the town they have expended here
/ very large and in all matters pertain
ing to the public welfare have shown
an interest and a 1iberality of purse
rarely displayed in rural sconmuni-
ties. The Commodore has laid out
about $1,000. in building a stretch of
macadam highway at the upper part
/ of Sunset Hill and he and Senator
IPeck jointly bore the expense. of inn
proving the rest of the hill road by
EgraveI1ing and drainage at an outlay
! of 81. 800 more. I'm additionally Com
lmodore has thrown open to the public
1.-THE extensive woodland park which
he created by building al system of
i fine roads and making a chain of ar
.ti1ciaI- lakes in the wild region known
las the East Woods. When he con-
scented to serve as town treasurer at
a. time when the town accounts were
inc oiex11
tangled conditions he turned back his
two years salary to the public treas
1ry.
Another appeal of special interest
heard by the relief board on Monday
was that of Redding Grange present
ed by a committee consisting of e. P.
Sanford, Lew Warner and W. A.
n Grouse The Grange asks exemp-
ton on the grounds that it is a liter
airy society, q public library and an
Il agricultural society. any one of which
would, If valid free its property from
taxation under the law. In its ar
4 ticles of incorporation the Grange is
described as a body organized for
1 Agricultural, educational and social
4 purposes The word sIiterary'' does
mot occur. The Grange has a. library
i comprised of books which a cabinet
about four feet square sufhces to
mold None of these volumes has been
taken out by other than Grange
members, although it is claimed that
outsiders could obtain them on appli-
cation. The agricultural society
I claim rests largely on the fact that
| the Grange Tras given two free exhibi-
lions of farm and garden products,
! poultry. domestic pets, etc. Doubt
less through having been mfsinformed
i on the Subject, Mr.. Grouse made to
the board the erroneous statement
| that the se1ectmen. had previously
abated the Grange taxes on the
i ground that it was a public library.
4 Before deciding this appeal the relief
4 board will obtain the advice of Tax
4 Commissioner Corbin.
] Other petitioners on Monday were
/ George A Cornell whose. house had
been listed in this town although To-