Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-12-04
REALTY TAX SYSTEM
HIT BY GREENBERG
Methods Here Work lnjustices to
Owners and City,
He Says
BOARD TO STUDY PROBLEM

Complete change in the system of
taxation here and not fight against
the new increase in the rate of as
sessmeut TO S2.S5 is the work before
Philadelphia property owners. in the
opinion Of Joseph J. Greenberg.
He is chairman of the real estate
boards committee on taxation. and he
said today that the committee on taxa
tion would meet next Saturday to dis
cuss the tax problem.
In this committee are Henry T..
Robins. vice president of the Land Title
and Trust Co; Harry T. Saunders
William Ball. former secretary to Gov
ernor Blumbaugh; John c. Began. D.
Britton Chambers and John G..
Hincklev.
'The purpose of the committee H." said
Mr.. Greenburg, lis to find a way to
tion of all property owners and not to
engage in any sort of fight. For this
reason, VIC want everybody, property
owners and public officials, to CO.
operate and work together in harmony
and a sincere desire to serve Phila-
delphia.
Whatever We may think of the in
creased tax rate, fight against it might
appear as retardiug progress. The city
must have money to pay its way as II
goes; its various departments must
function and for this reason we must
accept the tax rate as it is until We
are able to make a change which will
be Just to every owner of property and
which will give no one an advantage.
Requires Legislative Action
II do not think that this change
can be brought about in 1920 because
action by the state Legislature is neces-
sary, and the legislature does not meet
until 1921.
But we can get to work on this
matter Of proper taxation. IT is the
desire Of the committee Or taxation of
the real estate board to work with
the board of assessors in an effort to
correct as far as it is now possible all
inequalities in taxation, and to remove
any conditions that are not equitable.
My opinion is that Philadelphia
should adopt a system of fixing taxes
similar to that successfully used in
New York
There the members of the board of
assessors are all experts, carefully Sc
lected because of their fitness for the
work to be done.
Every block in New York city is
carefully Surveyed and each front foot
l.
| This work is done so thoroughly that
these estimates are made for every TWEEN
ty- five feet of frontage.
The land is assessed separately.
When its value is fixed, the value of
the building or other improvements is
added.
Under the Philadelphia system, the
board of assessors might as well be iu
San Francisco and the Councils here,
as far as co ODeratiOD goes.
And the assessments are unequal.
] know of assessments that are too
high and / know of assessments that
are too low.
Fault of the System
This is the fault of the system and
not the assessors. The Philadelphia
board is composed of high minded gen
! tlemen who desire to do their work
| efficiently and impartially, but they are
working under heavy disadvantage.
They should have surveyors to help
them in their work, so that they can
make full and complete study Of
every corner of the city.
I'VE hope to be of service to the
assessors and believe that co operation
will make it possible to take a long
stride toward the equalization of taxes.
What advantage is there in having
n $40, 900 lot valued at $6666 and taxed
at So rate? Wouldn't it be better to
value the land at $4,000 and give the
city a 50 rate. If low assessments
mean high rates, what is gained, if all
property owners are taxed alikeE
The high rate, even when it means
nothing because of low assessments,
may frighten away industrial concerns
which think of locating here. 1t may
stand in the way of progress in count
| less ways.
1T would be very much better to
assess property at 30 per cent of its
value and keep the tax rate low"