Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-11-11
REALTY MEN BACK
TAXATION SURVEY
Majority of Committee Favors
chairman's Plan to Ask
Research Bureau Aid
WILL VOTE FOR MOTION

OF Mun1ClDal research be asked to CO.
operate with IL in a comprehensive sur.
with view to devising q plan that will
remedy the evils admittedly existing In
the present tax system.
A majority of members Of the com
mittee today expressed themselves ne
. supporters Of the idea and said they
, would vote for Mr.. Greenberx's motion
when be makes it ut the next meeting.
Mr.. Greenberg strikes note Of great
popular appeal with his suggestion that
z tax court Of appeal be established, to
4 function much like Sheriff Lamberton' q
tenants court, except that the tar court
would have an official standing and the
power to revise assessments when a tax
pager presented sufficient reasons. This
woald do away with the present sys-
ten, which gives the taxpayer NO hear
Ing before the men whose decision mean.
dollars and cents to him. -
-Four Declare Position
There are seven members on the tax
alton. committee Of the Real Estat,
Board. Four have unreservedly ex
pressed themselves as favorine nm OK .
pert study Of the entire taxation sub
Ject and the revision of the city's sys.
tenn to meet modern ideas and condi
tions. -. -. ~oN' M.
One member does not favor any die.
turbance OF existing things. The otbe,
two could not be found today.
The members Of the committee are
Henry Robins. vice president Of the
Land Title and Trust Co. Harry T
DEMPSEY, d. Britton Chambers, John
u, Hinckley and John c. Began.
Mr.. Robins, whose position has given
hm unusual opportunities to see the
work'ngs OF the assessment system from
All angles, is unequivocsl in his dis
approval of the present methods.
+, But understand" he said, that
am not referring in any personal way
20 the men in the tax boards office
They are working hard and carrying q
tremendous burden the best they car
under, our system, and the poor fellows
are damned by everybody for faults
which they have done nothing to create.
. System All Wrong
The system is all wrong. am mos:
heartily in favor of q complete study
Of It, with experts and legal talent, tc
find out the best system to meet our
needs and cure the defects that are
apparent in this one.
'Mr. Greenberg's suggestion of q
tax court, or some such idea, is fine
The poor people ought not to be taxed
as they are being taxed this year. We
ought to get at the vacant lots and the
unimproyed land lying idle for specula .
tive purposes with no regard for un.
earned Increment.
"The subject is one that can be
handled only by specialists and the best
legal talent. Iwould certainly support
q move to have this done
MIR. Chambers, secretary Of the taxa
ton committee, pointed out the fact
that, IL such n survey is to be success
full. IL must have the co operation OF
the present Board of Revision Of Taxes
with genuine civic desire to find the
Best system that can be devised.
~ " Calls System Obsolete
This system is undoubtedly obso :
lete,'' he said. There ought TO be a
more equitable method Of arriving ~
taxable values. At present. assessors
are appointed without regard for theit
qualifications for their jobs. 1t isn't
the fault of the present personnel, but
OF the whole system"
Mr., Saunders, too, pointed out the
fact that the system is obsolete.
."I am not knocking anybody" he
said, "and I will not indulge in per-
sonalities. because this is not u ques
ton Of men, but Of methods. But
will say this, the present system is un
doubtedly falling in many important
respects. think il should be thor
oughly studied and. IL better one car
be found, we should have It.
at was probably perfectly goot
system when 1t was established, but II
was many years ago, and all condition.
Of human life and the theories on which
men do business have changed. 1t should
be brought down 20 date"
Mr.. Began viii support Mr.. Green
berg's resolution on the ground that thu
city should have whatever is best ir
methods Of civil administration.
'I do not care 10 put myself or
record as to whether or not l believe
the present system TO be obsolete o.
not" he said. "In fact, I am not ab
solutely convinced one way or tn!
other. To form such an opinion,
would want 10 study the findings Of .
body of specialists after they had mad
a thorough investigation.
Il. .. Wants Real Method
"But there are other cities that hav
other methods that appear to be at
tracting considerable attention and, /
these methods are better than ours, W
ought, to find it out and adopt them.
az certainly favor such a survey
And i DeleVe tne bureau " "Hh'Sipo
Research to be the ideal body TO max
the study. have every confidence II
their ability and their integrity an
suob of their officials as l know seen
TO me to be unusually keen and efhcien
In such matters.
Think Valuations Fair
william II. Wilson, president Of tn
Real Estate Board, and Daniel Craw
tord Jr.. president of the OperatiV
Rniiders' Association, do not believe tn
nrasent valuations are too high, nor d
they see any indication that prices O
rssi estate are coming down In the fu
ture 10 anything like what most peopl
consider normal level. Mr.. Nilso
md Mr.. Crawford at a conference yes
terday discussed conditions and. at IN
end. issued the following joint state
n ment: A..
N ..The number of protests made to tn
lsosrd of Revision Of Taxes this year
c,ansiderably greater than any past year
nm this is undoubtedly caused by tn
3ycreased value Of real estate sold dur
nv the psst recent years. on when IN
Sssessments we're probably not increase
Internationally in the past. We do nc
- any great cause for a general com
rIaiut on the part OF the majority
rrnnerty owners of the city, alth0ug
am sure that there are doubtless man
p tnaci6c cases where the increase In as
pssment is severe, but these cases.
-eotested. will receive the fair an
e,oner consideration of the Board
y Revision Of Taxes