Show comparative assessments taij birz 3 city hybbard Hy board of equalization has closed its labors and has substantially ly supported the assessor in his extortionate valuations of erty some fey few chunges chaugen have been made but they do not amount to much in the aggregate and the assessor will pocket within a trifle the big haul that he started out to make on the percentage per allowed by the city council in some cases the council ha been consid erate with widows aul indigent persons iu in others the reverse and in one or two cases they appear to have gone beyond the limits of the law the liberally liberal organ parades a list of the rates of valuation placed on property in a number of W age go cities and also the rates of t taza axa tion and then asks how the mormon press are going to explain these facts away well as far as the DESERET NEWS is concerned it will not attempt to explain any fact away y facts are what we are after some soma facts are furnished by the liberally liberal organ although a doubt is cast upon them by the fact that they appear in theT the tribune rOune but what do they show any enormous valuation placed on prep erty any gouge game like that of which we and the general public complain any instance of property being behig placed for assessment purposes at a figure figura far higher than it would sell for cash not at all but out of the nine cities reported only two placed property at its full v value a lue while th the e oabe others rs range from 12 per cent to 50 per cent valuation it is another case of stating a proposition and proving the contrary which occurs nearly every day iv in the cLib liberal grall organ and is coming to beaw as tribune tt oune logic the facts which the tribus tribu s wants to explain away but cannot are these property has been assessed this year at from double to ten limes the figures ever placed upon it before multiplying the valuation from three to seven times is a common rule in the present asses assessors soVe arithmetic the rate of taxation has been reduced but one mill over previous rates the result is 18 an immense increase of revenue I 1 and the of property own 1 era many small owners will have to borrow money in order to pay the taxes upon it the law does not justify the ridiculous and exorbitant figures figurea of the assessor and the definition given in the law as to the meaning of a fair cash value has been ignored in order to wrest the words quoted so as to make them mean boom prices the taxpayers fearing the disposition of the city coun council ell to backup this enormous assessment in the I 1 interest of real estate speculators petitioned titio ned the council to reduce the rate of taxation the council obtained an absurd and self refuting opinion from the city attorney that they the power to reduce the rate equivalent to saying they could not rescind or ame amend ad a resolution and having made up their minds to rake in all the revenue possible without going too far j in their rashness they refused the petition of the great mass of the taxpayers of all parties in the city if telling the facts and pointing out the hardship that is being unnecessarily and in many instances cruelly imposed on the taxpayers is brutal abuse we have abused both the assessor and the council this city has heretofore maintained an enviable reputation for low taxes and gool order under liberal rule rule I in its fullest sense domination instead of service fro from m the city officials that reputation will soon be changed and we are of the opinion that the change will so disgust the majority of the citizens that a change of management will be the result as soon as it can be legally effected the th liberal organ may call names with its accustomed courteous and refined manner of argument but it cannot cover up the facts in the case with ever so great a good flood of Billinge billingsgate gate nor throw dust in the eyes of the taxpayers by quoting abot a lot of figures which effectually refute its own assertions |