THE WEATHER
FADt TO-NIOHT
AND TO MORROW
Detailed Report. Pace 8
5™" L k H «. ED VOL. 77—NO. 8.
TURK FLEET
KILLS 100
RUSSIANS
Bombards Environs of
Baturn, a Seaport of
the Czar on the East
Coast of Black Sea
GREAT GOTTORP
BARRACKS BURN
Completely Destroyed by Fire, Origin
of Which Is Kept Secret—Barracks
Were Situated on An Island About
-.1 Miles From Kiel
Bit Associated Press.
London, Dec. 12," 12.25 P. M.—A
dispatch received here from Constan
tinople bv wny of Berlin, says a Turk
ish fleet yesterday bombarded the en
virons of Batnm, the Kussian seaport
on the eastern coast of the Black Sea.
One hundred Kusgkins were killed and
e number were wounded by the tire.
Copenhagen. Dee. 12. via Ijotidon,
S2 . A. M.—News tins been received
here thnt the great Gotlorp barracks
near Kiel have been completely de
stroyed by fire, the origin of which -.s
kept secret.
The Gottorp barracks are about 25
miles northwest of Kiel on an island
which lies between the Svhlei and Burg
Sea. The old ducal Schloss Gottorp :s
the main building of these barracks.
DRESDEN. SOLEIURVIVOR
OFGERWftN FLEET. SUNK BY
BRITISH, OFF PATAGONIA
I<on lon, Dev. 12. 1.06 P. M.— A dis
ratch to the "Evening Xews" from
> a'lpar&isc. hile, says it is reported
that the German cruiser Dresden has
taken refuge in an inlet on the coast
of Patagonia.
The Dresden is the only vessel of
the German squi.drou which met the
British fleet in the South Atlantic De
cember 8 that has not been accounted
t or.
The engagement of December S. off
the Falkland Islands, resulted in the
destruction of the German cruisers
Scharnhorsi. Gneisenau and Ijeipzig.
Later it was announced that the Xurr.-
lerg also had been destroyed. The
Drewden escaped from the encounter
and was supposed to have fled to the
westward. This would take her to thtt
coast of Patagonia. where the Valpa
raiso report places her. Patagonia and
the Straits cf Magellai offer numerous
bays and inlets whwe a vessel could
liide or take refuge. There are also
eome Chilean ports in this part of
South America where a warship could
intern.
British warships doubtless are in pur
suit of the Dresden from t.he Atlantic
side of the Straits of Magellan and it
is said that Japanese cruisers are watch
ing the Pacific or western entrance on
the strait, in case she should attempt
rgaiti to euter the South Pacific.
Berlin, Via The Hague to Ixindon.
Dec. 12. 3.05 A. M. —The newspapers
discuss the lot~.s of the German cruisers
Pcharnhoret, Gneisenau. Leipzig au 1
Nurnberg off the Falkland Islands in a
tone of keenest sorrow, but with com
plete resignation. They express patri
otic pride in the previous achievements
of these warships and express the opin
ion that Coronet, where they defeated
the British cruisers Good Hope and
Monmouth, will bulk larger in naval
history than the battle of the F&lk
lands.
FRENCH TRIPS OCCUPY
WEST BANKS OF THE YSER
CANAL, STATES REPORT
Paris, Dec. 12, 2.46 P. M.—The
French official bulletin given out in
Paris this afternoon says that French
troops now occupy the west bank of
the Yser canal.
Artillery engagements, all of them
resulting more or less advantageously
to the French, are reported in the re
gion of Arras near Natupeed, in the
Astene, in the region of Perthes, near
the forest of La Grueri# on the heights
of the Meuse, and in the Vosges.
The text of the communication fol
lows:
"The enemy has completed the
evacuation of the west b»nk of the
I'ser canal to north of the house
of the ferryman, and we occupy this
bank.
"In the region of Arras there have
Con Ma wrd on blghtk Page.
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KAISER, ILL FROM EXPOSURE,
IS NOW ON ROAD TO RECOVERY
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EMPEROR. WILLIAM I :
London, Dec. 12.—The condition of]
Kaiser Willielm WHS improved to such
an extent to day tliat he was permitted
to sit up for a few hours, dispatches
received here, via The Hague, state.
Berlin, Dec. 12.—The Kaiser's ill
ness is due entirely to exposure while
visiting his armies in the field. He has
remained at the front almost constantly 1
since the war began, ami has \isited
the battlefields under all conditions,!
whether good or bad. Those close to the!
court to-day declared that his repeated!
LATE WAR NEWS SUMMARY
The French War Office announced to
day that three German batteries had
been destroyed and others silenced;
that several German trenches had been
blown up; that the allies had made suc
cessful infantry attacks and that they
had won back possession of an extend
ed section along the west hank of the
Yser canal, in Belgium, to capture
which the Germans engaged In the most
desperate and deadly fighting of the
war in the west.
Petrograd dispatches state that the
.front of the German forces which have
been advancing toward Warsaw from
the Northwest has been pierced in two
places. The French official statement,
referring to this same phase of the
eastern campaign, says that violent
German attacks have been defeated and
that the Germans are retiring in disor
ders. Along the German center, west of
Warsaw, it is said the attacks of the
invaders have been repulsed with heavy
losses.
The Servians are said by the French
War Office to have pushed further their
newly won advantage in the fighting
with the Austrians, crossing the Kolu-
Contitiuefl on Seventh I'ase
FORESEE COMPLICATIONS IN
.AMERICAN'S ARREST ABROAD
Washington. Dee". 12.—50 interested
wer c Mate Department officials in the
reported arrest of the American, Muel
ler, by the police of Geneva, that
American Minister Stovall wag to-day
directed to make an immediate inquiry
into the case through the consulate at
Geneva.
Shoul i the report prove accurate, of
ficials foresee the possibility of com
plications through an attempt to extra
dite a naturalized American citizen
from Switzerland, a neutral country, to
France.
"200 French Killed in Flanders
Berlin, Dec. 12. by Wireless to I*>n
don, 5.30 P. M.—The German official
statement to-day says:
"In Flanders the Fre-m-h yesterday
made attacks in the region of Larige
inark which however, were repulsed.
They lost 200 men in k'illed and we
took 340 prisoners."
Big Blaze at Birmingham
Bji Associated Press.
Birmingham, Ala., Dec. 12.— Fire
here early to-day destroyed a five-Worv
building occupied by the tHeele-Smith
Dry Goods Company, ranging a loss es
timated at J400,000. Falling walls did
$20,0000 damage to a moving picture
theatre and another dry goods store
nearby.
Mayor and Mrs. Royal's Reception
Mayor John K. and Mm. Royal are
planning to entertain at a recaption to
be held in the Board of Trade build
ing aa*lv in January. Invitations will
be issued to one hundred young people.
Following the reception a dance will
be held.
HARRISBURG, PA., SATURDAY EVENING', DECEMBER 12, 1914—12 PAGES.
visits and consequent exposure during
inclement weather caused him to con
tract a cold, resulting in the present
catarrhal infection of the throat.
An official statement as to the
Kaiser's condition, issued to-day, states
that His Majesty is. considerably im
proved. The official announcement de
clares that the catarrh has subsided.
The Kaiser's temperature is normal, and
he was able to-day to receive reports
from the Chief of the General Staff.
The improvement in His Majesty's con
dition set in last night ami continued
to-day.
THREE SEIZED ON CHARCE
I OF LOOTING FREICHT CAR
' Railroad Police Planning, to Make
! Further Arrests in the Vicinity of
Royalton—Farmers Sutler Losses
of Many Chickens
Several hundred chickens have been
1 stolen, homes have been ransacked and
• robbed and cellars looted by a gang,—
| possibly several gangs, —of thieves that
for two weeks or more have been work
ing in Middletown, Royalton and among
the farmers in the adjacent townships.
As a climax to the thieving a merchan
dise car on a "fast freight'' train of
the Pennsylvania Railroad recently was
broken into and a wagonload of plunder
i taken.
Railroad policemen have been work
-1 ing on the car robbery case and last
' evening. Lieutenant Kdward Crnmford,
j of llarrisburg, with Patrolmen Hiram
i Michaels, of Lancaster, and Adam
Souillard, of Royalton, arrested and
! lodged in the county jail William and
Robert Seibert and Klmer Dasher, all
Royalton boys.
Other arrests are to be made within
j a day or two, the police say, and at
least two more persons who, it is al
| leged, worked with the three suspects
already under arrest will be captured.
I Preliminary hearings will be given the
I trio before Justice of the Peace W. J,
' Kennard, of Middletown, early next
I week.
Dress goods, canned salmon and
| canned sweet potatoes made up a part
| of the loot taken from the railroad car
! and the police say they not only have
J recovered a part of the plunder but also
! have obtained information that impli
-1 cates others upon whom warrants will
| be served.
j The police further say that Robert
Seibert and Dasher—none of the boys
; have attained their majorities—have
served terms in the Huntingdon Re
\ formatory for car robberies, and were
; released from that institution only dur
, ing the last year.
The freight car was entered while a
Continued on Klrhth Page.
JUDGE M'CARRELL PLACES
ARItl ARQUNDWAY WARD LAD
Gives Fatherly Advice to Five Youthful
Offenders Who Appear Before Him
in Juvenile Court—Home Found
for Several of Them
boys—four incorrigi'hlps ami
another charged with steading 523
were brought before Judge MM'arrell
at a sj>ecial session of Juvenile Court
tfhis morning. All were given a "word
of advice'' and sentence was suspended
upon their promising to do better.
Judge MctCarrell talked to t>he young
sters as does father to a son, and the
hearings to a degree lacked the sem
blance of usual court procedure. The
Judge permitted one of the bovs to rest
on the arm of his chair. Then he put
his. arm a'bout the lad ami whispered
into his ear, telling him what a good
! bov should be.
Nevertheless the Judge did not pre-
Coatinaed ou Eighth Pace.
HEIIS TDK
FLOOR AT OPENINE
Wall Street Again
Scene of Activity as
Trading in Stocks Is
Resumed
900 PRESENT AS
THE GONG SOUNDS
Not in Many Y*ars Has Such a Crowd
of Brokers Been on the Floor
Waiting for the Signal to Resume
Business
By Associated Press.
New York, Dec. 12.—Wail Street
came into its own to-day. The Stock
Exchange closed for nearly foivr and
a half months, except for limited trad
ing in bonds during the past two weeks
was reopened at 10 0 'clock this morn
ing for .active trading in stocks. One
hundred and ninety-two issues were
approved by the governors for trading
and, though other issues were barred,
notably U. S. Steel, activity on the
floor of the exchange revived memories
of big days ten years ago.
Not for many years bas there been
such a throng of brokers oil the floor
as that which waited patiently for
nearly an hour to-day for the signal to
resume trading. There are 1,100 mem
bers of the Exchange and nearly 900
of these, it is estimated, were on the
floor. Many of the others smiled down,
with their families and friends, from
the members' gallery on the west wall.
Visitors' Gallery Thronged
The visitors' gallery across the way
on the west side was thronged. Half
or more of the hundreds who gazed
down at the unusmai scene on the floor
were women.
The first chime of Trinity Church's
10 o'clock bells has long been the sig
nal for sounding the opening gong on
the floor of the Exchange. As the
church clock struck, a wave of cheer
ing rippled over the Exvliamge and
swelled to a vast roar as the gong
clattered noisily in response. The vol
ume of sound that ochood through the
building has not been equalled for
many a day.
Almost before frhe metallic echoes
of the gong ringing, the cheering had
died down to a great hum ami the
hundreds of brokers were groutping
Continued on Elfrhth Fur.
HEN CROWSjTWORNINCS
Gifted Barnyard Fowl In Carlisle Also
Lays Double Yoked Eggs and Has
Other Accomplishments
(Special to the Star-Independent.)
Carlisle, Dec.- 12. —Mrs. Eleanor
Madden, who lives on East North
streets, has a hen that with the break
of day each morning answers the chal
lenge of the father of the flock with
a crow as loud and clear as his, and
also produces eg^s—and double-yoked
ones at that.
Although this peculiarly gifted fowl
is almost a year old its rare accomp
lishments only recently became known.
The,family has not attempted to give
a name to the prodigy except to refer
to the hen as the prize of the poultry
yard.
The hen's crowing like a rooster and
laying of double yolked eggs are not
the only peculiarities she has. Since
the fowl became a regular egg produc
er the Madden family have kept a
close watch on her and although they
frequently have been at the hennery
when she loaves the nest they yet have
not the customary "cackle."
100 BALLOTS READY FOR
SCBOOL BOARD MEETING
Members Will Again Attempt to Organ
ize This Evening—Both Candidates
for Presidency Say They Will
Fight It Oujt
Unless the School Board succeeds in
breaking the deadlock at the special
meeting this evening, there is likely to
be serious inconvenience in getting out
the warrants for the Christmas pay of
the teachers in the local district. As
surances nave been given, however, that
steps will be taken, if tiu president is
elected, of having some oue authorized
in his p'ace to sign the salary warrants.
Seventy-eight ballots have already
been taken without result and Secretary
I>. D. Hammelbaugh has prepared one
hundred ballots for to-night's session.
The directors have agreed as a matter
of courtesy not to schedule a meeting
unless ail of the members can be pres
ent and Saturday night was selected
for that purpose.
As the matter now stands and if no
election is held to-night, it is not be
lieved that a meeting time before the
next regular board meets next Friday
night will suit all oi the members and
that will necessitate the authorizing yf
a member to act as president to sign
the warrants. By organising temporar
ily at each meeting the board could
continue tht deadlock indefinitely and
at the present time tnere is no indica
tion of any of the candidates withdraw
ing. Both Harry A. Boyer and Advn
D. Houtz say they will not withdraw.
The Rev. Dr. William N. Yates is not
a candidate.
TABERNACLE II
RE RAZED SHORTLY
Structure Will Proba
bly Be Dismantled at
End of Next Week's
Meetings
TOO COSTLY TO
KEEP UP LONGER
Stough Party Plans to Make Closing
Days of Campaign Eventful Ones—
Sunset Service Is Arranged for Old
Folks
After the executive committee of the
Stough evangelistic campaign had late
yesterday afternoon invited Dr. Stough
by a unanimous vote to remain in this
cifcv next week, extending the campaign
to a duration of seven weeks, discus
sion was opened as to what disposal
will be made of t-*he tabernacle at the
close of the meetings Monday, Decem
ber 21. A committee of five was ap
pointed to take this matter under con
sideration, consisting of E. Z. Grosrf, E.
P. Weaver, E. A. Heffelfinger, E. Z.
Walloweir and W. S. Koebuck.
When the committee meets it is be
lieved that recommendations will be
accepted to tear down the tabernacle at
once. According to contracts made in
the building of the tabernacle, it would
not need to be dismantled until March
or April. If it were to stand until
then, however, watchmen, who would
have to bo constantly on duty, would
have to be paid, the heating system
would need to be maintained and insur
ance payments would have to be met.
For economic reasons it is, therefore,
thought best at present by men active
in the campaign that the great building
be razed shortly after it has fulfilled
the purpose for which it was erected.
Next Week to Be Eventful One
Meanwhile the Stough party is plan
ning for the most eventful period of
the campaign next week at the taber
nacle. Monday, of course, will be rest
daj', when the members of the party
will try to renew their strength for a
final effort.
Then, on Tuesday, the events of the
week will open with firemen's night.
The fire-fighters from all companies in
the city have been invited to be pres
ent and will march in uniform to the
tabernacle.
Wednesday will be railroad night.
The railroaders have requested a second
night, some of them promising to hit
the trail if they are given another op
portunity. On this night members of
the Harrisburg Rotary Club will also JO
present. Invitations have been sent
out by President William S. Essick.
Thursday*a Day of Rejoicing
On Thursday afternoon there will be
a sunset service, not so called because
of the time of day, but because the
guests of the occasion will be persons
in the sunstt of life. Old men and old
women, among whom will be many in
(ontlniieit on Seventh I'nKr
12 FREE OMR SEATS
AS USUAL BELGIAN WEEK
Star-Independent Will Give Away Two
Each Day, According to Regular
Custom, Through a Special Arrange
ment With the Rotary Club
The Star-Independent's plan of giv
ing away two Orphcum theatre tickets
each day to persons whose names are
printed in announcements concealed
among t(he advertisements in the "class
ified' 7 page, will not be interfered with
by the plan to devote Orpheum receipts
next week to the Belgian sufferers. All
possrblity of a hitch in this direction
has been removed through an arrange
ment with A. E. Buchanan, chairman of
the Rotary Club committee which has
hired the theiatre for the week for the
benefit of the Belgians.
This arrangement is explained by Mr.
Buchanan in the following letter re
ceived by the Star-Independent to-day:
''l beg to acknowledge receipt of
your check for tickets covering reserved
Reats at the Orpheum next week on ac
count of tihe Roitary Club benefit for
the relief of the Belgian war sufferers,
and understand tihat these seats are to
be used in your free distribution of
Orpheum theatre tickets, as announced
in your columns from day to day.
"iFlease accept our thanks, not only
for the tickets, but for the valuable co
operation accorded by the Star-Inde
pendent in the liberal use of its col
umns towards helping this worthy
cause. Very truly,
"A. E. Buchanan, Chairman, Rotary
Committee, Belgian Relief."
AUTOMOBILE INJURES BOY
Horace Anthony Struck by Machine
on Mulberry Street Bridge
Horace Anthony, the 8-year-old son
of Mr. and Mxs. Horace P. Anthony,
339 Crescent street, was knocked down
by an automobile on the Mulberry
street bridge at 9.30 o'clock this morn
ing, sustaining lacerations and bruises
of the face and head and a alight con
cussion of the brain.
The machine was driven by T. FI.
Nevitt, who hauled the boy to "the Har
riabtirg hospital after the accident. 'He
was not driving very fast, but the boy,
not seeing the machine, steppod in
front of it. His condition is not be
lieved to be serious.
WOULD ADD $50,000,000
TO ASSESSED VALUATION
OF PROPERTIES IN CITY
SOL COMES UP SMILING AT
APPOINTED TIME TO-DAY
Clear Weather for th« First Time In
Two Weeks Brings Out Great
Army of Christmas Shoppers—ln
creasing Cloudiness To-morrow
For the first time in two weeks fair
weather prevailed over the eastern
half of the country to-day. Unherald
ed and unexpected the sun arose at the
appointed time thiis morning and Clvriet
maa activities received h great im
petus when the great body of shoippers
awoke on a typical December morn
ing.
Crowds began peopling the down
town section of the city this morning
greatly increasing by this afternoon.
There are few pessimists among the
merchants and for the ]>ast week dur
ing an extended gloomy period they all
looked forward hoping that Saturday
would be a nice day, and it so hap
pened.
Most of the women who cannot go
on shopping tours during rain or snow
came out to-day, for it was as fine a
day as coukl be hoped for, the tem
perature remaining around the freez
ing station, (giving a crisp news to the
atmosphere so necessary to the proper
Christmas spirit. The '•partly cloudy"
forecast of the weather observer was
verified, fleeting clouds obscuring the
sun at the noon hour, but there was no
fear that rain or snow would result.
According to the local officials of
the weather bureau, it is but a brief
respite from inclement weather, for
another depression is coming in from
the west, causing similar weather to
that of this week and its influence was
felt as far east as Pittsburgh this
morning, where it was snowing at 8
o'clock. Increasing cloudiness rs fore
casted for Harrisburg to-morrow aft
ernoon, probably becoming unsettled
by night. As a result of the western
storm the weather remains unsettled
over a ipreater part of the country and
only a brief strip of the country "along
the eastern coast was Clear this morn
ing.
llaTrisburg's minimum temperature
last night wns freezing and little
change is expected to-night.
1.000 CHRISTMAS TREES
HERE; FIRST OF SEASON
Come From Canada as the Maine Supply
Is Cut Off by Disease—Holly and
Crow's Foot Much in Evidence in
the Markets To-day
This morning a Harrisburg dealer re
ceived 1.000 Christmas trees shipped
from ■Canada, the first to arrive for the
present Yuietide. The trees are of the
bushy Canadian variety and will cost
a little more than the trees sold here
last vear.
Many wreathes of'laurel, pine, spruce,
holly and crow's foot were 'brought to
the markets 'bv t'he farmers to-day. They
claim that it is very difficult to Obtain
greens this year on aivount of the snow
whddh covers the mountains. The
wreathes sold anywhere from five cents
to twenty-five cents apiece. However,
the price for pretty wreathes that came
from this and neartn- counties averaged
ten cents apiece, while wreathes made
of "Jersey" holly sold for fifteen eents.
Harry L. Holmes, of 'Holmes Seed
Company, who deals in Christmas trees,
said that last year trees were shipped
here from Maine and could 'be retailed
for 75 cents to $2. This year, he said,
no trees are allowed to be shipped from
Maine on account of their Ibeing dis
eased. That, 'he said, will make the
cost higher. The Canadian trees, he said,
will cost anywhere from one dollar to
four dollars.
■Much holly is 'being shipped here
from Virginia. Southern wild smilax
will be higher t'his year, as it is report
ed to 'be very seance. Crow's foot, how
ever, will hold its low price of five cents
a foot.
Many of the Christmas trees received
here from Canada will be shipped to
other parts of the United States. An
order for 250 trees to be sent to Ohio
was received 'by a local firm this morn
ing.
DENIED RICHTTO INCREASE?
Believed That Public Service Commis
sion Has Decided Against Railroad
Companies in Fare Dispute
Philadelphia, Dec. 12. —The' Pennsy
lvania Pulblic Service Commission is
holding an executive session in this city
to-day considering the protest of com
muters of the Baltimore and Ohio, Head
ing and Pennsylvania railroads against
a proposed increase in faros. A ruling
'by the commission is expected late this
afternoon. The proposed increase in
fares ie scheduled to go into effect next
Tuesday.
Shortly after 2 o'clock this afternoon
the commission announced that • ft had
arrived at a decision regarding the
point at issue. The commission an
nounced that the decision was being giv
en to the var|)Uß railroads involved and
that it would not 'be made public until
the officials of the companies had tieen
made acquainted with its terms. It is
generally believed that the railroads
have been denied the right to increase
fares.
POSTSCRIPT
PRICE, ONE CENT.
Commissioners Propose
in 1915 to Readjust
Assessments. In
creasing All of Them,
but Advancing Those
on the More Valuable
Properties in Greater
Proportion Than on
Small Homes
WOULD THEN
CUT TAX RATE
This Arrangement, the
City Managers Say,
Would Equalize Tax
ation Thro ughout
Harrisburg and Place
a Lighter Burden
Than Now on the
Owners of the Less
Costly Houses
"Assessment equalization and equit
able taxation'' is to be the aim of the
City Commissioners during the next
year, according to tentative plans an
nounced to-day. The triennial assess
ments will be levied during 1013. be
come effective in 1916 and remain in
force for three years. It is proposed
to increase property valuations and
thereby be iu a position to decrease the
tax rate in future years.
Immediately after the Commissioners
organize for the new year they will
name two assistants to aid Assessor W.
H. H. Bickley, whose term extends until
the first Monday of December, 1915.
In the present year Bickley had one as
sistant. The trio, the Commissioners
say, will be expected to lay the basis
for the lower tax rate.
No specific tax rate has been sug
gested, the Commissioners saying they
simply have in mind the fact that the
total valuation in Harrisburg now is
approximately $49,000,000; that it is
too low, should be materially increased
and, if that can be accomplished, the
tax rate can be proportionately reduced.
New buildings and improvements
made within the la<»t year, it is expect
ed, alone will boost the total assess
ments by between $2,000,000 and $3,-
000,000, although the real aim is to
boost the assessments to well on to
$100,000,000.
The plan the Commissioners no«r
have in mind is to appoint as assistant,
assessors persons recognized as possess
ing expert knowledge of the values of
real estate in the city and who can
conscientiously fix fair and equitable
values on property.
Aim to Aid Small Property Owners
The chief effect of this plan, it ha#
been pointed out, would be to "cease
throttling" the little property owners
—those who own homes the values of
which run anywhere from $1,500 to
$4,000. It appears to be the opin
ion aunong the commissioners that the
assessments againsft the loss valuable
properties are just and equitable. How
ever tihey figure that if the assessments
are fixed at full value the small own
ers will still be benefitted through the
decrease in the tax rate.
It has been pointed out that many
$3,000 and $4,000 homes aire now as
sessed at not less than per
cent, of their full value and the own
ers are paying a nine and one-half mill
tax rate. If the full value is assessed
and the tax rate cut by three or four
mills, as it is figured it can be if the
total valuations is nearly doubled, his
taxes will be even less than now.
The owners of the more costly homes
and other buildings, not now taxed at
the same percentage of valuation as
the small homes would be required to
pay a higher tax, through the increas
ed valuation, some of the commission
ers say.
One of the City Commissioners to
day declared unqualifiedly that "some
assessors engaged by the city in the
past have had little or no trouble fix
ing 'fair' assessments on the less ex
pensive classes of properties, but when
they come to assessing the more val
uable homes and buildings they shake
and shudder in fear of the owner. Or
possibly because they are incompetent
they haphazardly place the value too
low.''
Assessments In Other Cities
Manufacturers who have intended lo
cating here have told the City Com
missioners they gave up their plans be
cause of the high tax rate. This caused
the Commissioners to study conditions
in other cities, with the result that at
least some of them are convinced the
more valuable properties here are as
sessed too low.
In New Zealand, it was learned, the
real estate owners are given th 6 oppor
tunity to fix the values on their prop
erties and make the proper certification
Coatlaued oa seventh Pas*