Sewickley Herald

              ACT I?    1903
" Pear no man, and do justice to all men."
Vol. I.
SEWICKLEY, PA., SATURDAY, OCTOBER 17, 1903.
No. 5.
BDJU5TI1 TAX
nequalities in Property Valuation
—Proposed Board of Appraisers — Some Bitter Gom-
plaints Heard.
* IS THE RESOLUTION ILLEGAL?
At the last meeting of the Se-
vickley Borough Gouncil a reso-
ution was passed empowering the
iresident to appoint- a board of four
appraisers, two from each ward, to
issist the assessor in securing an
iqualization of the taxes. The
joard has not yet been appointed,
Like scores of other towns and
;ities,   Sewickley   has    had    her
roubles in securing an equitable
>roperty valuation as a basis for
evying the necessary taxes. Not
.hat the tax rate, or millage, has
>een onerous, but that a just and
iquitable method of securing uni-
ormity in assessment has not yet
ieen found.
At the time of the last triennial
issessment an effort was made to
nake a horizontal readjustment of
valuation in the borough. The ef-
ort was partially successful, but
>nly the First ward property was
fone over, and even it was not
;ompleted, leaving the Second ward
n the condition in which it form-
jrly had been. According to the
hformation we have received, the
fuestion of equalization of valuations is an important and perplex-
m one.   It seems that there are
tracts of vacant land in the borough,
that have been assessed on farm
valuations, while adjoining properties have been rated at nearly their
market value. It is even alleged
that there' is a lot on Broad street
that has been rated at four dollars
a front foot.
In conversation with one of the
assessors, he pertinently inquired
under what law the council passed
the resolution empowering the
president to appoint the proposed
board of appraisers, and very emphatically stated that until shown
the authority for their appointment
he would decline to act with them.
He said that as far as he knew no
petition had been presented to
council to appoint this board, and
that until the legality of it had
been passed upon he would not affiliate with it.
The suggestion has been made
that a better way would be to employ two men, one from each ward,
to assist the two assessors, and the
four to constitute a board of assessors to compare and readjust the
valuations in the entire borough,
and in this way to even up the inequalities that now prevail. It is
said that of two business blocks on
Beaver street that one in one ward
is assessed thirty-five dollars a
front foot higher than one of similar value in the other ward. This
is only one of the many instances
of glaring inequalities that prevail.
It is to be hoped that a better way
may soon be found.
< Annual Business Meeting.
The annual business meeting of the
Y. M. G, A. will be held on Monday evening, October 19th, at 8 o'clock. The
treasurer and chairmen of the several
committees will submit their annual reports.
Organ Recital.
An organ recital will be given in St.
James' Roman Catholic Church on Thursday evening, October 22, at 8:15 o'clock
under the direction of Miss Alice Carter,
formerly organist of St. Paul's Cathedral, Pittsburg. The occasion will be the
dedication of a fine new pipe organ donated by Andrew Carnegie. The program
follows:
PART I.
Organ, Fugue on St. Ann's Tune .  . Bach
W. K. Steiner.
Quartet, " The Lord Is In His Holy
Temple" Greene
Miss Caroline Keil, Miss Laughlin, Mr.
David Stevens and Mr. Rorah.
Organ Selection Prof. Albrecht
Duet, "Quis est Homo" Rossini
Misses Catherine Ward and K. Barry.
Organ Selection Miss Carter
Solo, "Ave Maria" Gounod
Mrs. J. Sharpe McDonald.
Sanctus, St. Cecelia's Mass .  .   . Gounod
Mr. Stevens and chorus.
PART II.
Organ Selection, Andante  Cantabile
 Widor
Intermezzo Callerts
Chorale  . Kimberger
Quartet, "Lead Kidly Light" .   . Broome
Misses Keil and Barry, Messrs. Stevens
and Rorah.
Solo, "My SoulIsAthirstforGod" . Gaul
Mr. Stevens.
Inflammatus Rossini
. Mrs. McDonald and chorus.
Organ, Marche Finale .   .  . H. W. Nicholl
Mr. W. K. Steiner.
Tickets  are for  sale  at  the  rectory.
Seats in the pews are 50 cents; in the
sanctuary facing choir loft $1.
Republican Meeting.
A meeting of the Republican camgaign
committee of Sewickley was held on
Thursday evening at the offlice of Justice
of the Peace A. F. Allewelt, Dickson block,
on Walnut street, pursuant to a call of the
county committeeman, S. Y. McFarland.
The meeting was called to order by Mr.
William Drynan. Mr. James McClurg
was elected permanent chairman of the
meeting, and Mr. M. H. Knowles, secretary. The meeting was addressed by
Captain John A. Reed, Major R. E. Stewart, candidate for discrict attorney. Major
J. B. Hamilton, prothonotary; Dr. James
W. Dickon, a former resident of Sewickley, sheriff.
Hon. William B. Kirker, Mr. William
Dickson and others made remarks and offered suggestions outlining a plan of campaign, and all predicted a sweeping Republican Victory in November,
DEATH OF A
Mr. Albert Walker Passes Quietly
Away After a Brief Illness.
Death darkened the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Frank Walker, of 708 Hopkins street,
Friday morning, when their son, Albert
Walker, aged 23 years, expired after a
brief illness with typhoid and malaria.
Mr. Walker was a popular young man,
well known and well thought of by a large
circle of friends in the valley and his sudden demise occasions the.extending of
heartfelt sympathy to the members of his
household.
The funeral will take place on Monday
afrernoon at 2 o'clock from his late residence. The services will be conducted
by Rev. McKinney, of New Brighton,
formerly pastor of the Sewickley Baptist
church.
Second Team vs- Oak Leaf.
The Y. M. C. A. Second Team will play
the strong Oak Leaf team at Association
Field, Saturday afternoon, at 2:20 q'clock.
Operation Performed.
On Wednesday last Mr. Judson Spauld-
ing, who is employed with Mr. Louis
Matterer, the Broad street barber, had
an operation performed for fistula by Dr.
White, of Sewickley, -assisted by Dr.
Moody, of Allegheny.
Special Offer.
In addition to the prize of a lovely diamond ring, the Herald offers
a special inducement to those who
will secure yearly subscriptions. We
will give twenty-five cents for each
subscription secured up to the time
the ring contest closes. Here is an
opportunity for the boys and girls
to make some money as well as to
win this beautiful ring. All who are
securing subscriptions are kindly
requested to send in the names
promptly, so that we may know
who is entitled to receive the pa-
peri Now boys and girls, here is
your opportunity,
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