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About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 17, 1913)
THE OREGON ' SUNDAY - JOURNAU , PORTLAND. SUNDAY MORNING, 'AUGUST 17, 1913. a 1 EARLY: LAV PREVENTS PORTLAND CEMETERY PROPERTY Question Now Is, .Does' Pro- ; vision oy Years uid Hold T Good at Present? ; "What was the Intent of the legislature ' of 1854 when tt enacted a law contain ing these words: "All burial grounds shall be exempt from taxation," and What construction would the courts of the state place upon this aetT This question Is just now affording the asses sor of Multnomah county food for much thought. Assessor Reed has extended ' an Invitation to the owners and man agers of the big cemetery corporations f this county to meet with him and dis cuss the Question with a view to deter mining whether or not the unsold ceme ery plots art assessable. That there is a widespread feeling against the people's burial grounds be ' lug operated as huge profit making en terprises, and at the same time being relieved from contributing in the foim ' of taxes their Just portion of the ex penses of government. Is not to be de nied. , Ho Cemeteries Then. 7 y In 154 when the Oregon legislature passed the general revenue law and ex empted burial grounds from taxation there was not; in the modern meaning of the word, such a thing as a cemetery the state. There were a few grave yards adjoining churches where the ear ly pioneers were laid away, but such thing as a modern cemetery contain ing 10 grave burial plots, worth 160 ' to $1000 was unheard of in Oregon when the legislature, which met 69 years ago but January, was making laws of this ::: State. ; ' Money Invested in a modern up to date cemetery near a large city is a yielder . of bif returns. One of the big cemetery corporations of Portland is selling its burial plots for a price which will ul timately bring to its stockholders a prof ft of more than $10,000 an acre, for land which probably did not cost to exceed 260 an acre. This company is selling i six grave lots containing 200 square feet tor from $120 to $176 a lot Al lowing half of the ground for drtve ways and walks, about 110 six grave lots oan be mads out of one acre, and at an Average pries of $160 a lot, one acre will sell for approximately $17,000. Al " lowing IS per cent for the maintenance of the cemetery and the operating ex pense! of the corporation, there is left net profit of about $13,600 an acre. I Tot ' the SO acre cemetery owned by this company Us ultimate profit "will approach $1,000,000, and under the law as now construed, it will never pay one cant of taxes on this property. 1 . Kay Tote on Question. Another cemetery corporation eporaW ing near Portland sells its burial plots for fill to $1000. each. It Is only fair . to- say, however, that the- plot which sells for as much as $769 to $1000 con ; tain sufficient anaca for SO to SO burials. T 1 Not only ! the. county assessor giving ; serious consideration1 to this question, - . but .the average taxpayer is revolving la his mU4 the problem' whether it Is Just and equitable that unsold plots In cemeteries, operated for profit, should ' : continue to go untaxed. In the event that Assessor Reed . decides that the statute of 1864 intended that the un-, sold burial plots in cemeteries shouli " be non-assessable. It Is altogether prob ' able that the people will be, given an op ' portunlty to vote on the ' subject by means of an Initiative bill at the next general election. " ' ' SEVEN NEW BUNGALOWS IN PAST SIXTY DAYS Oeorge A Ross, the bungalow builder, reports the sale of seven new bungalows during the past 60 days. Mr. Ross , operates as a builder in the Hawthorne avenue district, and usually disposes of -ibis houses in advance of their coraple tlon. The following is a list of the ?. houses sold and the names of the buy ers: sl East Forty-ninth street six rooms, sold -to J. Dunlary for $3600; ' SES East Forty-ninth, five rooms, sold to William Shealer for 1J100; 366 East Forty-ninth, five rooms, sold to Dora Mosely for. 18100; 867 East Forty-ninth, five rooms, sold to Miss Chrysler, $3260; ", 1861 East Harrison street five rooms, sold to Oeorge Schmidt for $3800; 1860 t East Harrison, five- rooms, sold to M. . Harssell for $3860; also house located I ', on East Thirty-fourth and Clinton to fiarah J. Agnew. for $3260. i Mr. Rcss has seven bungalows under "'. construction in the same section of the ltjr.- ; A roughened rubber pad for cleansing Ve tongue has been attached to the handle of a tooth brush patented by ' -' aa Englishman. REVISED ASSESSMENT METHODS NEEDED BLOCK 4 I I ton 'i fre h Pass x 5IOO . 44100 520O 5700 480O GOOO T in 'o1 25 20TM..ST. Plat showing 1912 assessment ot blocks 48 and 49, Carter's - k Choice Portland Heights property was " assessed last year for less 4han 42 per cent of its actual, bona fide, selling value. This Is the lowest assessment, in proportion to trie selling value, so far shown In the series of articles op land assessment appearlifg In the Journal. r Blocks 48 and. 49, Carter's Addition, shown in Ui abova drawing, contain what Is generally regarded as the most valuable residence property on the LONG TIME LEASES FOUND BENEFICIAL TO CIS' II Being Equivalent to Purchase Builders Do Not Hesitate Erection of Great Structures, (Parer read by Alexander S. Taylor Cleveland, Ohio, before the National Convention of Real Estate Exchanges, held in tne days of July at Winnipeg, Manitoba.) The term, "99 years," as applied to lessee. Is rather one of custom, having originated in England in the seventeenth century, and in most common use in that country, having been- operative there since the time lands were deeded by the crown to men of power and no bility for services rendered their govern ment -These men desiring not to part with their ownership and to perpetuate life control entered into long term leases to provide themselves and generations to lollow with a eure and safe Income. Why leases were entered into ' for a defined period of 99 yeara we do not know, excepting that investigation has shown us that evidently during that period there was a statute in force, in England placing rustrictlons against a lease made for 100 years or more, so that 89 years being the longest term allowable, that was generally adopted. ondon Knob Xased. - The greater portion of land in London today Is under long term lease, some renewable forever. I am informed that on some of the original leases there are as many as 20 overlying leases, each based on an Increased rental. In London the fee of property is seldom sold, the operation of the real estate brokers being in the leasehold rights alone, fiome of the most notable land lords In England 'are today receiving fabulous sums as Incomes from ground leases. The custom was brought to this coun try by the early English settlers and first became operative in Maryland and Pennsylvania, these states being amongst the first settled by the gentry class. Gradually the custom found its way west and the Englishman with his splendid Inbred desire for sentimental life ownership and income has imbued us with this custom, . In many cities it is common to enter into leases for various terms varying from 20 to 50 years, but the 99 year lease is becoming most common and gaining in popularity. I am convinced that its Operation in the city of Cleve land has done more to expand, build up and solidify our business section tnan any oilier source of effort long teases Beneficial. There we have short term leases in force upon which are erected splendid types of mercantile buildings, but not of the monumental character of the Statler hotel, costing over $2,000,005, or the Leader News and Williamson high types of office buildings of- almost $1,000,000 value, each erected on ground covered by 99 year leases; Recently there has been taken 99 year leases, renewable forever, upon which will be erected a magnificent terminal station. The 99 year leasehold has provided us with a source of re munerative and successful operation and gaining constantly In favor in our community, the fee under the leasehold being especially sought after by careful investors as one of the safes V and most reliable forms of investment. . . There are practically three classes of leases, the fixed rental lease, the grad ed rental -lease and the reappraisal or revalue of lands. A fixed rental lease is one upon which the rent Is agreed at a fixed sum for each year during Its full term and operative where land values are . somewhat stationary or where the lessor is satisfied with a certain Income from his land and con- tent to allow the lessee to receive the increment Graded leases. The graded rental lease is one upon which the rent Is definitely fixed for certain -periods and where .the land Is in the pathway of business expansion with increased land value. The reappraisal or revaluation of land lease is one based upon a fixed Interest charge varying from 4 to 6 per cent on the value of the land at certain defined periods, these periods of revaluation usually every 10 or 20 years with clauses tn the lease providing for a method of determining the value at those periods by appraisal. Experience tell us the- latter form of lease is burdensome on the lessee, who creates a value through his efforts and is taxed accordingly. Such leases should provide for a maximum and min imum rental. The uncertainty of the amount of rent to be paid during the next reappraisal period prevents the lessee from entering into leases with sub-tenant for a longer period than the present fixed term and requires an ad justment of affairs at every period of valuation to meet the conditions of un certainty of the new appraisal. Interest Determining Taotor. The governing factor after determin ing the value of the land is the Interest 21-StTST, , BLOCK. H. 6. PL ATT TOTS M.G.HAfcT &ROUND 375t ' IMPK.420C50 a k GROUND 3500 4250O 0 0 2 5 bus 4ieduNd 400Q 3COO 3000 iMpie.4doo Heights. Both blocks face the Height car lino, and both command an unex celled and unobstructed view of nearly the entire city. Lots , In block 49 'have the Usual 60 foot frontage but the, depth Is 141 feet while te subdivisions of block 4 1 are (0 feel front and 141 deep. ' . . ' ' . Lots 1 and 1 in block 49, which are located at the southwest corner of Twentieth arid Carter streets,1 were sold . ! PERTINENT HINTS TO HOME BUILDERS ..minim in i 1 1 Li ii mi hi hi ,mi,wwwwbiwiiWWppwiw V Lin i f4 T -Iff IBjMsissieiBssi ii - ,yr .if It ' , i v J" Exterior By Arthur C. Clausen, Architect, Minneapolis. It seldom occurs to the average man that there Is a great difference In the quality of painting materials, and in still greater difference between the dif ferent ways in which it can be put on. Starting with the outside, about the first thing that shows up defective ma terials or workmanship is the stained shingles. If the material was of a cheap or inferior quality, the remedy would have been a better grade of ma terial, bu,t it sometimes happens that when using the very highest grade of shingle atain the results are unsatis factory. The failure to stay on Is then a matter of poor workmanship. It is best to first dip the shingles about one third of their length, and then, after they are laid and have been on the building for a month or two. give them another good coat on the outside, of the same stain. Even then it is best to use a little darker shade of stain than the color desired, espe cially in the green stains, for the very best grade of shingle stain will fade a Uttle. The shingles should be bone dry when they are dipped, so that thev Will aosom as much or the stain as possible, and the last brush coat should not b4 put on within five days after a rain storm on them. Shingles Vast Be Dry. This is quite an Important point, for If the shingles are not dry they will not rate charged as rent. Where land val ues are enhancing and not drifting the rent Is based on an Interest charge varying from 4 to 6 ncr cent, on a value somewhat higher than Its present staple value. In other sections where land values are inactive it Is based on a like per cent, of the actual saleable value of the land. In the east the Investor is usually satisfied with 4 per cent, In the west ern portions of our country their rates of Interest arc usually higher on all classes ot Inveptments. A higher per centage is applied. A 99 year leaso is essentially a sale ot the land. The ownerj permanently parts with possession of this property, also With all opportunity .of Increasing his income or deriving any profit of consequence from increased )anJ values. It has the same practical effect as though the owner had sold his land at a fixed price . and reinvested the prp ceeds in some security which would yield an Income equal to the proposed 9 J.D.HART 6fcOUNO 37SO KGOKbON 6W -I m S3 M.M. Nl CHOLS 300O 3206 4300 IMPR $AOOO JJ addition, Portland Heights. last-week for $18,000. These lots were assessed last year for"Sl7,500, or 41.6 per cent of what they were sold for. The remaining Inside Twentieth street frontage in these blocks would readily sell, under normal market conditions, for 1150 to $176 a foot and the corners at $200 to $950. The inside property was assessed last year at $60 a foot and the corners at $70 to $80 a foot These figures are a Uttle under 40 per cent of the estimated selling price, (TT Eiv i Tu ' n i Tt9, Vomit i. 9 ' i v r. .y.i?ZM-y. ill Jlilti and interior arrangement of ideal absorb the required amoent of stain and the little that they do stays near the surface and will soon bo washed off. For all exterior woodworkriothlng but the best lead and oil paint shoulJ be uieJ. The material for the painting and finishing of a home Is such a small item of cost compared with the cost of labor that there is little excuse for any. thing but the vesy best materials. Every house should be painted at least three good coats, including the priming coat. The woodwork should be as dry as possible, for the paint will cling to It better when perfectly- dry than If damp.. If the woodwork is actually wet the paint will hardly hold at all and will blister off later on. The priming coat should be put on as fast as the wood work is put up, if it is dry. The second coat should then be put on, leaving about a week between each several weeks would be better. A third coat can be put on shortly after the second coat, but it would be better to wait un til one summer season has had a chance to thoroughly dry out the woodwork and oils from the previous coats of paint before applying the third coat Paint Shrinks. After, the walls have had a chance to thoroughly dry out It will always be noticed under a magnifying glass, that the paint has apparently, shrunk, leaving the entire surface covered with fine hair cracks. If the third eoat is not put. on until the second coat is thor rental. It Is essentially a capitalisation of his investment. You will find land under long lease hold is more staple in value and less liable to extreme fluctuation. It is an element of security with characteris tics peculiar to itself. SELLING AGENCY FOR PIG IRON IS PLANNED BY BIG IRON MASTERS English Operators Want Lto Eliminate Speculation in Warehouse Warrants. English iron masters have submitted a plan to American smelters to estab-' Hsli an international selling aganoy for pig Iron, the chief purpose of such an enterprise .being, according to the pros pectus of the English makers, to elimi nate all speculation in Iron warehouse warrants, a practice which Is said to have been the bane of the iron market for 25 years. The plan of the English iron masters, in which they are now persisting, de spite, the strong protests of the mer chants and iron founders, apparently is a matter of more than local interest This scheme ostensibly alms at the es tablishment of a central selling agency and the regulation of prices and pro duction as far as the makers are ablo, but its real purpose Is the killing of the warrant market and the doing away with the middleman. If the plan finally prevails, the 'pres ent Indications are that It will be met by consumers and merchants with a new standard contract embracing all kinds of English Iron and also Ameri can iron. In order to broaden the specu lative field, It Is probable that the Eng lish trade may Import for store, large quantities of southern iron from the United States. Some well Informed men in the traJe believe that' as much as 1,000,000 tons of Alabama iron may be required for this purpose. The final result would bo the opening of an international mar ket In pig Iron under which metal would be sent back and forth across the At lantic according to the fluctuations of the market on either side. The plan for a central organization of English mak ers is .now being drawn up. Halfway House Changes Hands. 'Tho property known- as the Half Way house, between Port Orford and Bandon, j -pi1'- 4 HI HQ Mtrss lf tVseojt Zta ppl o?C fc."jejv I 1 lipeveena I ssessE253BsWKea53saWWC35MBB(fce) 1 . If 4"' 3 v 1 ?t r ft 1 y. jj J- il J residence. oughly dry, then this network of mi nute cracks is filled up in good shape with the third coat with the result that the moisture is kept out of the wood work that would have been admitted to some extent through the fine cracks. Many homes of attractive design are ruined through a poor combination of colors when painted. This is an Im portant matter which should be care fully studied by every homebuilder, and unless he has more artistlo talent" than the average man he would do well to find some home of similar design to his own having a combination of col ors pleasing to him and deliberately copy its color scheme. Ugbt Colors Best. For all colonial work with the mould ings broken up into small members, some of them ornamental, it Is best to use white or light colors. When the woodwork Is dark the shadows, which make these mouldings stand out by con trast, are not seen, and that is the principal argument In favor of light paint for colonial work. In architecture as In life It Is the shadows which make true character and beauty stand out by contrast On a mission or craftsman house it is best to us dark colors, so as to bide the very absence) of mouldings or ornamen tal treatment When a)l exteriar wood work is to be stained nave all mlllworX made with the rough or undressed sur face out for smooth boards never take a good, even appearing stain.. which has been run for a number of years by Richard Quellen, has been sold by him to F. F. Friant late of SllveV boll, Arts., for $10,000, Included in the deal was 800 acres of land and a good farming equipment It Is understood that the new owner will at once erect a hotel for the accommodation of tour ists through southwest Oregon. Journal Want Adt bring results. rurf. ' - - 7 During August REALTY IS ACM BUT MARKET IS QUIET OTHERWISE Belief. General That Better Fl- nanciaj Condition ' 1 Insures : Good business :ln Future; Last week's real estate market from the local aspect reflected the .same gen eral conditions which, have been notice able here for the last few months. Three was the usual considerable movement of residence property ; representing new transactions and somewhat above the average of transfers which represented the closing up of contract sales made anywhere from one to five years ago. There was also some trading in flat and suburban business sites. - ', In the downtown section, however, there was a complete absence of ac tivity both In sales and ground leases. Dullness, continues to be the prevailing note in this field although now and then a sale is reported at a figure which in dicates that holders are firm in the be lief that prioes will rise before they falL Just now there ara several promis ing transactions in course of negotia tion butnona of .them are far enough along to warrant publication. Suburban Activity. But for the activity In suburban resi lience properties, which is the 'sustain ing factor, of the local market "and has been all summer, the condition would be discouraging. . This very activity, however, testifies to the inherent strength and soundness of Portland real estate, and is plainly Indicative of the fact noted by visiting real estate ex perts that values in this city have not kept pace with the growth in population and the general development There is no denying that both specu lators and Investors ara keeping out of the market pending solution of several disturbing problems, such as the tariff and the currency bill. And with the solving of these Issues the belief, is universal that a general improvement in business will follow. The result Is that those people who generally pay close attention to the real estate mar ket, and who keep their money working In real estate deals are this summer paying more attention to their outings and recreations than for several years past. ..-- Looming In the background. However, is a growing confidence In the future. That the critical period has passed as regards tight money and other financial disturbances, the belief is general. That the slowing up of the realty market for the past year has been good for every body Involved is the general opinion ex pressed by those who have an Intelli gent conception of what Is best for Port land. - It afforded an opportunity for the slaughter of a number of promotion schemes of doubtful worth and precipi tated a general chopping away of dead timber, and otherwise cleared the way for a period of healthy and sustained business activity. AUTO FACTORY LOCATES BUYS SITE AT GRESHAM As a site for its projected factory buildings, the Beaver State Motor com pany has purchased from the Portland Railway, Light & Power company a five acre tract of land located near Gresham near the car line. The property Is less than half a mil from the Mount Hood railway station and Is connected with that line by a spurs track. Prior to his departure for the east to buy machinery, D. A. Coombs, presi dent of the motor company, announced that his concern will soon begin the erection of the first unit of the plant, which will lie a SO by 200 foot structure, and which will cost $25,000. IMPROVED PROPERTY SOLD FOR $13,500 'Willis Magulre, secretary of the Com mercial Trust company, has purchased from the Tomlinson Investment com pany ,of which C. L. Tomlinson is presi dent, tho northeast corner of East Four teenth and East Madison streets, for 113,600. This property is improved with a modern two story, four flat building. The deal was negotiated by tho F. E. Taylor company, , SUBURBAN m Mjy9yroyaTO4rfl'y"BV ' if TssTLWV? r- AT Henry Jenning & Special Discount An All Lines House Furnishings PORTLAND MEN BUY BIG TRACT OF TIMBER Nearly 12,000 Acres of Doug las County Land Involved In the Deal. , " Nearly 12,000 acres of Douglas county land containing about 860,000,000 feet of standing timber was taken over last week by a syndicate of Portland. In vestors. The transaction was in ths nature of a trade, the owners of the timber accepting a large amount of PortlaRlpropertyl as parpayment for the Douglas county land. - In the trade the timber was valued at $1.10 a-tbouiand or a little less than $400,000 for thatract.- - t C. C Craig, sales manager for Hart mu.n A Thompson,. and J. F. Mundjrof Medford handled the transaction. "' A considerable sum of money has been paid over by the Portland buyers to bind the deal, and as soon aa the titles are approved a formal transfer of deeds will be made and the transac tion closed. . Until this formality takes place, the names of the principals In the deal will not be made publlo. ' According to a Oerman official test networks of telephone wires over a city tend to diminish the danger from lightning, , , . BUILDERS' AND FINISHERS' DIRECTORY BRASS ATTD KACHIKZ WORKS HABFKU S r Vorki. BrnM caatlog cad I cnine worm. iuo ots ft. M. STua. DESIGMIH8 AMD BUILD SU THH K. M. MILLER CO. Designers and builder, (aaeral eoatieiitie, f tap 8hTtr. Phone WoodUwn 8788, Tnlngm. BOWEHS PARSON8. lOQVi ItosC Mala Tail. Furniture hoeplul; pscklng. GLASS AND 0 LASIX TIM MS, CRH83 CO., 1S4-18S Id sC Prompt ervlee. King Miiln or A-2Q2S. - ursvBAHca kt'CARQAR, Bate Ut1t. SOI Erory form of nrnc, fronds, Teoa blag. MOM WORKS PACIFIC IRON WORKS All Architectural lroa Cutinss. Beans, Aagles, Cbsnnels. LAHDSOarX OARDXVLVQ biitim unaicspes ana general gird SWISS FLORAL CO. Hb i7 But SSTO. FaSIP 10 LauilKCiue Uaruauiuir wmDiur. -JIT KothcMld bldg. Phono MirabsU aaOS. MATTRESS FACTORY MATTRESSES Bade ott and to order. Roan. hoUterlin; of nil kind. (Jail Marshal! S05T. OKMAMEMTAL WIRX AVO IROX PORTLAND WIKK IRON WORKS, SM Id I. .Architectural wire end Iron. PAIKTIBO AND PAPZRTjri PAINTlNtt raper banging, UnUag, earaet Cleaning, bottom prlcea. I Alar. SlSSi BeUwved 12UO or ovuwouu ' TINTING PAPFRIMft Mala Teif . ..... w r ui tiOUD work lur motto. A. Oaboorn, gS Bast Washington. B-21BT. Kaat 4214. i HI I IMU) I Ml l-l I Ii 1 Vi 7 1rM at. tt)K bant work, prlcoa right, call P. A.' Doaa. &2 tC. Washington.' Sell wood 1105. JOHN BLIKD Spring bargains In pain ting aad papering. M. 1872; A-2228. 120 11th at. PAIMTS, On. AaTD SLABS PIONKKR PAINT CO., 188 1st C Mala 184. A-TQ43. bAMUS8N CO., "High Standard" paint. N. B. corner Sd ana Taylor. M.-A-1TT1. PLtTMBIMO AVD PLUMB INO SUPPLIES BATH TUBE, sinks, laraterlea, lanndrr trays, pipe, pip fit tings, contracting, loooug. rnoiM staia BTTUS, Tolleta, baalns, boilers. DilM. a- lit. eral contractlug. jobbing, M 620T. 2T SHEET MZTAX WORKS JACOB LOHL1, abect metal works, hotal, rae- taurant work roofing, general Joshing. Main 1424. Sio nrat, loiumoia ano may ta. WALL PAPER MORGAN WALL PAPER CO., 230 te ., be tween Salmon and Main. WHITXWASKIXa AND TRIX SPRATXNO COLUMBIA Whit wishing Co. By machines, wator painting, tres spraying. Main Tail window OLXAiraro EXPERT window cleaner; employing only ezp. white balp.CaU for prices. M.6S27. 272 BurnslJ aTteVa i Sit II Sons 1 TSTABK. DAVIS CO. IwnOLtSAte-KBTAlU 7 ,y ..-.', :X' r