With practically no demand for property, the city's annual tax sale commenced at the City Hall this morning.
When the morning session adjourned at noon, 176 parcels of property had been offered for sale and only fifteen parcels had been purchased. The remaining 161 parcels reverted to the Corporation, whose enormous holdings of non-revenue-producing lands form one of the city's most serious problems.
The sale commenced at ten o'clock this morning in the Council Chamber, City Treasurer Edwin C. Smith presiding. The Chamber was filled with spectators.
Most of these, however, apparently had come out of curiosity or simply to purchase a particular piece of property. There was no general demand even for the most tempting bargains in land, and these bargains were by no means few. Some of the lands which reverted to the Corporation were situated in the best sections of the city from a financial viewpoint. Indeed one property which has a building upon it and which is situated at the corner of Yates and Langley Street, could find no bidder and it lapsed to the city.
A number of properties with buildings almost within a stone's throw from the Parliament Buildings also were taken over by the Corporation. Mayor Porter, Alderman Sargent, Chairman of the Civic Finance Committee, and Alderman Fulleon, Alderman Patrick and Alderman Sangster all attended the sale this morning.
