Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-03-31
A Delicate Little Game-lt Ought
TO be Defeated.

TO be Defeated.
The other day the HERALD said that
it was in favor OF honest valuations Of
real estate In California. Our attention
was called to the matter by the receipt
of circular from the State Board OF
Equalization, which pointed out the
fact that the several assessors through
out this commonwealth were remiss in
their duties, and that, consequently,
the valuations were nniustifably low.
The Messrs. Wilcoxson, Dunn, ct al,
directed our attention to the circum-
stance that, during the past two years,
the State valuations had decreased some
where in the neighborhood OF sixty mil
lions Of dollars; while, under an honest
assessment, California ought to record
real and personal values Of at least one
thousand millions Of f'slollars. We gave
expression to emphatic agreement
with the Board; and we added that,
under an honest valuation, two thousand
millions OF dollars would be the least
possible assessment for this State. The
truth Is that there is something scandal
ous--something really of the character
of purchased oompliance-in the way
yaluationsin the wealthy counties around
the Bay Of San Francisco, including the
city and county Of that name, have been
decreased during the past two years.
Thus, for the State at large, the follow
ing has been the history, expressed in
figures, of period which the
State Board of Equalization assort, and
we believe truly, to have been the most
prosperous known in California for
many years, and in which valuations
ought to have gone up TO 81 ,00O, 900. 900;
State assessment for 1850 .......,.s $685., ,oss 65t
=" 1ssl............ b0s, ,750,013
1889. 679,s70,aia
Here we have, iu q singlcyear, follow
ing the unexampled wheat year of 1880,
the valuations of the State of Califor-
mia reduced nearly s36, 900, 600; while
the following year, which was also un-
usually prosperous, although not quite
phenomenal, shows further reduction
of nearly s22, ,O0o, 900, or within a frac-
tion of 100000, 900 in all, for the two
years.
In marked contrast TO the steadily de.
creasing valuations of the rest of the
State have been the onhancements, dur.
ing the period embraced in the above
table, Of Los Angeles county. We re-
produce the figures
Los sngelcs assessment for 1880 sls, ,sle, ,sot
1ss1.... 1D,95i,25S
lss2..... 2O,9s3, ipS
Thus, in remarkable juxtaposition to
the steadily waning assessments of the
State at large, have been the growing as
sessments of Los Angeles county. Our
assessments for 1881 showed an enhance
ment of much more than million dol
lars ms compared with that of 1880,
while that of 1882 was nearly as
thorough, in increased assessments, as
compared with that of 1881. In each
caso our assessors responded TO the
peremptory mandates of the State Board
of Equalization to increase their lOcal
assessments, while the Board aforesaid
seems to have been remarkably remiss
in addressing its letters missive, in the
interest of an honest valuation of the
State, to the Assessors of other counties.
especially to the Assessors aligning the
Bay of San Francisco.
Thus much for the general aspect of
valuations throughout the State and in
Los Angeles county. But we propose to
get down to details, and we particularly
invite the attention of the members of
the present State Board of Equalization
to the facts which we present. A regu.
lar Peter Funk auction, three card
monte game is being practiced on the
Southern counties, and the secret of the
whole business lies in the absurbly de.
creased valuations in the city and county
OF San Francisco and in the wealthy
counties which surround the Bay. Even
with the relatively disproportionate val.
uations, which have prevailed in Los
Angeles county during the past three
years, as compared with the rest of the
State, we are informed, by our County
Assessor that, for the coming year, he
has increased his valuations fully ten
per cent, which means another addition
of $1,000, 900 to the assessment roll of
1882, which gave the superb total of
$50, 1883, 1893, Los Angeles county is
doing all and more than all h,at could
be expected of her. Meanwhile, as the
Board is about starting out upon its
work OF equalizing valuations, we call
its attention to facts of special interest.
1t is in the city and county of San
Francisco and, in the counties bordering
upon the Bay, that full assessments have
been and are being evaded. A gentle.
man well versed in the value of real
estate in this State, informs us that
lands in the wealthy central and north.
ern counties, which are held at, and
which are worth $3.50 per acre, are gen.
orally assessed at less than half that
sum, By referring to the proceedings
OF the Board of Equalization Tor San
Francisco, for last year, we find that
they reduced the assessment of the prop.
erty of the Bank of British Columbia
from s36, 900 to $4,000. AS a matter OF
fact, the Bank of British Columbia
would not sell its real estate for Sl36,
900. The assessment OF the real estate
OF the Bank of California was reduced
from Sl44, 600 to SO, 900. In truth, the
Bank Of California would not sell its
real estate for less than S400, 900. The
real estate of the Savings and Loan So.
oiety was reduced from SSl 900 to $50.
600, and OF the Pacific Bank from SS5,
600 to $4,000, by this same State Board
OF Equalization, and so on ad iafaaunl,
making an average reduction of over
sixty per cent. below the Assessors fig.
ures' Any one acquainted with the
value OF the properties above mentioned