Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1885-01-07
THE QUARANTINE STATION.

A bill was proposed at the last Legisla
ture for the establishment of a quarantine
station which was generally conceded to
be unobiectionable, but it was buried be-
meath mass of other bills and died
natural death. The State Board of Health
now urges the present Legislature to resur-
rect the measure. Certainly the harbor of
San Francisco needs such a station, and
certainly every year increases the diff
Guilty of obtaining it. The country about
the bay of San Francisco is being rapidly
occupied, and in two or three years more
proper grounds will cost three or four
times the sum for which a station can be
procured to-day While necessity de-
mands and economy advises that loca-
ton be made now, it is highly improbable
that there will ever be time when greater
difficulty will be experienced in pro-
curing the passage of the necessary meas
ure. The late Democratic Legislature had
the whole subject before it, and did not
venture to deny its Importance or the ne
cessity for prompt action, the bill being
urged for passage by unanimous COM
mittee But the Legislature smothered
the measure and left this, with other lega-
cies of unperformed and evaded duty, to a
Republican Legislature. In this case
there is no petition for the expenditure of
money for massive or ornamental struct-
ures. a few plain wooden buildings of
substantial character only are asked for.
The chief thing is to secure the ground.
The danger to this State from invasion by
yellow fever, cholera and smallpox in
creases in exact proportion to the addi
tons made to the means of communication
with Mexican, South American and ORR
entail regions. These are constantly in
creasing, and the means Of inter-communi-
cation are now many and speedy, and
promise to be still more numerous within
the next two years. Unless the State Sc
cures station, therefore, now, she will
find it very difficult and extremely ex-
pensive to locate one two years hence.
THE State Board of Equalization in its
report just printed, referring to the in
crease of assessments by the Board, replies
to the assaults made upon it by blows
straight from the shoulder As an exam
pie, we quote a few lines OF exceedingly
vigorous defense:
So far as .thc.mortgages held in the interior
counties are concerned, they Were benefited by
the raise. For instance, the State taxes for 1888,
had there been no increase, to produce the re-
quired amount of revenue, would have been
% cents on each 500; whereas, by the increase,
the rate was only 40 40 cents. So far aS county
taxes were concerned, the increase of values
did not add one cent to the amount Of taxes to
be paid for county purposes by al individual.
$ Much Of the complaint against the
| ton of the Board proceeds from ignorance Of
the revenue system and the relation of the cOun-
| ties TO the State. 81 The spirit of fairness
so inherent in the people of this State, viii,
when they are properly informed, readily re-
spond TO an effort TO secure and preserve an
| equality of assessment The press, 50 far, has
generously and justly sustained our efforts, and
we have relied and shall rely on its enlightened
aid TO present the facts and the law as occasion
presents, to the reading public. OF course there
are few instances where for some hidden pur-
pose or from dense ignorance, certain news
papers have not only misrepresented the facts,
but msStated the law We have been charged
with increasing the assessments because we
wanted more money to meet the extravaganza
of the administration one newspaper in san
Francisco constantly invcighed against the in
| crease of assessments OF that city because the
property valuation of the city of St. Louis and
certain other cities of the West was less than
that of San Francisco. 1t is inconcevable how an
intelligent mind could seriously put forth such
| Francisco was assessed over the true value of
her property. Could folly, or ignorance, or par