Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-09-20
A Trust Well Kept.

Mr.. Cleveland's epigram, "Public Office
is public trust" is good one; and Los
Angeles county has three officials at
least who have we'll kept the trust reposed
in them. # ever people had officials
who faithfully served their constituents
we have them in the person Of two men,
bers of the Board OF Supervisors and in
the member of the Board OF Equalization
who sits for this district. For two years
the property of this county has been
assessed away above its level, as
judged by the valuations put on
that Of other counties in the State.
Both last year and this the erroneous
value set on our realty by the zeal of the
Assessor has been, in very great degree,
rectifed, and the people saved in each
year some 100000 of actual money in the
lowering of the taxes by a reduction OF
ten per cent. AS Mr.. Rowan puts it,
every taxpayer has been able to pay
each dollar of his burden with ninety
cents in cash.
| Elsewhere in the HERALD OF to- day
will be found an interview with two of
the gentlemen who have been so largely
instrumental in obtaining this great meas
ure of relief. 1t will be seen how mod
estly and moderately these faithful
officials speak of their great services to
the people. 1t is easy enough to tell the
story, but few know what it cost
to bring about such happy re-
suits. We know for fact that
in both instances where this reduction
of taxes has been brought about, that T.
E. Rowan and J. W. Venable have been
obliged to 60 to the State capital, to re.
main there for days at time, to make a
hard, careful, disagreeable fight, often
somewhat personal and acrimonious in
its nature in order to get this done. We
know that in these instances these
gentlemen have neglected important
private business, and that they
have suffered severely not only
in the loss of comfort, and
in their feelings; but also in their per-
sonal interests and in their purses. And
We are not only indebted to these de-
voted public servants for their sacrifices
and for the energy they have displayed
on our behalf; but there is this to re-
T member, that the fight was won not
alone by strenuous efforts and at the cost
of time and money, but that it required
the rarest tact and the ripest wisdom
to accomplish the really substan-
tial results of ten per cent. re.
duction twice over, when in one instance
ours was the only county reduced at all,
and in the other almost the only one.
While others might be willing to make
the attempt if placed in the same posi-.
ton of trust, who else but men possessed
of the experience, knowledge and tact Of
these could have succeeded? They are
| both loaded with telling facts about oul
county, and Mr.. Rowan's tongue is moi
, in every ones mouth who might try to
set forth the facts.
And while so much is due to the
, Messrs. Rowan and Venable on this
head, we must not forget to recall the
really loyal and most efficient service
rendered to all his constituents in this
district by John T. Gafey. our member
, in the State Board. Mr.. Gaffey has stood
, by the interests of his section man
! fully. But for his aid the eff
, forts of our Supervisors would have
been hopeless of results. He stood q
year ago against very heavy opposition