The morning call., 1891-08-26

| verified it bv his oath. He pronounced the
| data compiled by the board and which COM
prised 1900 sales, aggregating over S10Oo.O 600,
by including boom sales OF outside lands, as
necessarily unreliable and not calculated TO
give fair result.
Thomas Magee, the well-known real
estate dealer, was next called. He read data
comparing the market value and the assess
ment of real estate in Chicago and San
Francisco.
Beamer objected to Chicago being brought
in, but it was finally decided to listen.
Mr. Magee's argument was directed to
showing that the efforts OF the State board
to force up values were all wrong. and that
the taking OF boom and inflated sales as true
market values was illegal and against the
true interests of the city and State.
ALLEGED UNDER VALUATIONS.
Deputy Assessor Maloney, the personal
property expert, was examined at length by
Beamer. relative to the under valuations
concerning which the board has made such a
fuss. Maloney explained all that were
cited, and declared that in his judgment
the personal property Of the city was
assessed in proportion to all other property.
Beamer complained that the Assessor did
not enforce the making OF statements in the
city.
Maloney said the business men would not
make statements for business reasons He
said no man in his senses would assess at
ten times the value of the property as
penalty. That penalty was ridiculous, be-
cause 1t was too severe.
Beamer said the Assessor ought TO give
the merchants their medicine. as laid down
in the law, and they would soon come to
time with 4 statement
F. c. Siebs gave all the data relative to
the assessment of the Luning estate, and the
notes TO Huntingdon, Crocker and Stanford
for the S2000,000 which the board claims
escaped taxation. He said they were dis
counted and turned into United States
bonds before the first Monday in March.
This was sworn to by the executors of the
estate.
A FORMER ASSESSMENT.
Assessor Siebe was questioned at length
upon the detailed workings of his office,
after which the strongest witness for San
Francisco WAS called. He was John T..
Gatfey, ex-member OF the State Bolrd of
Equalization from the Fourth District
During his four years term Mr.. Gaffey
made an exhaustive examination into prop
erty values in the city, and it was to ascer-
tain his views that he had been reQues ed
to be present. He said that in 1889 he
coliated sales, aggregatng S6400,o0o. the
bounded by Battery, Baker and Howard
streets and Broadway. He did not eliminate
| the fraudulent or suspicious sales. and
obtained all his data, where the con-
slderatIon was not given in the deed.
from Thomas Magee. These sales showed
an assessment VI o5I3 pei Ccut' AZ tHo
same time he compared S4.000,000 worth of
builders contracts. They showed an assess
ment of 80 per cent. Upon this showing the
board that year made material reduction.
In reference TO personal property he said
merchandise everywhere escapes taxation.
The same year he found that species of
property assessed in San Francisco at about
| 10 cents on the dollar. He thought the
same figures would hold good in the cOun-
try.
This concluded the case, and it was
agreed to submit all the other data in pos
session of the Assessor ithout comment
Five days were also granted in which to file
other figures. Mayor Sanderson thanked
| the board for its courteous hearing and the
session adjourned.