Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-29
problem, and make all sorts of manufac
tories possible and successful.
THE ELIsoR WORKING TO A CHARM.

THE ELIsoR WORKING TO A CHARM.
The elisor grand jury of San Francisco
has opened rich mine of official ras-
cality in that city. 1t has found that the
assessor and the city and county attor-
ney have, in three hundred assessments,
made arbitrary reductions, in violation
OF the law. 1t is remarkable that these
reductions are made principally in the
assessments of heavy taxpayers and rich
corporations. One fiagrant instance is
cited. The Safe Deposit company was
assessed for $50, 900. The local board OF
equalization was induced to lower this
assessment $4,000. Then the assessor
and the city and county attorney, ,on their
own authority, made another reduction
OF SIS, 900, leaving an assessment of only
$4,000 against this rich corporation. 1t
is asserted that the assessor is known to
have been closeted in his private Office
with certain heavy taxpayers whose as
sessments were Immediately afterwards
reduced without the consent or knowl-
edge of the local board OF equalization,
the city and county attorney advising
the same. AS it is claimed that there
are known arbitrary reductions of
this character that have defraud-
ed the revenue out of 100000, it
follows that the assessor and the city
attorney have of their own motion re-
duced the tax roll about $4,000, 900.
The only power vested by law in the
assessor, with the advice of the city and
county attorney, to lower individual
assessments, is where it is shown on
their face that there have been omis-
sions or clerical errors. The reductions
made by them do not come under this
provision.
1t has been an open secret for many
years that the assessors Office in San
Francisco, from top to bottom, was a
greatInest of fraud and corruption. The
heavy taxpayers made their arrange
ments with the assessor, and every
deputy carried on his little Doodle deals
on his own account in making indi-
vidual assessments. If merchant, who
cared to cheat the revenue, had large
stock of goods on hand when the deputy
came around on the 1st of March, he
would tell him he was too busy to go
into details, but to take look around
and make his own returns. These
returns, so common report ran, would
be large or small according to the num-
Der of $40 pieces the deputy found on
the desk after he had got through max
ing his survey.
The grand jury has undoubtedly
made a ten-strike this time. 1t has
gone to the very fountain head OF this
foul stream, and indicted the chiefs who
are primarily responsible for the cor
rupt practices that ramify all through
their department. The press OF the
state. outside of San Francisco, has
strenuously insisted for years that the
great center Of wealth and population OF
California was under-assessed. 1t was
known that the personal property roll
was far below what it ought to be, and
that the assessment of some of the best
paying real estate was far under its
yalue, even under assessment principles.
Take one piece of property as an illus
ration: The site for the new post
fice, for which the government is to
'ay 81 ,040, 900, was assessed at $1S7 200. |
md yet there have not been, wanting
xperts and reputable men OF expert
nee in values to assure the government |
hat 81, ,040,0 900 is fair price for the
The presumption is strong
hat there was large fee paid the as
essor in this case, or that the federal |
overnment is being egregiously swim
led. Both presumptions are undoubt-
dly free from the element of violence.
Notwithstanding the elisor grand jury
as been greatly abused, and has met |
Nth all the difficulties and distractions
he boodlers and their friends have been
BILE to place in its way, yet it has gone
almly and steadily along with its work,
nd has done more in the short time it
as been in session to stir up the rotten
ones of the official corruptionists, of
he legislative cinchers and all-round
ascals that manipulate elections. than
IL the reformatory efforts that have
cen put forth by any movement since
ne vigilance committee of 1856 met.
o paraphrase passage in Hamlet we
lbmit that
lisor, aye, eisor is the thing
0 strike terror to the conscience of the ring.