Los Angeles herald., 1891-08-24
TAX STRIKERS IN SAN FRANCISCO.

The interest in the county contests
before the state board of equalization
to prevent the increase of the amounts
of their assessment rolls, concentrates
for the present in the sensational de-
velopments that have leaked out with
reference to the peculiar methods OF
assessment that had obtained in San
Francisco. Some of these reported
methods are startling in their signifi-
canoe, and although their truth or
falsity is neither asserted nor denied by
members of the board, yet there seems
to be informal evidence of their credi-
bility. For instance, it is averred that
the estate of Nicholas Luning held a
note for nearly half million which was.
not assessed, because as alleged, it was
paid in New York before the 1st of
March. 1t is now stated that this note
was here and solvent credit OF the
estate at that time and has
since been paid in this state.
Another curious averment is that COM
bination of San Francisco capitalists de-
posted three million dollars in the sub
treasury few days before the let of
March to avoid assessment. 1t is also
said that the board of equalization have
got possession Of facts that show the
way in which assessments have been
t'fixed," and thus account for many of
the glaring discrepancies yet to be ex-
planned. 1t is believed that the most
glaring irregularities have been prac-
ticed in the assessors department. and
that Judge Wallace of the superior
court had reference to these when he
addressed the new grand jury in very
pointed remarks about the way in
which some people figured very large in
monetary transactions and very small
on the assessment roll. When the case
of San Franci SEQ is called by the board
tomorrow it's members may put series
of simple questions to the metropolis
representatives that will call out an
swers that may be used by the grand
Jury to explode whole mine OF assess
ment corruption.
1t is curious to note the persistency
with which San Francisco newspapers
insist that their city has been made to
pay more than her just share of the
state taxes, whilst they declare that all
the shirking and undervaluation has
been done by other counties, especially
those of the south. This is their ever
recurring whine, and it must do them
good, they so invariably return to it..
They are particularly careful to declare
that the orange lands of this section are
under-assessed, and that property val
ues in all other towns and cities are
rated lower for assessment purposes than
those of San Francisco. Of course this
claim is baselees Take six OF the prin-
cipal streets in San Francisco and the
value at which the realty of them is held,
when it comes to bona-fide sales, and
the accumulated wealth in their stores
would aggregate more than the entire
assessment sent in this year for San
Francisco. The wealth OF the whole
Pacific coast has been accommodating in
that city for the past forty years, and
yet che is only assessed less than five
times as much as Los Angeles county,
which decade ago was a mere half
Mexican COW county, as the bay papers
used to delight to call US.
1t is to be hoped that the prejudices
that will necessarily be raised in the
minds OF the members of the state board
of equalization by the crooked develop
ments that will be shown to have OBJ
tained in San Francisco assessments,
will not affect their impartiality when
they come to consider the assessments
of other counties.