The record-union., 1891-09-07
TALES THAT DO NOT AGREE

material, other than as stated, was elected.
The Los Angeles Herald of last Mon
day contained a report of this debate be-
fore the board, taken from the columns
of the RECORD UNION, guarantee Of its
correctness. In the same number of the
Herald the Board of Equalization is as
sailed and the charge made that it, or
some of its membership, is actuated by
''spite'' against Los Angeles in making
inquiry into the correctness of the assess
ment-roll. The journal is warm in its
protest that the assessment of Los Angeles
should not be advanced, and we are not
passing upon that contention. 1t may be
that the roll should not be interfered
with; it may be that the Board of Equal
ization is misinformed, and that its in
quiry is a misdirection.
But what does interest US, and in de-
gree excite our smiles, is the blundering
of the HerGld. 1t publishes in one col
umn the denial Of its Assessor that Mr..
Baldwin's crop sold for $lO4,OO in an
other bitter assault upon the State Board
because it makes inquiry, as it is by the
law given the power to do, into the
methods of assessing values in Los An
geles; III still another it publishes cdi-
torially this statement, under the head
ing - Magnificent Outlook:
Los Angeles viii share in the general pros
perity ahead in most gratifying measures.
Here, too the farmer has been abundantlv re-
warded for his toll. Never has there been so
much attention given to the work of prOduc-
| ton as during the past twelve months.
| Orchards and vineyards have been set out on
all hands. The san Gabriel Valley is being
dotted over with new orchards. The hOrti-
culturists have reabed rich returns from their
the fact that E J. Baldwin sold SI0I OG0
worth of fruit from seyenty-fivc acres OF
orange trees. His ncighbor. y b. Chapman
did relatively as well. Go where one viii, and
Increased production, in most gratifying ratio,
is encountered.
Just how the Herald can square this
editorial expression and statement Of fact
with the denial Of the Los Angeles As
SCISSOR and the charge that the State Board
is seeking to do Los Angeles injustice by
its inquiries, we leave that interesting
and evidently inconsiderately put to-
gether journal to explain.
In the report of the Board of Equaliza-
! ton proceedings, a Los Angeles Super
visor is recorded as saying that his object
was to show that when property is put up
for sale nowadays it will not, as a rule,
bring under the hammer what it is as
sessed for. He then read accounts of sales
and partitions in which parcels of land
went for less tlran the county appraise-
ment.
In the second column to the left in the
same number of the Heratd, that journal,
in referring to the statement of the Los
Angeles Supervisor, said:
1t Will be seen that Supervisor Davis. who
appeared as chairman and spokesman OF cur
representatives, made out q strong case
against the proposed increase Mr.
Davis, in the Progress Of his argument. gave
some figures about property in this city that
had been sold for less than II was assessed at.
While If may be true that the situation
is as described, and that the assessment
roll is ample and honest, how does the
! contention before the board square with
this extract from the same issue Of the
Herald, printed cheek by jowl with the
quotations already made:
The city is not whit behind the country in
promise of Improvement and progress. Our
merchants have this year done splendid
business, the total Icing greatly in excess Of
any year since the 'ho0m, . Of hap ppy memory
Discriminating investors from abroad
are purchasing ciigibly located zeal estate al
prices which are mt least from ! ) to 20 Der
cent. higher than could have been obtained
I for he same properties one year ago. All the
indications point to continuance Of the
( legitimate activity in real estate which has
prevailed in this city for some time past
Is the public expected to believe that in
Los Angeles, or anywhere else where
there is such a rising tendency of values
in realty as the HerdJd claims, the as
sessed value is ever level with the market
price? Are we to believe that there is
anywhere healthy, genuine advance in
values when property Will not bring it's
assessed value under the hammer? The
truth is, that the Herald, and the Los
Angeles delegation before the State Board
of Equalization, have really done their
section an injury. Stupidity is an unpar-
donable onense.