The record-union., 1891-08-29
TULARE AND VENTURA.
Two More Counties Before the State
Board Of Equalization.
Ventura's Assessor Complimented by
the Board-Clarke's Prune Story
Telephone Assessments.

as those in which Los Angeles and San
Francisco were the principals, but still
some very interesting facts regarding the
methods of taxation in vogue and the
tendency to plead poverty were de-
yeloped.
All of the State Equalizers were pres
ent-Messrs. Morehouse chairman,
Beamer, Hebron, Colgan and Swan.
Tulare's case was first taken up. The
county was represented by Supervisor j.
III. Woody, Assessor D. T. Coffee and ex-
Assessor Seth Smith.
TOO HIGH, IF ANYTHING.
The arguments offered by the delega-
ton were almost Identical with those
made by the representatives of other
counties who have already appeared be-
fore the board. They claimed that to
raise their assessment roll would be q
great injustice. They considered that the
Assessor had done his duty to the best of
his ability and had assessed the property
at its full cash value. In fact if any fault
was to be found with his figures it was
that they were too high.
Supervisor Woody said that many in
stances could be cited wherein the Asses
sor's figures were above the actual selling
price of the property assessed.
MIR. MOrehOuse remarked that from his
own Investigations he was satisfied that
the assessment Of Tulare County was
a very unequal one. Outside lands
that were poor and practically unpro-
ductive had been assessed fully UP to
their value, while the good lands close to
the cities and towns were assessed too far
| below their values. It was on this ac-
count that the county officials had been
cited to appear before the board and make
an explanation.
c. ". Clarke, of the well-known land
owning firm Of Cox Il Clarke, happened
into the room at this juncture and con-
tirmed Mr.. Warehouses; statement, in so
far as 1t related TO the assessment of the
poorer lands. 81 own good deal of that
kind of land in Tulare County" he said,
land can truthfully say that it is assessed
for more than | can sell it for l have a
large tract near the lakes that is assessed
at - per acre. That is more than paid
for it, and more than I can get for it. You
can buy land in that vicinity at your own
price, and man would have to want land
pretty bad to buy any OF it,"
REALLY WORTHLESS.
Mr.. Clarke, has there been any land
sold around there, except by the Govern
ment, from which you could give us an
| idea of the true value Of it?" asked a
member.
"Oh, yes: plenty of it,'' was the reply.
! The highest price paid was s. an acre,
and the seller was lucky to get rid of it
at such good figure. / could not sell
mine for such price. In fact I have
offered it for less. ! have some other
land in the county which was assessed
! for SS an acre, and which I have offered
| for sale for s., without getting buyer'
| Assessor Coffee was asked about this,
and said that while he did not admit that
he had over-assessed any Of the land, he
had rated it at what he thought was it's
! fullest value.
Have you any good land in the
county, Mr.. Clarke?" asked Chairman
! MOrehouse.
Yes. 1 have some land up near vi
salia that will sell for $50 an acre"
! Continuing Mr.. Clarke said that the
outside land he had previously made
| reference to, was rendered worthless on
account of the impossibility of irrigating
! it. Wells had been bored by the dozen,
| but they produced nothing but salt water
! and alkai. There were no irrigating
! bitches in that part of the county, and
the land was practically unprod1ctive.
1t was even poor sheep land.
Equalizer Hebron said he had her0ed
/ sheep in that section and knew that Mr..
! Clarke spoke the truth.
! Mr.. Clarke next spoke of the good land
in Tulare. He said that while some of it
shipped on account OF the difficulties of
transportation. On one prune orchard
he had actually seen l,l02 pounds of
prunes shaken off of one tree-and this
was not the most heavily laden tree in the
orchard, either.
WOULD NOT BACK OUT.
''If that story gets into the papers, it
won't be repudiated like that one about
Mr.. Baldwin's Los Angeles orange orch
ard, will itT' asked Mr.. Beamer, play
! fully.
"Oh, no; II swear to that story" said
| Mr.. Clarke. Il was there myself and saw
! the whole performance = saw them
/ weighed, too"
! When asked what he thought this land
/ was worth, Mr.. Clarke said he did not
/ think it would sell for more than 800 an
acre, if it would sell for that much. AS
he said before, the present difficulties of
| transportation prevented profitable ship
ment of the products. Of course the time
would come, and it was probably not far
| off, when these obstacles would be sur
mounted, and then the value of the land
would bound upward.
| Mr.. Beamer asked the Assessor of
| Tulare a number of questions regarding
! the methods he adopted in order to arrive
at his valuations, after which a recess was
! taken.
TELEPHONE ASSESSMENTS.
| The Tulare gentlemen were put on the
rack again in the afternoon. They were
| asked what they assessed telephone and
| telegraph lines at, horses. mules and
other stock, and how they arrived at their
| conclusions
In talking about the telephone assess
! mentS, the same alteration arose be-
tween the two bodies that has arisen
when other county delegations were be-
| fore the board. The State Board found
J hot INTO ~VnEjGt
| tirely too low.
The Western Union Telegraph Com
pany, it was found, was assessed at the
| rate of $500 per mile for its lines, and the
! telephone company was only assessed for
| from $40 to S46 and its boxes were not
assessed at all.
Mr.. Morehouse said that the assessment
of telephone property throughout the
! State was too low. No boxes should be
| assessed at less than 500 each, and the
| lines at considerable more than they are
now.
After a general talk about the condition
Of Tulare County. the delegates were per-
mitted TO withdraw, and the board took
the matter under advisement.
VENTURA coUNTY's CASE.
Ventura County was then taken up.
Assessor j. a. Donlan was the only one
present to represent that county. He
| started in by stating that il would be un-
just to raise Nentura's assessment, as he
had already raised it some $780, 900 over
last years assessment. He considered the
roll as it stood now.
Mr. Donlan was an unusually good
| witness, and it was soon obvious that his
county was wise in sending only him to
Sacramento to look after her interests.
| Mr.. Donlan had all the necessary figures
and comparisons with him, and there
were no bitches in the examination