The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-05-15
TO INCREASE Tue TAX RATE.

About forty men and a much smaller num-
Der Of ladies assembled at B'nai Birth Hall
Wednesday night to discuss the ways and
means 10 secure higher rate OF taxation.
The small attendance is not readily ac-
counted for, as the meeting was called by
the Federation Of Improvement Clubs the
members Of which are interested in real
estate >peeulatiuns which Will be materially
assisted by the liberal expenditures a higher
rate az taxation would provide for. Tax
Collector O'Brien thinks taxes ought to be
increased. BE does not see how the Super
N.-o57 can distribute among the several de-
Iarmeuts all the money they ask for unless
there is an increase in the rate Of taxation.
Ar O BrIen went somewhat into detail in
respect to expenditures he thought abs0-
lvtely necessary. The Superintendent of
Streets wants $4,000 for improving other
parks than Golden Gate Park. The same
official wants $50, 0G0 for extending the Bran
uan-stTeet sewer he wants also $4,000 to
replace cobbles with basalt stone MI
OBren thinks he should have every dollar
he asks for. But where was the money to
come fTom2 The dOllar-limit tax would
not produce L. When asked for large ap-
Preparations the Supervisors referred to
their dollaT-limit pledges. This constant
reference to pledges seems to be irritating to
Mr. O. Brlen. How will the city be able to
pay its bills if the pledge is adhered to?
Mr.. O'BTien admitted that the present Board
Of Supervisors possess the confidence Of the
community. He suggested that they abuse
this confidence on the ground that when they
made the pledge they believed that the dol
- lar limit would produce all the money
needed. Now that they have discovered their
error Mr. O'Brien thought they would be
more culpable if they kept their pledge than
If they failed to meet an emergency. 1t will
not, Of course, be Of any use to remind Mr..
o BrIen that there is no emergency. The
Esmeralda has not responded to the invita-
ton Of the Stock Report and appeared off
the Heads demanding a ransom OF 500, O10,-
co., None Of Italy's ironclads have been re-
ported in the Pacific. Nothing out of the
ordinary way has happened since the pledge
was given Real estate is rising in value in
all parts of the city. The fact Of the steady
rise IN values may be attributed largely to
the confidence the people have that the
Board Of Supervisors will keep their pledge.
Tie rage for increased taxation is not wide
in its range. It is confined mostly to a linz
tied area in which land values would be
greatly Increased by a system of boUevards
extending into districts now devoted to the
cultivation Of grain, garden truck and dairy
farms. The CALL would remind Mr..
O'Brien that there is bat one honorable way
Of increasing the tax rate. When the mu-
nicipAl conventions meet, let resolution be
introduced suspending the dollar limit. Let
the Supervisors be authorized to appropriate
all the money the several departments ask
for and to levy tax rate high enough TO
meet all expenditures. II ticket on such a
platform is elected, the succeeding Board of
Supervisors may without blame proceed to
increase the tax rate. But the advice Mr.
OBTieD gives them will only lead TO trouble.