The record-union., 1892-01-12

At yesterdays session of the City Trus-
tees, sitting as a Board of Equalization,
! the following communication from c. II.
Hubbard, manager for Baker Il Hamil-
! ton, was read:
SACRAMENTO, January 18th.
TO the HCn1rcb'e Beard Of Trustees: On the
morning OF the 23d OF december our ware
house on Front street was burned, and the
contents almost q total loss. We also sus-
tanned heavy damages in the storerooms on J
street. Our loss was between one-third and
one-haiI OF our Whole StCcs, upon which an
/ assessment OF about 100000 was returned
TO the Assessor, and upon which amount we
now stand as essed. We believe, under the
circumstances, a portion OF the assessment
should be Withdrawn, and we would most re-
specially isk you to reduce our assessor. ent
! $25, 1000 we make this application, believ-
ing II 10 be just and honorable.
BAKER & HAMILTON.
Per G. H. HUBBARD.
The communication was laid over for
future consideration.
Most of the afternoon was consumed
by the board in examining the assess
ment-roll, and noting down instances Of
what appeared to be insufficient assess
ments. Tomorrow the members Of the
board will inspect some of the property
in Chinatown.
The footings of the assessment roll, as
they now stand, are:
Value of ots........................, S6S4l 900
improvements ..................~ 5,136,425
Improvements on lots owned by
others and assessed to latter. 5000
Personal property. 4,335, 125
16,829, $50
Last year the assessment footed up:
Value of $4,000, 800
improvements. 1862, 600
Improvements on lots owned by
others and assessed to latter. 9,I25
Personal property 2,9o7,60o
S14 1865, 625
Of the 81 ,959, 425 increase in the assess
ment on personal property, 81 ,035, 900 rep
resentS the city bonds and coupons in the
hands Of the Funded Debt Commission
| which were not on last years roll. This
| shows the increase in this years personal
! property roll, over that of last year, aside
Irom these bonds, to be 1892, 525. There
| Is little doubt that the Trustees will raise
the personal roll, but to what extent is
not yet known.
The mortgages this year amount to
s., 33S, 425, an increase of S32l, 400.
During their inspection of the roll yes
terday the Trustees discovered, or
thought they did, several instances in
which parties had escaped assessment.
! For instance, one woodward proprietor
was assessed for 500 worth of wood,
| horses, wagons, etc, while another was
! GOWN lOT only MS horses ana wagons,
although the latter usually carries the
! larger stock of wood.
The Sacramento Transportation Com
pany was assessed on certain river front
| improvements, but the contents of the
| coal-bunkers are not mentioned.
One Of the large retail dry goods deal
ers was before the board to explain his
! assessment, which appeared to be far be-
| low its value. He said that usually his
stock is twice or three times as great dur
ing the year as it is when the city assess
| ments are made in Septemb Der.
/ From this il would appear that serious
errors were made when the times for levy
| ing taxes were fixed. The Ist OF March.
| when the county assessment is made, APP
| pears TO always hit the banks when they
are hardup for cash. Last year one
monied institution had only a little over
$4,000 in cash on the Ist Of March, but at
other times OF the year the same concern
usually has ten times that sum III hand.
And now it appears in September.
/ when the city assessments are levied the
/ dry goods stores are all low in stock. If
/ the county, or the city either. could only
! hit upon the right time of year in which
! to assess property Of the various kinds
! they might raise their assessment rolls
many hundreds OF thousands of dollars.