Los Angeles herald., 1892-08-20
HOW Do THEY FIGURE UP THERE?
Outrageous Action Of the State
Board of Equalization.
The Peoples Taxes Raised Without
Any Rhyme or Reason.
The southern Pacific Treated With Great
.Leniency, While Other Taxpayers
are Arbitrarily Wronged.
Figures of Interest.

Chairman S. M. Perry, supervisors
Davis and Hubbard and County Asses
sor F. Edward Gray, will go to Sacra'
mento Monday to appear on the 22d in
stant before the state board Of equaliza.
ton, to resist any horizontal raise of the
assessment OF this county by the afore-
said board.
A telegram cent out from Sacramento
announcing the fact that the state board
of equalization was not at all pleased
with the assessment as made by County
Assessor Gray, and that the assessment
was So 600 0D0 less than it was last
year. Now, the facts of the case are
that Assessor Gray has increased the
assessment he made this year over that
of last year, 81, ,059, ,705.
The facts Of the case are that the state
board of equalization for some reasons
unknown, have, of late years, been ex-
traordinarily anxious to give the south
ern counties of this state the
benefit of q raise of assessment,
and q consequent increase OF
taxation every time any elevating was
to be done. This has become very
wearisome to the already over-burdened
taxpayers OF this county. who are right
now carrying very heavy load, with
the $12 per minute government in
power on the court house hill. 1t is far
from pleasant to them to have their
load increased by a Republican state
board of equalization, particularly when
that increase is unjust, uncalled for and
unreasonable.
In 1891 the total assessed value of the
property of this county, as reported by
the county assessor, was $69, ,675, ,157.
The county board of equalization after
ward increased the assessment to $780,
1858, 3,541, raise of $2SS, 1884.
But this raise the Republican state
board of equalization did not consider
ample, and so they just quietly, in an
ot-hand way, raised the assessment
fifteen per cent. This made the total
$50, 340,076.
The, state board of equalization
assesses all the railroad property in the
state, except where, the. railroad is con-
fined to one county. So, after the rail-
road assessment was added, the total for
this county was brought up to $82,-
650,674. q se as y 80 1'-ai- II
In 1892, the present year, the county
assessor valued the property of this
county at $7l, ,77334 S62.. The county
board OF equalization reduced this
assessment $145, ,040, which made the
assessment $71 $3.50, 1922. ~, 8is 3
The figures, therefore, show that. ae
the assessment in 1891, as made by the
county assessor, was S69, ,675, 1877 and that,
OF this year was $71, ,734, 1852, the increase
in one year was $2,059, ,7O5. And now
the Republican state board is displeased
and wants want to make another one of
its vertical raises, thereby compelling
the taxpayers of this county to pay
more than their proportion OF the ex-
penses OF the Republican state govern
ment.
But look how lenient this same Re
publican state, board has been in the
matter OF assessing the railroads Of this
county. Behold the figures:
In 1890 the Southern Pacific railroad
was assessed by the state board 81 $780,
837. In 1891 the Republican board found
that the same railroad corporation had
property in this county valued at only
81, 1886, ,606, decrease of sos, ,231 in one
year. While the other property of the
county was worth 15 per cent more than
the assessors figured on, the value of the
railroad property had decreased nearly
500, 900.
And this year it is made still less by
the Republican board. The property of
the Southern Pacific company is worth,
according to their assessment,
$15,643 less than it was in 1891,
for they have assessed it this year
at 81 ,S19, 1858, or total decrease OF as
sessment in two years last past of
$1l0,S70. In the name of Justice and
common sense, why does the Republican
state board handle the Southern Pacific
with 80 much consideration, and make
the other taxpayers of this county
sweat to pay their state taxes uRder
horizontal raiees.
In dealing with the Santa Fe road,
though, the Republican state board has
been little less considerate than with
the Southern Pacific. In 1890 the
Southern California Railroad company's
property in Southern California was as
sessed at $422 .578. In 1891 the state
board increased the assessment to
$40, 1856, an increase of $19,607. In 1892
the assessment of the same company's
property is increased $61, 1925, or to the
sum of $5O1 $40. This makes total in
crease in two years of $81 1892.
A strong endeavor will be made this
year to prevent the state board from
using horizontal methods in eley ating
the assessment of this county. The
taxpayers would like to be dealt with in
the same considerate manner as the
Southern Pacific railroad.