The herald., 1893-08-31
planted on il.

planted on it.
IT WAKES WARM.
Mr.. Beamer said that the board had
made On effort to obtain information on
large proportion Of the property in the
county for the purpose OF comparing the
real values with the assessed values ac-
cording to Mr.. Gray, and he thought
they had done their work we'll.
Mr.. FORESTER thought the places men.
Toned were fapcy places and brought
Mr.. Beamer said that in no place did
he find so much activity and business
going on.
Mr.. Griffith stated that IL was a faloe
activity, q sort Of boom, and was not Z
reliable index.
Mr. Morehouse asked about .sLucky"
Baldwin's place, and asked what was
fais valuation for theiacres in it.
Mr.. Smith said that Baldwin was Of.
iering the place for $3.50 per acre. bat
had not found purchaser. He Thought
that 500 an acre would be fair assess-
mant.
Mr.. Morehouse produced Q circular in
which Baldwin offered 1t at from $3.50
to $3.50 per acre, deferred payments at 10
per cent. interest. n
The Los Angeles gentlemen protested
that it waH an old circular, and that it
was Dadwin's price two yesrs ago. It
would be fairly assessed at 500 now.
In response Mr.. Morehouss stated
that it was assessed at $50, and he did
not think 1t very high at that. lie
asked about the comparative values OF
Alhambra lands and those in other
places and showed by his questions that
he was thoroughly familiar With che
various qualities OF land In the county,
as we'll as their values.
THE CITY ASSESSMENT.
At the evening session Mr.. Forester
'advertsd to the fact that the represents
tives Of Orange county had made solae
statements with regard to the aaeess-
ment Of Los Angeles county. He usid
there was very little waste land IN
Orange county, and therefore the argu-
ment with regard to one-ninth Of ths
original territory being in Orange coun-
ty hardly applies in comparison with
Los Angeles.
Further, the charter of Los Angeles
city only allows tax levy OF one per
cent, and the assessor has to assess very
high in order to produce enough to meet
expenses, therefore the city assessment
is much higher than that Of the county.
He spoke of what he called "dead
property" and instanced place just of
Of Main street that In 1888 rented for
5000 and now rents for only $76, another
that rented for $500 per month now rents
for 500. A number Of similar instances
wera cited. Between the plaza and Tenn
Die block on North Main street there are
81 stores, which have been vacant for
over year. The grain farmers say 1t 10
q gamble whether they will get ahy crop
after they SOW 1t, want of rain at proper
times and rust destroying the crops.
The great bulk Of property has been
held too high, and the only sales that
are now made are by those who have
been hanging on by their eye!ids and
paying interest till they can DO 20 no
longer, and they only realize what they
can.
He thought that property had been
movement in it. and the assesumeut In
general was too high. The answers Of
orange growers to circulars that had been
sent out to them were almost universally
that they were not making the expense
OF growing the crops and harvesting
them.
Mr.. Forester presented to the boafda
number OF such answers and Amoov1te
which accompanied some Of thems A
few had made sl5 to $40 peracres and
one man had made $50 per acre on&land
assessed at SIS.
Los Angeles county can congRstulase
herself on the able manner In WHICH
Meesrs. Cook and Forester preseutkd
her case, as the board was evidently
impressed with the fairness OF lhotr
statements, as well ~ the force Of theiS
arguments.