The record-union., 1894-08-29
san LUIS OBISPO TELLS IT'S TALE.
A Sad State of Affairs Depicted Down
There.
Sacramento and San Joaquin Assessors
Also Explain the Reason for the
Drop in Their Rolls.

Luis ODISDo DeiOre the StdlS ooaAu VI
EQUALIZATION, resumed his argument yes
terday morning when it convened.
In addition to the petitions from resi-
dents which he presented the day before,
and which revealed the state Of destitu-
ton to which the drought and failure OF
crops has reduced the farmers, he stated
facts that had come under his own notice.
He had lived among the people, he SAID,
for years, and as Civil Engineer, Assessor
and manager OF an abstract bureau, had
become thoroughly conversant with
qualities of land, property and property
values throughout the county.
Templeton, which is the best section
for cereals in the county, had last year in
warehouses $4,000 sacks OF grain. This
year there are not more than 10000 sacks,
ana in some places farmers did not raise
their hay or enough grain for seed. In the
county records this year are $50 pages OF
chattel mortgages, thing never known
before.
A letter from the agent of the Southern
Pacific at Paso Robes, states that last
year there were II. 900 tons OF wheat and
$4,000 sacks handled. Ihls year lhere
were 100 sacks.
There was "a large number OF letters to
the same effect. Even on the coast the
drought affected the farms deeply, ana III
the most favored sections the situation
was much the same. In the vicinity OF
Creston, in the hill lands, which are re-
garded as the best for wheat, not thrash
ing machine went in this year, and
a farmer states that from 500 acres OF
land he managed TO cut twenty-seyen
tons of hay.
All throughout the eastern part of
Fl l01nr
forced TO leave their farms and\ 60
elsewhere to seek employment Ia
order to support their families until
the rains come and they can 90 10
work once more. In the San Miguel dis
trict a frost came in May and totally de-
stroyed the fruit crop. Horses ana caltie
have no salable value, and no money can
be borrowed. There were 752 tax sales
this spring in the county.
Two letters from bank cashiers In the
county were read, stating that the value
OF real estate had shrunk 30 per cent, and
the banks would only loan half the
amount on hrst-class loans that they
loaned last year.
He submitted a list of loans by a
building aud loan association which loans
20 to 50 per cent. OF the value OF the prop
erty, and showed that the assessment was
about the same as the loans. The general
depression has been so great that even
lIiC COllllllS Ol IuG OdQ AdQ AOS DOnS-
flied the county as was expected. In
some parts of the county the grain never
came up, and in others it came up only
few inches and then died. One man got
twenty-four tons of hay from 1.500 acres.
He knew personally that wives of
farmers who are away trying to earn
living have gone eight or ten miles with
q dozen or two of eggs to buy necessaries.
Women and chiluren haul water mile
or two, the springs having dried up, in
order to raise a few vegetables on which
to sustain life. Four hundred families
have moved down on the seashofe and
are living on CLAIMS and fish while the
fathers are trying to earn something else
where to support them.
Out of 3,400 to $500 property-owners,
as he had stated there were 752 tax sales
this spring. The storekeepers have had
to refuse to carry the people longer and
after mortgaging all they had they must
pay cash or starve
z. Moore stated that there wasfno sale
for horses or cattle and they had been
taken out of the county to keep them
from starving. His tenants on dairy
farms have not been able TO pay their
rent.
SACRAMENTO COUNTY.
Assessor r. c. Irvine, and Supervisors
Morrison aud Miller appeared on behalf
of Sacramento County.
the county had fallen off about three
quarters of a million dollars and he
thought that very small decrease under |
the circumstances. AS the board knew, !
stock is worth little or nothing. He saw
5000 sheep come through the county on
their way to Sutter county, which had
been bought for fifty cents head. lie
assessed sheep at 81 per head, COWS at Sl5
and horses for whatever he could get.
AS to land values. they have decreased
greatly. lie had taken the assessment
off the plains land and put it on the bot
tom lands, which could stand it better, as
they are always salable. He had no
apologies to make, as he considered the
reduction just and equitable.
With regard 10 city values. the resi- |
dence portion of the city is improving,
but business is moving away from Front |
street ana he was forced to reduce the as
sessInent on the property there, where
buildings are standing empty.
Property on * street between Seventh /
and Eighth has increased in value. and |
one piece OF property there is assessed for |
20 per cent. of the price for which the sale |
was confirmed by the court. The prop
erty was assessed at nearly its full value !
IN that locality, as in others.
Hebron thought the valuation on the |
business streets was 100 low, compared to |
other cities.
Irvine differed from his opinion He
said the measure of values was the price |
OF sales and appraisements.
MIR. Beamer asked about the property |
on Sixth and j and why il was not as
sessed higher, and was answered that b. /
u. Steinman offered Mrs. Joseph $4,000 |
for it.. and she would not have taken |
$50, 600 for il if it had been offered. 1t is
assessed at ST, 100. The property at Sixth
and X which is being rebuilt sold for
$2I 600, but it was because there was a |
anfxK u.
some feeling entered, and it will not pay
per cent. on the investment 1t was as
seSsed at $3.50, and he thought that a fair
assessment
Messrs. Beamer, Hebron and Swan
fired volley of searching questions at
Mr.. Irvine with regard to property
values, and he parried them, insisting
that his valuations were about what they
should be, viewed IN the light of sales and
confornialions. He had assessed $3.50
feet at Sl59 per front foot, with an assess
menL of 500 per foot for corner lots.
Other cities may have a few feet assessed
higher, but comparison would not be
just, on account OF the small frontage
assessed. He cited pieces of property on
b street to support his contention. He
did not think the lands in the county were
worth to-day as much as they were four
teen years ago, and the county, as a
whole, he thought, WIS not worth as
much, although the assessment roll has
increased SO. 5S2. 600 in that time.
In regard TO solvent credits, the mer-
chants said when he was assessing that
they did not know what the credits were
actually worth. They might be worth
full value and they might be worth live
cents on the dollar. BESIDES, they had
been collecting in as closely as possible.
With regard to appraisements, he said
that the court often appoints appraisers
who know nothing of real estate and Of |
ten place il 100 high. In no instance had he