The herald., 1894-08-21
GREATLY DECREASED VALUES,
Hard Times in the Northern
Citrus Belt.
Land Selling for Less Than the
Mortgages on 1t.
Meeting of the State Board of Equali-
zAtion-Pleas of tho NOrthern
Counties for Reduced
Assessm ents.
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
SACRAMENTO, Aug. 20.-The board OF
equalization met today to listen to rea-
sons why several of the county assess.
ments should not be raised.
Butte county officials stated that mort.
Cages had been given on land to the
amount OF the assessment, but that it
would in many cases bring the amount
OF the mortgage. Some of the land has
fallen off 30 per cent since the boom of
a few years ago. A year ago San Fran
cisco agents were up in Butte begging
the people to accept loans on their prop
erty, even urging them to transfer loans
from local banks. The farmers are get
ting no suoh offers now. Assessor
Smith shows that the shrinkage OF
100000 on wheat in the county from
last years assessments was caused by
the farmers moving it out of the county
and selling or storing it elsew here. Land
that would sell for 800 an acre in 1890
will not sell for $50 now. A place as
sessed for $25 per acre WAS recently sold,
and the court confirmed the sale at SIS
per acre.
Mr.. Morehouse said that the duty of
the hoard was to make the burden of
tAAtblOu dn uOhllv uhl Ou tIsJ CUuutl6B
as possible, and asked if the showing
and other adjacent countiee. Super
visor Reynolds said it applied to all in
the Sacramento valley.
The delegation from Colusa county
said the hard times and low price of pro.
ducts had depreciated oil kinds OF
property.
The Glenn county people not only
wished to protest against 6 raise, but to
ask for reduction. When Glenn
county was formed the new assessor put
things up too high and Glenn is assessed
higher than Colusa and Butte are.
j. L. Barham, assessor of Tehams
county, said the low grade lands he had
lowered had much deprecated in value.
The high grade lands had not suffered 80
much, and he had not lowered anything
that was assessed 500 or upward. AS he
wished to see if he could not find owners
for the odd sections granted to
the railroad company, but not
patented, he last year assessed
many of them. The experiment was
failure, as no owners came forward, and
the taxes were not paid. This year he
dropped them, which causes decrease
in this years roll.
He cited cases where property was for
sale for the face OF the assessment, and
coma for considerably less. Much land
is mortgeged, and the banks do not wish
to renew. The owners are steadily run
ming behind. He believed picket
fence, built by himself, was the only i'm
provement made in the county during
the past year, and he did not suppose he
would have been able to build it il he
had not been under salary.
Fruit trees and vines he had not re-
dsced. The solvent credits are reduced
this year by failures OF men who were
considered good.
The deficit in personal property he
explained by saying that brandy had
been shipped sway to the extent OF
$29. 900. The value of horses had de.
creased SIG. 900 and the number one.
fifth. They can be bought at the buy
er's own price. He saw team that he
mad assessed at $50 sold for SIS.
Farming utsnsils have deprecated
in value and merchants have
reduced their stocks. Wheat has also
decreased in quantity, as has barley.
The prices realized did not equal ep-
praisement or assessment in some cases.
The reduction in the roll was only fair
aud just, and the county should not be
raised. The Gsllstin ranch is assessed
at $40 per acre, and Mr.. Gallatin took it
back after selling it at s6 per acre.
Supervisor @. =. Jobe cited 200-acre
place assessed at 81 an acre, which 5000
will take; also one of 240 acres
assessed at 50 and "a per acre which
$400 mortgage will absorb. He men
toned several such cases.
AS 20 wheat raising Tehama is at o
compared with other coun-
ties on account of distance to tide water.
Assessor McRay of Sutter county said
his reasons for the decrease tailed
closely with those OF the representatives
OF the other counties. The decrease
fell mainly upon the land around the
buttes and in the tules snd adobe lands
thsm. The water in the tules
destroys the crops. The buttes Itself
has, as the lowest assessment 81 per
acre and is not tillsble. From that 1t
runs up to $35. Sheep have declined in
mum bars and lost in value. many having
been bought and sold for 81 as against
$3.50 and $3 last year.
Yuba county will have hearing to.
morrow