The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-09-29
THE RETURN WAS DOCTORED.
A Clean $1,000 Said to Have Been
Slipped In.
THE FOOTING ALTERED TO SUIT.
Deputy Herzer Confident 1t Was Not
Done in the Assessors
Office.

A case of an alleged raising" of an as
sessment return by clerks or others in the
Assessors office. or by some other person
after it leaves the hands OF the person
making the return, came before the Ju-
dietary Committee Of the Supervisors yes
terday afternoon upon demand Tor an
abatement and for an investigation.
The case was similar t. that Of G. OBest
q Co.. Froni-street commission merchants,
reported some days ago by The CALL,
when it was asserted that items were writ
ten Ia to the personal property lists after
the sworn returns had been submitted.
The complaint was made yesterday by
o. Kai & Co., dealers in Japanese goods,
SIG Kearny street. Mr.. Kai, who is now
in Japan, was represented by Horace
Dunn, and G. S. Saita, manager of the
wholesale department of the house, who
made out tile return, was present, and
stated under oath that the return he made
was $1,000 less than that upon which he is
called upon to pay taxes; that clean $1,000
had been insel ted in the return after il left
his hands.
The return, as be made II, footed $3.50
for merchandise on hand. This amount
was carried over 10 the second column of
tHc IStuIu anu lHGu UlOOBilI W
'tOtil" line as none of the rrin ted items
in the second column answered TO his
line of business.
That is as he handed it in to the Asses
sOr's Office, he says. AS it is now and
was exhibited yes terday, $1,000 is written
in rather hesitating hand in the second
column, under the $3.50 brought for
ward" and opposite to the printed words
consigned goods" Then the figure in
the footing is changed to 10" and stands
$780,
Chief Deputy Assessor Herzer was
present with these papers, and said he
had made thorough examination of them
and OF the circumstances of the assess
meui. and was confident that the altera-
tons had not been made in the Assessors
office. He said that the $1,000" was
written in the same ink as the other fig
uIes, and that it was not the ink used in
the Assessors Office. He said that this
was the first time that charges had been
made of any one in the Assessors Office
having changed the returns, of all the fifty
Thousand recorded.
That the figure '1' in the total bore the
appearance of having been changed to a
''2'' Mr.. Herzer admitted. but denied that
it had been done in the Assessors Office
The clerk who handled the returns was
called. but said it was impossible for him
to remember anything about it.
Then Horace Dunn for Ksi Sc Co. said
he wanted to present his side of the case
under oath. He objected to loose state
ments and opinions in a mat er of the
kind, he said.
G. S. Saita was sworn and repeated
what has been said-that he made out the
assessment return aud had made oath to
it, and that the net figure given was $3.50.
Fur thermore, he said, it was out of the
question that he should have assessed him
self for $1,000 worth of consigned goods"
a he did not carry any consigned goods
and never had.
Mr.. Dunn himself then took oath and
stated that he was familiar with the affairs
OF Kai 81 Co., was their agent, and knew
that the imporiations had been much less
this year and the stock on hand consider
ably less than last year. and with prices
lower the value of the stock was much
below that of 1892 He thought it very
singular that the assessment return should
show just about the same as last year, and
was confident that it was not so made by
the house.
But what good would it do clerk in
the Assessors Office to make the change ?'
inquired Mr.. Refs.
That is not for me to say, but 1 know
we didn't make that paper as it is," said
Durn.
Mr.. Herzer said he had a clerk in the
Office who attended especially to japanese
houses. but said he was not available. He
could have him at the next meeting.
The matter was held over for week.