The morning call., 1894-08-21
REDUCED VALUES,
Pleas Before the State
EquaIiZers.
COUNTY OFFICIALS HEARD.
Reasons Why Assessments Are
High Enough.
GENERAL FALL IN PRODUCTS.
The Glenn County Assessor Whooped
Things Up at Too Lively
Rate.
GENERAL FALL IN PRODUCTS.

SACRAMENTO, Aug. 2O.-The Board of
Equalization met to-day 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 not in many cases bring the amount
Of the mortgage. Some of the land has
fallen off 90 per cent since the boom of a
few years ago. A year ago San Francisco
agents were up in Butte begging the peo-
pie to accept loans on their property, even
urging them to transfer loans from local
banks. The farmers are getting no such
offers now. Assessor Smith showed the
shrinkage of 500, 900 on wheat in the
county from last years assessments WAS
caused by the farmers moving it out of the
county and selling or storing 1t elsewhere.
Land that would sell for 500 an acre in
1890 will not sell for $50 now. A place
assessed for S25 per acre was recently sold
and the sale confirmed at S15 per acre.
Mr. Morehouse said that the duty of the
board was to make the burden of taxation
as nearly equal on the counties as possible.
and asked If the showing made for Butte
would apply to Tehama and other ada
cent counties.
Supervisor Reynolds said it applied to
all the Sacramento Valley. The dslega-
ton from Colusa County all said the haru
times and low prices of products had de-
pTeciated all kinds of property.
The Glenn County people not only wired
to protest against raise but to ask for
reduction. When Glenn County was
formed the new Assessor whooped things
tor ~ vb hi
than Colusa and Butte are.
j. l.. Barham, Assessor of Tehama
County, said the low-grade lands he had
lowered had much deprecated in value.
The hgh-grade lands have not suffered SO
much. and he had not lowered anything
that was assessed $50 or upward. as he
wished to see if he could not find owners
for the odd sections granted to the rail-
road company, but not patented. He last
year assessed many of them. The expert
ment was failure, as no owners came for
ward and the taxes were not paid This
year he dropped them, which causes drop
in this years roll. He cited cases where
property was for sale for the face of the
assessment and some for considerably
less. Much land is mortgaged and the
banks do not wish to renew. The owners
are steadily running behind. He believed
picket fence. built by himself, was the
only Improvement made III the county dur
ing the past year and he did not suppose
he would have been able to build it if he
had not been under salary. Fruit trees
and vines he had not reduced. The solvent
credits are reduced this year by failures of
men who were considered good.
The deficit in personal property be ex-
11aTN.
shipped away to the extent of $4,000. The
value OF horses had decreased $4,000 and
the number one-ffth. They can be bought
at the buyers own price. he saw a team
that be had assessed at $50 sold for SIS.
Farming utensils have deprecated in
value and merchants have reduced their
stocks. Wheat has also decreased in
quantity, as has barley. Prices realized
did not equal appraisement or assessment
in some cases. The reduction in the roll
was only fair and just and the county
should not be raised. The Gallatin ranch
is assessed at SO per acre and Mr.. Gallatin
took it back after selling it at Sc per acre.
Supervisor c. S. lobe cited place of
200 acres assessed at S4 per acre which
$500 mortgage will take, also one of 24O
acres assessed at So and 81 per acre which
a $500 mortgage will absorb. He men
toned several such ca ses. AS to wheat
raising Tehama is at disadvantage COM
pared with other counties on account of
the distance to tidewater.
Assessor McRay of Suffer 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 tues and adobe lands adjoining them.
The water in the tules destroys the CT ops.
The buttes itself has as the lowest as
sessment 81 per acre and is not tillable.
Sheep have gained in numbers but lost
in. value, many having been bought and
sold for 81, as against So so and So last
year.
Yuba County will have a hearing to-
morrow.