The record-union., 1894-08-30
Los ANGELES Had AN ENTIRE DAY.
She Swings Into Line and Asks Re-
duction.
The Assessor and Supervisors Tell
Why the Assessment Roll Was
Increased Down There.

Il
Supervisors, J. w. Cook, the Chairman,
being detained by dislocated ankle.
Supervisor f. A. Forester opened the
ball, saying that the county was assessed
for more than it should be, without any
reference to any other county or portion
of the State. They asked for no burdens
to be placed on their neighbors, but they
did ask for an equitable assessment for
their county. They felt justified in ask
ing for reduction of their assessment on
the ground that it was entirely too high.
compared with similar property in other
places. The productive qualities OF the
land do not justify its assessment at such
prices as have been placed upon 1t.
Mr.. Gray read statement Of the assess
ment of lands in the San Fernando Val
ley which he has not reduced this year.
The residents have barely raised their
seed this year. They cannot get water
there by digging, and have no water for
irrigation and very little for domestic
use. They can only get water by going
very deep for it. The land is assessed at
SIS, and raises about one crop IN five
years. Near the Maclay ranch, which
has been held at $500 per acre and which
contained some of the finest land in the
county, and much of which was sold at
fancy prices. it has deteriorated yearly.
till it will no longer raise good crops. 1t
is assessed at SIS per acre. Seven hun
dred acres, the cream of the land III the
valley. were sold for $50, the same as the
assessment.
Mr.. Forester said the land is assessed
$40 too high, as he told the board last
year.
Morehouse asked how it was, when the
Supervisors claim that the assessment
has been too high for two or three years,
that they did not reduce it.
Mr. Forester answered that in order to
do so they would have had to change the
assessment of a large portion of the
county.
Mr.. Gray read letters from farmers,
stating that their crops were failures and
producing but little, and should not be
assessed so heavily.
Swan thought this years crop had no
bearing on this years assessment.
Hebborn said he thought the condition
of the farms and crops on the first of
March certainly did affect it. The grain
is sowed in November, and the drought
affected it.
Mr.. FORESTER said he thought the con-
dition of the crops was an excellent rea-
son Tor asking for a reduction. The put
ting in of a wheat crop in his county was
purely a speculation, as only an occa-
sional crop is raised.
Mr.. Gray read long list of property,
with the assessment per acre On it. COM
pairing It's productive power with that OF
other land similarly assessed. On the
Lena Vista ranch, on 4. 200 acres, 1000
sacks of wheat were raised. and also fifty
tons of hay, which certainly does not
justify high assessment.
The Redondo Land Company is offer
ing large body of it's choicest land at $50
an acre, but there are no sales. he
thought that the lot could probably be
bought for $40.
A letter from the County Clerk stated
that he knew of but three farmers in the
county who had made expenses this
year. Banks viii not loan much money
on land. There were letters from bankers
and others 10 the same effect, and that the
banks would not loan within Is per cent.
as much on land as they would last year.
Swan said that bankers in the northern
part of the State would not loan on land
at all.
Mr.. Forester said that what they were
trying to show was that the land was as
sessed at SIS to $50 per acre and that it was
too high. Land has been held at fictitious
prices, and people in other parts of the
State have formed the opinion that they
were worth much more than lands else
where. 1t is al erroneous idea, and 1t is
not worth what it has been held at.
Swan said that Los Angeles had repu-
tation that attracted people to it from all
over the East. If they could obtain
few acres anywhere within ten or twelve
miles of Los Angeles they were satisfied.
Such tracts are not bought as grain lands,
but as residence and fruit lands. The
country that has great advantages as a
residence locality possesses value that
grain land does not, and Will always sell
for better prices, Beside, he had seen as
tine wheat growing in that county as he
ever saw anywhere. He had for some
80 tf,af ao,.+xr
there was not properly assessed.
On the San Fernando Improvement
Company's land, on ZOO acres only 1,500
centals of wheat and 100 tons of hay were
raised the past SESSION.
Mr.. Forester said he thought the as
sessment was too high. People who paid
81 600 an acre find out that they paid
twice as much as they need have done.
Citrus orchards can now be set out at
total cost for trees and work of SIS per
acre-certainly for SIS. The orchardists
are running in debt every year.
More atfidavits were read by Mr.. Gray
from parties who claimed that their as
sessments were too high, some even
claiming that land which is assessed for
$35 should not be assessed for more than
Sl2
II. C. Hubbard of San Fernando swore
that from $500 acres of land he only
raised last season 500 sacks of wheat and
forty tons. of hay.
One affidavit was to the effect that a
great deal of the land that was supposed
to be fit for orange and lemon orchards
is not fit for such purposes, as they will
not do we'll upon IL. 1t is, in reality, only
wheat land.
Mi. Gray said there had been quite
boom III walnut land, but it is not SO
great now as it was last year. There are
many young orchards that have been set
.o,rf haf will hoQr Tho walnut
boom commenced after the orange boom
broke, and although it is subsiding, is
not vet over. There will be many orch
ards dug up which have been planted.
With regard To race horses, Mr.. Bald
wins horses were taken out of the county
and were not in it on the 1st Of March,
being either in San Francisco or in the
East.
Mr.. Gray read a statement that So per
cent. of the land in Los Angeles County
is waste land, without present or pros
pective value. Nearly half of the acre
age of the county is not assessed, being
Government land. a large amount of
land in the county has reverted to the
Government under a decision OF the
court. Thirteen townships are unsur-
veyed. Twenty-eight per cent of the
acreage is grain land. Citrus fruit lands
are four per cent, and declduous fruit
lands are three per cent. of the acreage.
Walnuts are being set out all over the
county. They do not know whether
they will do well or not, but they want TO
convince outsiders that they have walnut
lands.
The setting out of citrus trees has di-
minished In 1892 and 1898, 420, 900 trees
were set out, in 1894 only 81. 600 were set
out-a decrease of 81 per cent.
An examination OF the Auditors re-
ports for this year shows that in 1898 the
IN bn 10