The record-union., 1894-08-30

than at that time. City improvements
Tor that year were assessed at S, 659, $50,
and they could be replaced now for 70 per
cent. less, which would make reduc-
ton on revaluation of them at present
cost of =, 800, coo.
There has been steady decrease OF
values in business property north OF Up
per Main street, where rents have de-
creased and many buildings stand vacant.
He instanced building which cost sl4O,-
| 600, exclusive of the land. is assessed at
| $4,000, and the agent says 1t cannot be
sold for $50, 000 Another building. which
cost $4,000, was under foreclosure for
| $4,000, and can be bought for $50, 00O.
There are many such instances Inc
residence property has not been reduced
much within the past two years.
MIR. Forester stated that Mr.. Gray's
assessment was considerably higher than
that of the City Assessor, and he thought
that Mr.. Gray's valuation was too high.
! Morebouse thought that made little dill
ference, as the property was assessed so
/ low that it could shrink very largely
| without coming down to the assessment
there was plenty of margin LETT for
shrinkage.
Mr.. Forester said that while the rest of
the State had been cutting down assess
ments MIR. Gray had kept his up. san
| Francisco has been the keynote OF assess
ment. When it was announced III the
papers that her assessment roll would
! fall off SIG, 900, 000 the other counties took
! the cue and reduced theirs, while Los
Angeles had not done so. There is not
much good property being sold. Some
cheap lots have changed hands and small
! buildings have been put on them.
] Colgan said that the total assessment for
fr1cf 10 Ines 10
| Assessors.
! Mr.. Gray said that the city had just as
much money to raise for its own pur-
poses. and he made his roll with that end
| in view.
Colgan said Hinton's (the City Asses
! sor) assessment on city realty was $780,
100000 and improvements Sl0,000,000.
Gray said that included acreage, while
his roll only included town lots. There is
considerable acreage.
| Mr.. Forester claimed that the same
argument which San Francisco made
that her merchants have reduced their
stock-applied to Los Angeles. The lat
ter, however, has suffered far more than
San Francisco. Stock has deprecated
greatly, and the stock OF hay on hand
from last year has disappeared.
Morehouse thought MIR. Gray had kept
up his assessment on personal property.
especially on stock, very well.
| Statements were read by Mr.. Gray from
| property owners, stating that their prop
erty was for sale at the tace of the assess
| ment.
The assessment on telephone boxes he
had reduced from $50 to $40, as the patent
had expired and the boxes were offered
for SALE
Mr.. Hebron said that the boxes could
not be bought, and if they could. they
would be without the improvements and
would be worth very little. He asked if
the rent had been reduced, and was an
swered that it had not, so far as was
known. He thought that a box that rents
for $40 Or 500 year ought TO be assessed
much higher than they are, in Justice to
the other taxpayers. The company takes
money out of the county and spends it
elsewhere. 1t buys no wire or poles from
the county residents.
MorehouSe said he understood that the
reduction was asked for partly on the
ground that property in Los Angeles was
assessed higher than in other counties
and asked that it be pointed out where it
was so.
Mr.. Forester said that be was a thor
ough Californian, with the interest of the
whole State at heart and had no local or
sectional prejudices. He ana his fellow
citizens, however, have travelled through
the State and seen what was there to be
seen. The grain lands. he thought, were
| assessed beyond their values as COM
pared with their productive capacity and
the price they are assessed for IN other
counties. The citrus lands have also lost
in value.
Messrs. Swan and Forester discussed
the matter of trade and improve
ments in San Francisco and Los An
geles, III the course of which it was
developed that the improvements in the
latter city and county were reported at
81, or, 0U0, while those of the former were
only reported as amounting to Sl,300.000.
W bile lie did not wish to add to the bur-
oens of any other county, San Francisco,
he said, which should have been raised
many millions last year, escaped the
raise and the report had been spread
early in the season, that she would make
further large reduction this year and
he thought that many counties had re-
duced their rolls in self defense.
Hayes said that the total increase in
Los Angeles this year was more than
that OF all the ten counties in the State
which showed an increase, while the re-
naming counties have total decrease of
about S56, 100000.
Beamer pulled out his little notebook
as usual. which the Assessors are dis
posed 60 look on as they would a relic of
the inquisition, and put Mr. Gray on the
quSstiOu IaCh, pIOpOuuulng NUMBER OF
hard nuts for him TO crack. He acquitted
himself very well, however. parrying the
questions when he could not answer
them, and having an explanation at hand
for them.
A remark being made with regard to
the difference in assessments in the city
and county rolls, Mr.. Forester told of a
friend of his who owned property in
San Francisco which he valued at 500, 900,
and country property which he valued at
the same amount and considered equally
valuable. This gentleman told him that
he had for years past paid about three
times the amount of taxes on his country
property that he did on the San Francisco
property.
Gentlemen from San Diego and San
Bernardino Counties were i'll attendance
on the board to present their cases, and
made brief remarks in relation to the as