The record-union., 1894-08-31

May. 45; June. So: July, Sc; August, So;
Septem Der, As; October, As; December,
SO; January. 1894, 30; February, 90; March,
II. These figures show much lower
average than 90 per cent, and in only one
month does the assessment reach up to
the price the property sold for"
Morehouse said that Mr.. Briggs had
been Thoroughly consistent in his assess
ment, and it was very uniform. be was
perfectly honest in setting his values on
property. The trouble with him Is that
he is much too conservative in liking his
basis of valuation and he makes 1t much
too low IN comparison TO what property
actually sells for, and which ought TO fix
the basis of value. While he maintains
such very conservative basis, his assess
ments must remain too low.
Mr.. Denman made an extended argu-
ment against raising the assessments.
Colgan explained to him that there was
Just SO much money to be raised for the
State. and lowering of the State assess
ineut roll simply meant an increase OF
rate.
Beamer said that for some reason 8
large proportion OF the personal property
in San Francisco is placed on tie roll, but
on which the tax is not collected. He did
not charge the Assessor with this. but the
TACT remains that it has been going on tor
thirty-one years, and in that time the
State has lost over SI5000,000 in taxes
not in assessment, sbut in taxes. lie
would like some Information as TO why
this is SO. He could not see why u. Nj.
Delmas, Barclay Henley and large num-
ber of such men should be allowed to
escape payment of their taxes. He did
rot think there could be much effort to
collect them. He would like TO know by
what authority the Tax Collector in San
| Francisco is allowed TO give a taxpayer a
receipt for his city and county taxes
without making him pay his State tax.
Mr.. Here said that he was so author
lied by the Consolidation Act. The tax
payer can also, under the same Act, take
a receipt for his real estate tax and leave
his personal property tax unpaid.
Well, - said Mr.. Morehouse. that
does not help the country any. You col
lect your own taxes and let the State get
hers as she can. And she has been pay
ing for the collection, too"
Mr. Frederick said that the State did
not pay Tor collecting now, the last Legis-
lature repealed that law.
Colgan read from Controller Kenfield's
report, showing that San Francisco was
delinquent to the State in her personal
property tax from 1915 10 1881, u, ,l99,-
7i9 70. Prior to 1881 two-thirds of the tax
was delinquent; III 1881 there was 2o3 "A
per cent. delinquent.
Mr.. James said that under the law they
could not help it; they would be very
glad to have the law changed.
We'll" said Morehouse, why don't
you come up here when the Legislature
Is III session and help US change it. We
have been trying to do so for years.
Beamer read a statement of the relative
value OF mortgages and assessments. 1t
showed that OF 932 mortgages by the Ger
man Bank and others since June, 1893,
the mortgages amount TO 2,7l2, 4l5, and
the assessment on the property to be
81, 40, ,6l5 nearly so per cent. below the
value Of the mortgages. Sixty-one of
these mortgages are not assessed.
The city pays TO the telephone company
! over Sll 900, and gets back from it i'll the
shape Of taxes So. 100.
The delegates made gallant fight to
keep down their assessment and died
game, but the board carried too many
guns for them, and it is hard to see how
san Francisco can avoid being raised.