The record-union., 1895-08-29
SAN FRANCISCO upon The RACK.
Equalizer Beamer ConsuIts His Assess
ment List.
Mr.. Arnold Asks Pertinent Questions
on Bank Assessments-How News
papers We're Assessed.

r
Ehould not have the assessment roll raised
by the State Board of Equalization.
Auditor Broderick, Chief Deputy AS
SCISSOR Herzer, Deputy Assessor Edgar
Briggs and Supervisors Hobbs and lay
lor composed the delegation sent up 10
stand off the board.
In 1894 the assessment was: Real es-
tate, other than city and town lots. 81
SIC, $40: city and town tots, $40, lOO,346;
total real estate, Sl77, $780, ,2l0; improve
ments on other than city lots, S472,009;
improvements on city lots, $50, ,406, lo5:
total S26I, SOS, ,995; personal property. S4I,-
9l5,974; money and solvent credits, SI5,-
SS3, ,929; total assessment roll, S325, los, ,o9o.
For 1895 the Auditors statement shows
the assessment to be: Real estate outside
of city lots, 8, SIS, 800; city and town lots,
Sl76 los, 256; total real estate, Sl1o. $50, 646;
improvements on outside real estate,
500, 400; improvements on city and town
lots, $50, 81, ,559: total value OF real estate
and improvements, $3.50, ,6O5; personal
property, $40 6J4, ,0j6; money and solvent
credits. Sl7, u, ,4S6; total assessment roll,
S327 ,SO5, IA.
This gives an increase on the roll Tor
csnt The board last year raised the as-
sessment roll - per cent. over the figures
given, or about S42,OGO,OO
Mr. HerZer read a statement relating
the difficulties attendant on the assess
ment, and claiming that the assessment
was fully high enough. and that to assess
property at It's selling price would not be
Just and would be impracticable. Prop
erty has not Increased in value for five
years past. The course OF the transcontl-
mental lines in making terminal points
outside Of the city has built UP the IN
terror and allowed it to get closer TO the
Eastern markets. This has lowered
rents IN San raIfeisco and caused de-
preston in business there. The decrease
in seventeen counties III the southern
part OF the Stale since 1883 has been $685.
257. San Francisco, on the contrary, has
increased in that time Z7.43 per cent, or
about 81, ,005, 900.
The board said that this years assess
ment would not bear out the statement
regarding the lower counties, Mr.. COlgan
asked on what be based his statement of
san FrancIsco's increase, andtMr HerZer
said tEey included last year. raise by the
board, above the assessment.
be admitted that il was nard TO get full
returns of personal property, which ac-
counted for the small amount on the roll
and claimed that solvent credits and
money were better assessed In San Fran
cisco than throughout the rest OF the State.
Equalizer Beamer asked where he
found anything on which TO base that
conclusion and Mr.. HerZer said 1t was
from the figures furnished to the board
by the different Auditors, taken as a per
cent. of the total assessments.
Reading from his figures, Mr.. Herzer
said they clearly indicated a decline in
values, and Chairman MOrehouse said
they certainly indicated decrease IN The
assessment roll.
Mr. II erZer continued and read list of
firms that have retired from business,
decreasing the personal property list
S3.577,9ll. 1t included the Pacific and
Peoples Savings Banks and the Home
Mutual Insurance Company and two
others.
Mr. Beamer asked If the insurance
companies did not consolidate with other
companies, aud Mr.. Morehouse asked if
MIR. Herzer thought the money had gone
CUT OF the State.
supervisor Taylor said that eight in
surauce companies had gone out of busi-
ness, including the Angio-Nevada. OF
course, they had been absorbed into other
companies, but it had decreased the Prop
erty roll.
Mr. Herzer read list Of property that
had been sold at auction within the lash
year. the highest bid being $l35,9 $40 and
the assessment being $780, Property
in various cities in the State is assessed at
Il valuation Of $40 TO 81, 100 q front foot,
while on the north side Of Market street
in San Francisco The highest valuation is
s.. 800 a front foot, ana he thought that
showed property in that city to be well
assessed. lie believed in rendering to
Caesar the things that were C5esar's.
Mr.. Colgan asked who was Caesar. and
his tone indicated that he thought it was
spelled Seizer. and was a pet name for
San Francisco.
Among other things Mr.. HerZer said
that ii san Francisco were obIiterated
from ihe map there would be no Cali
torIda, a statement which caused an audi
bic smile to ripple over the faces OF the
members OF the board.
Tie taxpayers OF San Francisco, he
claimed, constitute nearly one-third of
the bone and sinew OF the state and it
should be the policy Of the State TO favor
khem.
Mr. Beamer asked if it was not fact
that the money OF the State flows largely
to San Francisco III excess of other parts
OF the State, and if that did not naturally
accumulate money and solvent credits
more than the rest OF the State Mr..
Herzer said that it was not there on the
fret Monday III March, and Mr.. More
house said that country Assessors had
had bean sent to San Francisco at that
time and escaped assessments in the
country. Mr.. HerZer said that the San
Francisco Assessor should have been no
titled. There was an increase OF SSl3 T6I
in personal property.
Mr.. Colgau asked if that was not due to
the new revenue law, and Mr. Herzer
said that the law forced the Assessor for
the first time to collect personal property
taxes not secured by real estate. There
are !, 900 delinquent personal taxes this
year as against 1900 last year, showing
that The law increases the collections.
Two thousand OF these had moved to
other places.
Equalizer Arnold said that Mr.. Herzer
wished 10 compare the amount Of money
and solvent credits on the san Francisco
roll with that of other counties. The San
Francisco banks have IN capital stock, re-
serves and due Geposltors, SlS3, ,000 600,
more than half of the total amount on the
assessment roll. Comparing Los Angeles
banks on the same basis, they stood fully
rs we'll.
The Bank OF California reports $3.50 900
solvent credits and money on hand, and
is assessed Tor $40 coo. Mr.. HerZer con-
tended that the bank had no solvent cred
its after deGuctlug amount due TO de-
positOrs. He aud Mr.. Arnold immedi-
ateIy locked horns on that issue, the lat
ter, having been banker, saying that he
knew the banks always wished TO deduct
everything. They compared the figures
OF the banks statement 10 the Bank Com
missioners, with the assessment, and Mr..
Arnold claimed that the capital, amount
ing to over three millions, was not as
sessed at all. Mr.. Herzer claimed that it
ought not to be. and that the money on
hand ought not 10 be.
Mr. Arnold asked If they did not put
over five millions in money into the