The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-11
--LATEST OAKLAND NEWS,
Assessor Dalton Creates a Stir
Among the Corpora
tons.
THEY MUST PAY MORE TAXES
The Young Son of a San Francisco
Policeman Burned to
: Death.

Assessor Dalton's Office was thronged
with property-owners and the representa-
tives of corporations Yesterday, all striving
to ascertain why the assessment values of
their holdings had been raised and trying
to convince Mr.. Dalton that previous
officials had placed the figures about right.
The Assessor listened to their stories and
plants with unvarying courtesy, but in
every instance showed he was familiar
with the properties under discussion and
that his figures had been based on reliable
information or actual knowledge rather
than guesswork.
1.-THE arguments of some of these people
amuse me-" said the Assessor when 5
''They seem to think that I am merely
raising assessments to carry out the
pledges 1 made before election and that
my figures are arbitrary.
II went about the business of ascertain
ing what the value of Oakland properties
are IN a systematic way and believe
that my figures are nearly right. IL |
wanted to know the value of a piece of land
l called on a real estate man and asked his
opinion Such men ought to know what
. Oakland real estate is worth. When the
d: question of the value of improvements
came up I asked contractors and builders
to estimate for me. Their opinions ought
to bear weight. In no instance have l
raised a valuation without gaining the
opinion of experts, and should any ques-
ton of my assessments be raised think
will be able to show that they are just and
equable.
lone of the most amusing incidents that
has happened to-day was the visit Of Head
Bookkeeper Watkinson of the Contra
Costa Water Company, who called in to
leave a statement of the property of the
company. On looking at the document
at once saw that the corporation had not
placed a valuation on a single bit OF prop
erty belonging to it, merely giving list OF
its belongin gs.
- Here said I, this is not the state
ment required by law. You must tell me
what Won value this plant at and how
much this real estate is worth TO you
He assured me that the company was
not able to estimate values and that it
would much rather have me do 1t for them.
! asked him how | was going to make an
estimate if the company could not, but he
insisted that the corporation was not
good authority on the subject and l let the
matter drop there.
Il didn't tell him that I had already
secured an estimate of the belongings of
the company to the last dollar, and have
the figures all ready for use when they are
needed. As a matter of fact | have not
made these tgures public yet, but you can
saw the assessed value of their property
will be more like 81, $4,000 or perhaps
81, SOC, 900 than the 500, 900 on which they
paid taxes last year. The trouble with the
Contra Costa Water Company is that if
they make a sworn statement of the value
d of their property, such as l would accept, it
will be used by the City Council as basis
for fixing water rates, and the company
might lose more in revenues through that
source than the extra taxes l might make
them pay would amount 10.
''Other corporations have tried to con-
vince me that their assessments are too
high, but l cannot see it in that way, and |
shall keep my figures as have placed
them. hear some talk of contest coming
from roundabout sources, but l think that
those vino take any such action viii find
their hands full when l present my evil
dence to the Board of Equalization.
Now as to the Southern Pacific Railroad
assessment, l am not prepared to say just
how much l will raise it; but you may be
assured that the increase will be a good,
healthy one, and on properties on which
the company is not figuring Just at pres
ent. Despite the fact that much of the
company's property is not in sight. so to
speak, my aIds have found enough already
to raise the company's assessment by
$500, 600 at least, and the figures may be
twice that before we get through.
You will notice In some instances that
the improvements on real estate have been
valued at less than by previous Assessors.
Buildings do not increase in value with
age, while real estate, as a general rule,
does"
Some of the most important raises de-
cided for by Mr.. Dalton were in the bust
ness portion of the city, where large build
upon them by real estate men. Among
them were the following:
Henry Severing, corner of Eleventh and
Washington streets, increased from $40 $50
to $63, 875.
John Nicoll, Ninth and Washington
streets, increased from $50, 900 to $50, $50.
Frederick Delger, Thirteenth street and
Broadway, increased from S183,800 to
1874, 800 The same owner of block be-
tween Thirteenth and Fourteenth streets
on Broadway was increased from $187 600
10 $244, $50, and property on Fourteenth
street, between Broadway and Washin gton
street, from $50, 900 to $50, 800.
The property of the Oakland Bank of
Savings was increased from $38, 600 to
$4,000.
W. G. Henshaw, banker, corner of
Twelfth and Washington streets, was in
creased from $41, $50 to $67, 900.
The Bacon Land Company property on
the east side of Washington street, be-
tween Eleventh and Twelfth streets, was
increased from $149, $50 to $195,0O
Mrs NJ. A. Blake, southeast corner of
Twelfth and Washington streets, increased
from $59, $50 to $92, 300.
Crellin Hotel, Tenth and Washington
streets, from $41, $50 to S65, $50.
The assessed value of dozens of other
properties was increased, though not in so
marked degree, and in almost every in
stance the value of Improvements was
slightly decreased. The aggregate raise in
assessments so far will amount to nearly
81, 1000.
Among the corporations yet to be as
sessed is the Oakland, San Leandro and
Haywards Electric Company, which has
heretofore paid taxes on $137, 600.
Mr. Dalton says that while he was
member of the City Council the attorney
for the company stated that the road cost
$4,000 to build. He will give the COM
pany substantial raise, though he has not
as yet investigated the matter thoroughly
enough to say how much it will be.
The Cottel Damage Case.
The case of Frank Cottell, the lad who
was injured on April 6, 1898, when the
railroad ticket-office at the foot of Broad
way was hauled to the corporation-yard,