The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-26
HIS IDEA IS GROWING
Mayor Sutro May Give His
Library a Gigantic
Endowment.
IS DEVELOPING THE DETAILS
Deep In the Problem Of Taxes
With Several Of His Legal
Advisers.

Mayor Sutro is engaged on a bit of work
fraught with the greatest consequences to
his new public library. He is trying to
determine how the land endowment to the
institution may be exempted from taxa
ton. This may not appear of such I'M
mense consequence when the land he has
already promised is considered. But
Mayor Sutro has other objects in view. Ii
all goes we'll in the law and otherwise there
is chance that he will endow the institu-
ton with nearly 100 acres OF outside lands.
OF course those outside lands are mostly
sandhills now and sadly need improve
ments, but cable-cars and electric-cars are
already poking their noses into them, and
it won't be long before they are the sites OF
suburban homes. The value of those out
side blocks is going up with cheerful per-
sistency and as the years roll by they Will
be worth a sum of money that would start
several Vanderbilt families in life.
Big values mean big taxes, and that is
the reason that Mayor Sutro and his legal
advisers are digging into the question OF
the way to avoid saddling the burden OF
taxes on the Sutro library. AS it is an in
stitution for the benefit of the public the
that the taxes will be distributed.
Yesterday he held long conference on
the point with Judge Wallace and ex-
Justice McKinstry. Judge Wallace repre-
sented the Regents OF the State University
and ex-Justice McKinstry was there to
watch over the interests of Mayor Sutro
and get data to safeguard the new library.
The question Of the payment OF taxes
on the land already promised the new in
stitution was thoroughly discussed. Mayor
Sutro is the author of n law passed by the
last Legislature which exempts from taxa
tioa sas site aaG g.i.3iEg .. TGs.:e sGs.i
tutions similar tn the Sutro library. Does
IL likewise exempt from taxation the lands
by which such places are endowedf upiu-
lon seems 10 incline TO the belief that II
does not.
AT the conference yesterday il was
thought that this obstacle could be avoided
by making the Sntro library part OF the
University of California. All lands OF the
University of California are exempt from
taxation. Trustees could be appointed TO
watch over the special endowment belong
ing TO the library and keep II separate
from the general funds of the university.
Should the library and its endowments
be turned over 20 the university Mayor
onbto VIII nave tns pEactcaA niAuaEtuehe
of them during his life time, the same as
Senator AID Mrs. Stanford had with the
affairs OF Leland Stanford Jr. University.
No final conclusion was reached in the
conference yesterday and the matter will
be taken up again next Monday. 30 many
details OF the greatest importance are
cropping w in the big matter that II will
he some time yet before the deeds are
signed. Like all institutions of its kind
the original idea is constantly developing
in the mind of che donor. The present one
Is assuming immense proportions. Mayor
Sutro. however, Is studying everything
with scrupuIous care so as 10 build one OF