The San Francisco call., 1896-07-20
The Mass-Meeting to Condemn
Them Unheard Was De-
clared Off.
POLICEMEN AND PROTECTION
Accorded Freely 10 Powerful Inter.
eSts but Denied to Chill
dren
OAKLAND OFFICE SAN FRANcIsco CALL
Qn2 Rrnndunrr I,,l,r 10


chise. The question has been raised at
each OF the annual sessions of the Board
of Equalization since Assessor Dalton was
elected, and is still ieopsrdizing the
chances of the present board TO succeed
itself. During the past week the public
have been taught many lessons and have
been regaled with many sidelights on the
vexed subject of equalization of railroad
property. -Four distinct methods OF
assessing have been shown. There is Mr..
Warehouses; unique method, the details
of which are known oply to himself, and
which the Supervisors and Assessor do not
yet comprehend, although they have it
under advisement" The only man who
fully understands and agrees with Mr..
Morehouse is e. Black Ryan of the South
ern Pacific. Mr.. Morehouse thinks Mr.,
Ryan's idea of the law as bearing on as
sessments is perfect; Mr.. Ryan shows the
utmost respect for the San Leandro
banker, and hints that he is a model
assessor.
Then comes Mr.. Daltons method of
valuation. He seems to have arrived at
the conclusion that the genuine value of
railroad property is about three times the
amount sent in by the corporation, and
acts accordingly.
The Supervisors have method of their
own OF arriving at values, but so far they
have not taken the public into their con-
fdenee.
Lastly, comes the method of fixing
values as presented by the corporations
themselves. One street railroad company
asks that its franchise be assessed for the
amount it paid for it. mere bagatelle.
To this Mr.. Dalton replied that the best
criterion OF value was that put upon it by
the company when it placed its bonds on
the market. To an ordinary individual
this seems very reasonable, but to Super
visor Talcott it wes intolerab BILE, and the
Assessor was not heard further. The peo-
pie who did not vote for Mr.. Talcott made
a note of his expression of protection for
the road that runs through his district.
and he will have chance to answer when
he goes before the electors again.
For whole week the Board of Equaliza-
tion has heard the views of the various
parties and tomorrow it must decide as
between Dalton and the figures furnished
by corporations. 1t is not an easy task,
nor one to be deYoutly wished for. To re-
duee the assessments will be to court the
announcement of an Indignation" meet
ing: to sustain Dalton will lose them the
influence OF the push. If the Supervisors
believe in the efficacy OF prayer, mighty
must be their efforts to seek superhuman
wisdom this fine Sabbath.
As the streetcar lines of Oakland are all
running at a loss it is only reasonable to
suppose that they would be anxious to
avoid damage suits, which occasionally
run into fine figures, They are all losing
money, for their representatives before
the Board of Equalization said so during
the past week. They continue to kill peo-
pie through carelessness and to disobey
safety ordinances and to pay heavy iudg-
ments. This is a state of affairs that
would be ludicrous if it were not true.
The only reasonable assumption is that
the roads are not losing money and that it
is cheaper to kill a few people than to
obey the law.
A matter was being discussed on Broad
way yesterday that has a direct bearing
on a state of affairs not uncommon in this
city. Two messenger boys were approach
ing their head offices, and, when on the
corner of the block, they rode their wheels
few yards on the sidewalk so that they
could alight at the door. An energetic
policeman saw them and succeeded in
arresting one of the boys. When at the
police station he was induced" to tell
who his mpanion was that had escaped.
A minute later police headquarters tele-
phoned to the messenger Office that if the
other boy did not come up and nav 80
fine the natrol wagon would be sent for
him. The poor boy went to the City Hall
and paid half his weeks salary for a crime
that he was not even convicted of
Within block of the same Office ordi-
nances are broken hundred times a day.
and not one arrest has ever been made.
The ordinance relates to streetcars stop
ping on crosswalks and passing each
other within fifty feet of crossing. The
latter ordinance was passed out of respect
to public opinion, after two little girls had
been cruelty mangled one evening through
is $500, but not once has such an amount
gone into the city treasury.
One of the men who were discussing the
matter said, ''Why should the employees
OF street magnates like r. M. Smith and
the Southern Paclhc Company be pro-
tected when boy is promptly arrested
for paltry little offense that hurts no.
body?"
Why, indeed?
The subject has caused much discussion
and the public are at loss to know why
the uniformed gentlemen who parade the
streets DO not know their whole duty, and
il they know it why they do not perform
1t. Nearly every day there is serious
runaway in the center of the city. 1t is
nearly always caused by an unhitehed
horse taking fright. Yet scores OF loose
teams are left on the street every day
although there is an ordinance prohibiting
It. 1t is very commendable to arrest CHI
nese gamblers and school children who
violate the sidewalk ordinance. but it is
also well not to ignore those measures
which are Of much greater Importance and