The San Francisco call., 1896-09-11
The State Board Transcribed Its
Lawful Powers in Forcing an
Arbitrary Increase.
IMMEDIATE INJUNCTION FROM THE
SUPREME COURT WANTED.
Merchants Association and the Citizens
Charter Association Unite in the Popu-
lar Demand for Relief.

RESOLVED, BY the citizens, mer-
chants and taxpayers of San Francisco
in meeting assembled this tenth 1Oth)
day OF September, 1896, that we en-
phaticalIy denounce this arbitrary
action of Messrs. Morehouse, Beamer
and Arnold in the State Board of Equal
ization, unequal, unjust and unfair.
RESOLVED, That a sense of justice
should prevail, and that the State
Board of Equalization make public
their cause for the increase, since the
assessed valuation of 1857, 100000
this year is now raised by them 20 per
cent, while the assessed valuation last
year of 1927, 100000 was accepted by
them as fairly representing the actual
value of all property in this City and
County liable TO taxation.
RESOLVED, That the laws of Cali
fornia have clearly defined the prov
ince of the State Board of Equalization
to see that the assessm ent of one county,
as a whole, is equal in per cent of value
to the average assessment of other coun-
ties; and that the state Board of Equal
ization has unreasonabIy and unwar-
rantabIy transcended its lawful powers
IA AOICthS an 1nCIods0 III
present high valuation of San Francisco;
and that the Board of Supervisors of
this City and County, representing the
municipality, as certain at once the legal
rights of this City to secure an imme-
diate inj JUNCTION from the Supreme Court
of the State of California, in order that
this summary proceeding of the state
Board of Equalization may be judicialIy
reviewed and if possible reversed, and
this threatened outrage upon the people
of San Francisco frustrated and nullified.
RESOLVED, That a certified copy of
these resolutions be forwarded at once
to the State Board of Equalization at
Sacramento, and To the Board of Super
visors of the City and County of San
Francisco.
At the quarterly meeting of the Mer-
chants Association last evening in the
hall of the Academy of Sciences, these
resolutions were unanimously adopted.
The Citizens Charter Association was we'll
represented by It's most active members,
and, as they had no voice in the premises,
they very successfully showed their hearty
approval by applauding vigorously. Both
bodies rose up against the increase by the
State Board OF Equalization in the valu-
alton of the assessment roll of San Fran
cisco, and this was their united expression
of sentiment on the subject.
The resolutions were introduced by
Maurice a. Rothchild of the Wertheimer
Company, a director OF the Merchants
Association, and in conjunction with the
following preamble:
WHEREAS The assessed valuation of prop
erty In San Francisco as made by the Assessor
this year exceeds 1857 900 600 showing an
increase of over $10O,000,000 during the past
ten years aud nearly $30,00O,000 during the
sessment of $685., 100000 is equal to $1,000
assessment for every man, woman and child
in the City and County of san Francisco, and
proportlonately next to the highest of any
large city in the United States, and higher
than the assessment OF property in any other
county of this State, being 271z per cent
increase III San Francisco during the
last five years against only IL per
cent increase in the balance of California.
and whereas, Notwithstanding a voluntary
increase by the City of $30,000,000 in the
valuation of San Francisco over last years
assessment, majority of one in the State
Board OF Equalization has arbitrarily ordered
an increase OF 20 per cent In the assessed valu-
alton of this City, thus raising the present
assessment roll OF San Francisco for State pur-
poses 10 1922 900 600 and burdenfng the tax
payers OF this City with an increase of taxes
this year OF about 100000, therefore, etc.
F. w. Dohrmann, president of the Mer-
chants Association called the meeting to
order when the hall was comfortably
filed with weIl-known citizens.
Without delay the quarterly report of
the board of directors was read by ]. Rich
ard Freud, secretary of the association.
Among other things the report contained
the following:
The rapid increase in the membership of the
association is most gratifying to those who
have devotedly watched It's progress from
torty-seyen members two and one-half years
ago 10 its present encouraging roll of 659
regular members. During the past quarter the
association has gained 254 new members
The classified list recently published COM
prises over $50 diversified Industries. The
total capital repre- sented by these numerous
firms exceeds 500, 100000 of the assesssble
wealth of San Francisco. When it is remem-
bered that nearly all OF the members of the
Merchants Association are business firms, con-
tanning several partners and many employees,