The San Francisco call., 1896-07-21
CORPORATIONS GET
BIG REDUCTIONS,
The Local Equalization
Board Completes It's
LaborS.
BANK VALUATIONS STICK
The Market-Street Company'S
Assessment Reduced Half
a Million.
GAS COMPANY WELL TREATED.
A Million Knocked OFF It's Franchise
and Twenty Thousand Off
Improvements.
GAS COMPANY WELL TREATED


work as Board of Equalization yesterday.
after a continuous session OF over five
hours Besides acting upon a number of
applications of individual property
for reductions the board passed upon the
assessments of the banks and corpora
tions. The assessments of the banks
property was allowed to stand as fixed by
the Assessor, while most of the corpora
tions were granted substantial reductions.
The banks will probably seek redress in
the courts for what they deem exorbitant
assessments, so still further reduction in
the City and County assessment-rou may
be made.
Before deciding upon the applications OF
the corporations the following reductions
were allowed by the board:
Patrick Holland, S16, $50 to $40, 400; Mar
gsret Koch, $l400 10 $1,000; Charles AshtOn'
$64. 500 TO $51 600; John w. Quick, $500 70
$500; Claus Spreckels, $33S, 800 to $303, 300;
B. Pedfocini, 5000 to $500; Elizabeth /. JOY,
$7S61 to nothing; c: II. Westphal, $6SO0 TO
$1,000; Sarah Miller, $500 TO $500; Michael
O'Connor, $500 to $500; Elizabeth Flynn,
5000 to $3.50; Bridget Mulharen, $4,000 10
$3.50; j. Gascon, $4,000 10 $500; Jane Duff
estate, $1,000 10 $1200; james Mcdonald, $3.50
TO $500; Thomas kehoe, $3.50 TO nothing; Jo-
seph p Mulhall, $1,000 TO $780, Ida E. Coles,
$1,000 TO Sl750; Ellen Lyons. $1,000 to $500;
EIroy, $500 to $3.50; Josephine Aubrey, 5000
TO 500; r. Finley, $4,000 10 $500; G. +.
Wins.ow, $4,000 to $4,000; Da.iel Dineen,
$4,000 TO $4,000; Margaret McGifin. $3.50 TO
$3.50; Lilly K. Brooks, $400 10 $500.
James Mcdonald made spirited speech
in asking for a reduction on the assess
ment of his humble dwelling from $3.50
to $780, Your Honor" said he, address
ing Supervisor Taylor, II was working on
the water front four years under Mark
ham, but when James Budd came into Of
flee was fired. And I'll say right here,
gentlemen, that 1 was fl hting for my
country while Budd was getting his edu-
cation at the expense of the State" Nc
Donald's Bryanic oratory was not unavail-
ing and the red uction was granted.
Attorney Pillsbury, representing the Pa
ciic Telephone and Telegraph Company.
asked for q reduction on the assessment of
the company's franchise from $780, 600 to
$780, 600. The application was denied, and
the Assessors estimate, which is $500, ,00C
greater than last years valuation, was al
lowed to stand.
The Spring Valley Water Works
sPPSa6On P 0 to fo5 reduction D P from
ment was at first denied, and the
Assessors figures were allowed to
stand, in spite of the recommendation
made by the Grand Jury that the assess
ment be raised. Assessor Siebe declared
that he had assessed the water company
in the same way he had assessed other
orporations-assessing the stock at one
half its market value and leaving out the
bonds. This was the basis used by the
board in determining the water rates for
the present year. According to the appli-
cation made by the company, it has no
franchise assessable by the board, and its
representative declared the matter would
be taken into the courts if an attempt were
made to assess the franchise.
A motion of Supervisor Hughes to grant
a reduction of 81, 900. 600 was passed by the
folio wing vote: Ayes-Hughes, Wagner
Morgenstern, King, Benjamin, .Scullv and
Bunker. Taylor was the only one voting
against the reduction, which, if granted,
he declared, would necessitate the grant
ing of eductions to all the other corpora
tions.
The assessment of the Edison Light and
Power Company was considered next.
The com pany had applied for reduction
from 500, 900 to $3.50, 900. A motion was
made by Hughes and seconded by Ben
jamin reducing the assessment to $500, 900,
and was carried.
City Attorney Creswell, who had been
requested by the board to submit an
opinion in regard TO the bank assessments,
appeared before the board and stated that
owing to the press of other business ne had
been unable to look the matter up. and that
the VI GuC DOdIQ MOuiQ nave TO
act upon their own judgment.
Deputy Assessor Herzer interrupted the
deliberations OF the board to protest
against the wholesale reductions being
made in the assessments of the corpora
tions. "lf the assessments of these cor
porations are reduced he declared, "the
State Board of Equalization will surely
raise the assessments of this City 30 or 40
per cent"
Considerable discussion ensued over the
assessment of the Market-street Railway
Company. The Assessor had raised the
company's assessment from S3, 800 600 to
$5,6S3, ,5S4 and the company had asked a
reduction to $1,183,000. On the other
hand A. J. Clunie had asked to have the
assessment raised to something like $17,-
100000. Siebe explained the raise he had
made in the corporations assessment on
account of the seventy miles of road
which the company has constructed DUR
ing the past year.
This years assessment of the COMPANY
exceeds last years by some 500, 600.
Benjamin moved that u reduction OF 81. 600.
geo be made, thus making a net reduction
of about $500, 900 on last years valuation.
Deputy Assessor Herzer and Chairman
Taylor again protested against the reduc-
tion.
Benjamin did not know whether the re-
duction should be made on the franc hise
the corporation. Hughes, in answer to
Benjamin's s query, stated that he had not
decided how it should be done. tsThen
the railroad didn't direct you how the
matter should be doneT' NO." replied
blu hes, "if they had you would have got
your instructions. too.' 81 dare say
would, f" replied Taylor.
Benjamin's motion was amended by
Hughes, making reduction of $500, 600
instead of $1,000,000 The amended mo-
tion was carried by the same vote as the
motion to reduce the Spring Valleys as
sessment, Benjamin, Hughes, King, Wsg-
ner, Morgenstern, Scully and Bunker vot-
ing aye, and Taylor voting against the
reduction.
Taylor expressed the opinion that the
work being done by the board was illegal,
as it was already past II o'clock. the hour
set by law for the closing of the board
deliberations. The other members of the
ard thought differently, however, and
the work of reducing assessments went
merrily on.
reduction from $35, 900 to $15. 900 was
granted the San Francisco Gas Com pany
on its improvements. The request of the
company for a reduction from s61S, ,270 to