The record-union., 1896-05-06

duty. The blank form given to every
taxpayer to fill and which he has to
sign, and to which he makes oath, has
these, among other listings, upon it:
Wagons, buggies. carriages. bicycles.
other vehicles" Now, if these are not
filled out, and the blank is sworn to,
then the affiant commits perjury. If
the Assessor knows the property-owner
has a bicycle and does not list it, then
he violates his oath of Office. The SIM
pie truth is that all this chatter about
bicycle-owners escaping taxation, will
fully or otherwise, is indecent. The
owners OF wheels are as good citizens
as any others; they are not perjurers
nor thieves of the city. They do not
conceal their property, nor send it away
in the ides of March to cheat the city.
Bicycles are personal property, as are
pianos, wagons, dog carts, billiard ta-
bles, hacks, horses and other odds and
ends There are over a thousand wheel
men in Sacramento, and mostly voters.
of sense and decency and spirit. They
will, of course, feel kindly towards the
smart fellows who charge them with
fraud and cheating to the extent OF
$50, 900, or any extent. BY the way,
the Board of Trustees Monday night,
as is reported, that the Assessor should
assess all bicycles at $50, it was an
assinine proceeding. In the first place.
the board has no power to direct the
Assessor what value he shall place on
any property. In the next place, some
bicycles are worth, secondhand, more
than $50, and more are worth, second
hand, much less than $50. If justice is
done they will be assessed precisely as
is other personal property. Finally, if,
| with more than 1000 wheelmen and
women daily riding through the streets
of the city, the bicycle has not been as
sessed, let the Board Of Trustees call
upon the Assessor to give reason why.
In that they would be performing
| legitimate function. But, as before
said, we do not believe the story that
the Assessor has been derelict. We
know of a very large number of cases
in which he has assessed bicycles as he
ought to in all cases, and probably has.
In the death Of Editor T. J. Mcfarland
Of the Folsom Telegraph" the edi-
torial fraternity has lost an associate
and friend with a host of good qualities.
Mr.. Mcfarland was a devoted friend Of
Sacramento County, in the interest of
which he had labored many years. He
was a quiet, unobtrusive, industrious
man, of clear perceptions, clean think
ing and upright life. He served a long
time acceptably as member of the
Executive Committee Of the California
Press Association, of which he was one
of the pioneer founders. His loss is
deeply regretted and sincerely mourned
in this community, for he had a legion of
friends and but few enemies
And now Oak Park, the Queen
Suburb" of Sacramento City, has a
newspaper, called the Sacramento
County Ledger" 1t is published
weekly by McCraney and Steiger, and
H. A. McCraney, formerly of the Lake
port Avalanche" is the editor. Under
ordinary circumstances Oak Park
would not be considered very ex-
tended field for newspaper enterprise,
but Mr. McCraney is a newspaper man
| of pretty keen judgment, and he is
liable to publish a pretty good paper,
no matter where 1t is located. We pre-
dict that the Ledger will be heard
from.
A New York papers London CORE