The record-union., 1897-07-20
THE OLD ANNUAL SQUARBLE.
SUPERVISORS AND ASSESSOR
HAD IT LAST NIGHT.
The County Roll Reduced $50, $50,
Exclusive of the Mills Bank
Assessment.

The members Of the Board of Super
visors, sitting as the Board of EqualiZa-
ton for the county, held their annual
high jinks last night, when the time
came for final action ON the applications
for reductions of assessments.
The number of applicants was not
great this year, and the reductions
asked We're small, with the exception
of that of the National Bank Of D. o..
Mills & Co, on which Assessor Berk-
ey had placed an arbitrary assessment
Of 81, 157 900, and that of the Sacra-
mento Electric Gas and Railway Com
pany, whose franchises We're assessed
for $4,000.
The board took up the applications
for rfinal action yesterday afternoon, and
when it adjourned at o'clock about
one-third of them had been disposed
of. 1t was known, however, that some
Of the old and knotty problems would
be encountered at the evening session
and that it would be a protracted one.
And so it was. 1t was midnight when
the board completed it's work, as it was
required by law to do before the close
of the third Monday in July.
When the board reached the applica-
ton of the Bank of D. o. Mills & Co.
for reduction from 50, 157,0 900 on
money and solvent credits, to S6l6,OOO'
came up for consideration, Assessor
Berkey, replying to questions put by
Supervisor Morrison, said he had lev
led the assessments on statements made
by Frank Miller, cashier of the bank.
cafA ha would
much have liked to have had the Dis
trict Attorney, who had rendered an
opinion that the assessment was not
an arbitrary one, present He regretted
that the opinion had not been made IN
writing He read the section of the stat
ute referring to arbitrary assessments
to show that his action had been reg
ular. He felt satisfied, he said, from
his own observations and from the eVl-
dence of Mr. Miller when he had been
summoned as a witness, that he hao
not assessed all of the property OF the
National Bank of D. o. Mills & Co.
Supervisor Morrison stated that II the
board acted upon the matter ana de-
MED the application, it would allow the
bank TO go into court, whereas II the
hoard took no action the whole matter
would go over a year. If the board
denied the application, he SAID, the
bank. he understood, intended to take
the matter into the court on the simple
question to determine whether or not
the property assessed was or was not
assessed above it's actual value. MI
Morrison moved the application be de-
MED.
Supervisor Dreman differed with Su-
pervisor Morrison, and moved the
prayer of the petitioners be granted.
During the last three years, he SAID,
the National Bank of D. o. Mills mad
paid nothing into the treasury or the
county or State in the line of taxes.
Supervisor Jenkins seconded the mo-
tion of Mr.. Morrison.
Mr.. brennan moved an amendment
that the prayer of the petitioner be
granted.
Mr.. Curtis seconded the amendment.
Assessor Berkey said the matter was
one of vast Importance to the taxpay-
ers of the county. Mr.. Dreman's state
ment that the bank had paid no taxes
for the last three years, and did not
intend to do so in the lifetime of the
Supervisor, if he lived a hundred years,
is true.
Supervisor Mclaughlin wanted to
know whether action along the line Of
Mr. Morrison's motion would force the
bank to pay.
Assessor Berkey said he felt satisfied
that if the motion prevailed the bank
would, in the end, be obliged to pay
The twenty-seven National banks in
the State. he said, were bound together
1To r1e- 1,ar1
other corporations in the State. None
OF them had as yet paid. He informed
Major Mclaughlin that it would be as
easy to collect $4,000 as S16O, and
that the only thing was whether the
county would warrant such collection.
Mr.. Mclaughlin wanted to know
what the Assessor meant by saying the
board had been intimidated.
Mr. Berkey said he had said nothing
about intimidation, and then Mr.. Nor
rison got the floor. He said the only
good Sacramento got from the National
Bank of D. o. Mills & Co. is from the
salaries paid its employees. There was,
he said. no reason why National bank
should be exempted and other banks be
taxed to the uttermost. The bank, he
told Mr.. brennan, did not say it would
pay the tax if reduced, but said it
would fight the Assessors assessment
in the courts.
The motion being on the substitute,
it was carried by the following vote:
Ayes-Dreman, Curtis and McLaugh-
lin.
Noes-Jenkins and Morrison.
Assessor Berkey gave notice that he
would to-day bring suit to restrain the
Auditor from accepting the roll fixed
by the action of the board He had
last year, he said, compelled the
Rancho Del Paso TO pay $500, and he
believed he could also make the bank
pay.
Mr.. Morrison was not yet satisfied
and called for the vote on his motion
as amended by brennan. He insisted
that to strike the million and a half
dollars from the banks roll was unwar-
ranted.
Assessor Berkey also took another
turn at argument, and said he would
have no excuse to offer when he went
before the State Board of Equalization.
except that the Board of Supervisors
had so ordered IL.
Mr.. brennan said he understood the
bank was willing to pay over 5000, 600