The record-union., 1897-09-15
BY THE STATE AT LARGE.

The San Francisco Cali is hotly en-
ton by the State at large of the State
Board Of Equalization. An election by
the State at large would simply give
control of the board to the populous
centers. San Francisco, at the coming
State election, Will cast $4,000 out of a
possible 325, 1000 votes in the State.
The Calls" proposition, then, is a
bare, bold attempt to confer upon San
Francisco a balance of power which
will make the State Board of Equaliza-
tion subservient to that city.
Our Bay contemporary is interview
ing a number of citizens on this sub
ject, all citizens, however, of San
Francisco, each of whom declares that
an election at large is what is re-
quired. All usurpations take refuge
behind this device of an election at
large. The exercise of local self gov
ernment has never been popular with
the enemies of democratic insti
tions. Aristocratic bodies, like the
Senate of the United States, are chosen
by interests just as remote from the
people as could possibly be devised.
The interests Of the State divide
themselves into very natural classifi
cations. There are sections where
the paramount interest is stock-rais
ing. in which cattle and sheep pre-
dominate. There are other sections
Of the State interested chiefly in fruit
growing; still other sections devoted
wholly to general farming, and other
sections where the paramount industry
is mining; and last, there is a section
of the State in which commercial and
manufacturing activities are para
mount
The San Francisco Call" abandon
ing the traditions of the fathers. wants
to give to the commercial metropolis of
the State a balance of power which
will confer upon it absolute control of
the Board Of Equalization. It does
this in the name Of justice to San
Francisco. The mining interest is to
have no representation on the State
Board Of Equalization. The agricult
ural interest is to be equally ignored.
Fruit-growing and stock-raising are TO
have no voice. The concentrated and
consolidated vote of San Francisco is
to be brought to bear as a, balance Of
power, and no man is to be permitted
to, exercise any of the authority vouch-
safed to the State Board of Equaliza-
tion unless he is wholly satisfactory TO
San Francisco.
When the Cali has ripened this
nefarfous scheme, then we will lapse
into the old condition where interior
property. including personal as well as
real, will be assessed at from 20 to 90
per cent of its actual selling value.
and property in San Francisco will be
assessed at from % to 40 per cent of
its actual selling value, and personal
property by the millions win escape
taxation altogether.
The San Francisco Call" would
manifest a higher sense of justice and
manliness if it had proposed a thought
full investigation of the subject. We
are prepared to demonstrate before an
impartial board of investigators that,
as determined by the result Of actual
sales within the last seven years, prop
erty in the interior is assessed for
% per cent. more than in the city OF
san Francisco. This is a fair propo-
sition. and it touches the nerve of the
whole case. The issue between the
interior and the city Of San Francisco
is one of fact It is asfact which may
be determined by actual transactions
in realty that the real property of
the interior is assessed for a larger
percentage of its actual selling value
than the real property of San Fran
cisco. We are prepared TO demonstrate
before a board of impartial inquirers
that. Notwithstanding the increase
made by the State Board of Equaliza
ton and the recent decrease made by
the same board. property in the in
terror is assessed at a larger percent
age of its value than the realty Of the
city Of San Francisco. The people Of