The San Francisco call., 1897-09-05
FACTS AND
FIGURES IN
ABUNDANCE
San Francisco'S Good
Showing Before the
EQualizerS.
GOES ARMED WITH
INFORMATION.
The Delegation Enabled to
Answer All Questions
Promptly.
BELIEF THAT THE FIGHT
IS WON.
Should There Be a Raise In the
Assessment 1t VIII Be
Small.
The Delegation Enabled to
Answer All Questions
Promptly.
BELIEF THAT THE FIGHT
IS WON.
Should There Be a Raise in the
Assessment 1t VIII Be
Small.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, Sept. 4.-The
San Francisco delegation, consisting OF
Mayor James D. PheIan, Assessor J. D.
S;ebe, Deputy Hugo Herzer, Charles Gill
dea, Alfred F. Goss, Charles Holbrook,
Otto Won Rhein, James Denman, John
Lackmann, c. A. Clinton George T.Marye
Jr., l. S. Borden and G. A. Watson, ap-
pesred before the State Board of Equali-
zation to-day to demonstrate that no
possible excuse existed for raising the
assessment of the metropolis. And they
fully demonstrated the TACT that most of
the property lying within the boundaries
of San Francisco was assessed at its full
value. 1t was not denied that there were
many who escaped taxation on their per-
sonal property, but it was deemed unjust
that because few escaped taxation, the
majority Of property-owner should suffer
in consequence. In support OF their
statements the San Franciscans presented
an immense amount of data, which had
been collected for the enhghten OF
board.
Mayor James D. PheIan was the first TO
address the board and his statement was
clear and concise. He claimed that the
decrease in the valuation from last years
assessment roll was in the main due to
the item OF bank assessments, and showed
that Assessor Siebe had increased the roll
on CITY real eEtate tn I he amount of $769
O00 and on i'm PROVEN ents on the same
about $1,000 900, while he placed the de-
crease on personal property al $12, 400, 600.
Super visor Clinton made strong plea
on the part of the wage-earners against
any further incre ase of the assessment
roll of he City. San Francisco as well as
other localities, had felt the pressure due
to the "hard times of the past few years.
A laree per cent of her lab0ring classes
averaging but SIS per month owned their
little homes with the exception of the
mortgages carried on them and it was on
the shoulders of the already overbur-
dened that the increase must fall s b ould
the board deem it right to further raise
the assessment of the City and County.
He demonstrated that within the past
fl We years rents had decreased from % to
40 per cent in the City and real estate
values had Kept pace with the decline in
the same ratio. while assessments had
been increased from year to year.
He produced a list of real estate and
property sales m ade during the past year,
and assessments on them running in TO
millions, which demonstrated that the
property sold was assessed within rs per
cent of its actual selling price, and held
that Assessor Slebe's roll covered at least
65 per cent OF the actual cash value of the
entire property of the City.
Chief Deputy Assessor Herzer presented
a statement, which was in part as follows:
We can present, at this point, no more
powerful illustration on the orderly manner
in which the assessment on San Francisco has
progressed during eight years last past than
statement OF the yearly returns of the As
SCISSOR.