The record-union., 1897-09-05
SAN FRANCISCO STANDS PAT.
HER OFFICIALS ARE SATISFIED
WITH THE TAX ROLL.
low Mayor PheIan and Others Met
the State Equalizers;
Inquiries.

San Francisco was given a hearing
before the State Board of Equalization
yesterday, and its lack of convincing
arguments to show why assessed val
ues should not be raised was offset by
the immense scrolls Of data unrolled
for tie enlightenment of the board.
According TO the showing made by
the representatives who were on hand
to present the case, valuations of San
Francisco property range from % to
80 per cent lower than most of the
other counties which have heretofore
appeared before the board.
The delegation San Francisco sent
before the board was composed of the
following named persons: James D..
Phelan, Mayor; DR.. Clinton and Mr..
Lackm&n, Supervisors; Chas. Gildea,
expert. John d. Siebe, Assessor; Hugo
Herger, Chief Deputy; Edgar Briggs,
Deputy. James Denman, ex-Supervi-
sor; G. r Marye, stock broker; Captain
Chas. Nelson, Chas. Holbrook, H. NJ.
Stetson and T. Won Rhein.
The Assessors return for 1897, as
furnished to the State Board, showed
the following figures: Real estate and
improvements S27S, ,322 30: personal
property, S44, ,0s2, ,0S1; money, 50, so, =
6B}; solvent credits, $13, Jos, 460. Total,
S343 .ii:}a, tG9 as against $500 326. .031, or
a decrease of $4,000, ,562.
The Auditors return for 1897 showed
a total of S347 go, $50, or a decrease
of $2.619. 1874
In 1896 the Auditors return footed
up S317, ,5S6. .126, and that sum the
board increased 20 per cent, or $64,-
4S1, ,464. making the valuation as fixed
by the State Board, S422, OCT $50. These
figures show that the valuation fixed by
the Board Of Supervisors for the pres
ent year is 4.112. 760 less than the
value fixed by the State Board in 1896,
and il was for the purpose of hearing
reasons for the decrease that the coun-
ty was cited to appear and show cause.
MAJOR Phelan took the initiative and
made a clear and concise statement
concerning the status of the case. As
SCISSOR Siebe, he said, has increased the
roll on city real estate other than i'm
prove.nents, $3.50 600, and on improve
ments on real estate 1000, 600, while
the decrease has been mainly in the
item OF bank assessments. The falling
off in the personal roll had been, he
said ST., 400, 600.
Supervisor DIR. Clinton addressed the
board. and stated that San Francisco,
as well as other cities. feels the pinch
of hard times He made his plea, he
said, in behalf Of the laborer and me-
chanic. whose wages during the last
year had been about SO per month.
and who, as a rule. have families to
provide for In many instances, he
said. these mechanics own their own
homes. or would own them if the mort
cages We're paid, and it was to pro-
tect these citizens that he protested
against the increase.
DR.. Clinton presented written state
ment setting forth that within the last
five years, rents in San Francisco have
decreased from - to 40 per cent, and
real estate values, in the same period
of time, have decreased in similar pro-
portion while assessments have gone
higher and higher each year, until at
the present they have become exorbi-
tant
DR.. Clinton presented a list of prop
erty sales made within the past year
aggregating $2.47S 500, which was as
sessed for 81 SAG, 100. or 75.2 per cent.
of the actual or selling value. He was
not he said. in a position to state how
San Francisco assessments compared
with those other counties. He thought
the assessment made by Assessor Siebe
ought 10 stand, and estimated that il
covered about 63 per cent. of the actual
cash value of all property, real and per
sonal.
Chief Deputy Assessor Herger read a
long statement prepared by the Asses
sor. 1t showed that in 1895 the total
assessment was returned at 1927 ,S05, :
147. and those figures were not dis
turbed by the State Board. In 1897
the total assessment was returned at
S;}47 954 $50, or an increase of about
S20.0tU, 600 The return would have
been still larger except that So, 400 600
which had been put on bank property
could not be collected. Neither the
Assessor nor the Board of Supervisors
was responsible for that falling off.
The statement further set forth that
valuations on real estate and improve
ments have during the past year, been
increased over 50, SOC, 900, and that the
entire roll shows an increase in values
of 1922, 900, regardless of $12, 400 600
falling off in bank property values. The
assessed valuation of all mortgages in
the city footed up over SOL 100000,
and the assessed value of the property
covered by the mortgages amounted to
a little over SI3 100000
The statement throughout was a
logical array of facts and figures, show
ing among other things that assess
ments had been levied at from 60 to -
per cent. on all property on values as
eertained from mortgage, cash and pro-
bate sales.
Lists of mortgage and probate sales
accompanied the statement and while
they did not compare. in regard to as
sessment values, with those of other
counties in the State, Deputy Herger
made a verbal statement to the effect
that they did but subsequently mod
flied the statement by saying he be-
lieved they did.
James Denman, capitalist, said he
did not profess to be an expert in real
estate values in neighborhoods in which
he had no holdings. As it transpired
that Mr.. Denman owned property on
almost every principal business street
in the city, he had attentive listeners
in the members of the board.
Mr. Denman's statement referred
particularly to rentals, and showed that
for the last few years rents have gone
down on an average. 80 per cent. He
thought that to raise assessments g
per cent. as had been done in 1896,
would be to fix values 20 per cent.
higher than their actual worth. He
contended that assessments have ad-
vanced steadily during the past few