The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-30
ASSESSOR SIEBE
AND CORPORATIONS
RECORDS OF HIS OFFICE DIS
PROVE FAVoRITISM.
His Opponents Allege Facts That
Official Records Disprove
Absolutely.

official as long as honest John ID. SleDe
has, and then has so little said against
him regarding the administration OF
his office as can be said against this
gentleman, it argues we'll for his fit
ness for the place and it suggests many
reasons why voters should and will
vote for his reelection.
Distorting figures and misstating
facts in an endeavor to weaken an OPP
ponent usually acts as a boomerang,
and such will prove the case In Mr..
Siebe's campaign when his opponent re-
sorts to such practices.
In recent addresses to voters the
Democratic nominee has taken advan-
tage of the opportunity to make num-
Der of miSstatementS relative to Mr..
Siebe's assessments, particularly those
of corporations, and has made asser-
tions of alleged facts that are not
borne out by the records.
Mr.. Siebe's opponent has recently, on
various occasions, at public meetings
asserted that the Republican nominee
had shown favoritism in the assessment
of corporations, and gave alleged spe-
cific figures to substantiate his claims.
He called particular attention to fig
ufeS OIL dSSGSSIUeHlS HiddS ny <1SoSSSOl
Badlam in 1876, as against those of As
SCISSOR Siebe, especial consideration be-
ing given to the personal property as
sessments of the Spring Valley Water
Company and the San Francisco Gas
Company. The Democratic nominee
endeavored to make it appear that Mr..
Siebe has assessed these two corpora
tons for a less amount than they were
assessed in 1876 by Mr.. Badlam.
The records show that in 1876 the
Spring Valley Water Company's per-
sonal property assessment, including
franchise, was So 322, 170, while for 1898
the assessment made by Mr.. Siebe was
SO, $685.
The personal property assessment of
the San Francisco Gas Company in 1876,
including franchise, was 81, 400, 900,
while Mr.. Siebe assessed this same
company for personal property in 1898
$2,521, 1913.
Personal property assessments
reached a maximum of SOL COG, 900 in
1874. They declined in 1876 to 81, 0OO.-
000 and in 1879 to $51, 100000. The last
two were during Mr.. Badlam's .incum-
bency and show decrease In personal
property assessments of 500, 00O, 900 in
three years of his incumbency, and a
decrease of $4,000, 600 between 1874 and
1879.
1t is a fact-one regretted by all. but
nevertheless true-that many business
interests in San Francisco have depre-
ciated in value of late years, hence the
decline in amount of personal property
assessments. Yet during Mr.. Siebe's
incumbency he has increased the as
sessments of banks and corporations
nearly $12,000000, while the total in
crease in all personal property assess
ments has been but little over $200o,-
900.
These figures are all matter of re-
cord, and can be verified at any time
by an inspection of the records of the
Assessors Office.
That Mr.. Siebe has done his duty
justly and honestly b. rich and poor
alike no one can deny who will take
the pains to investigate. For his op-
ponent to state alleged facts from a
platform or in any other manner, when
the records disprove such assertions,
demonstrates how hopeless is the task
of defeating honest John Siebe, the
true and tried public official Mr..
Siebe has demonstrated that he is a
man who cannot and will not betray
the trust and confidence of the people.
and the public approval of his admin.
istration of the Assessors office will be
shown in the rousing majority by
which he will be reelected Novem-
her g.