The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-20
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collected for poll tax. he now finds himself
cut off from the enjoyment of consider
been his.
The City and County Attorneys opinion
IS set down in the following communica-
ton received by the Assessor yesterday:
SAN FRANCISCO April H. 1899.
Hon Washington Dodge. -Assessor-Dear Sir:
IN your communication Of the 18th inst you
inquire If the Assessor can avail himself OF
the procedure laid down in sections ISIS and
3s4s Of the Political Code in the collection Of
poll tax from the employees OF the Federal Gov
eminent, such as laborers AT the Preside and
letter carriers in the Postofhce DEPARTMENT
Section 3S4S reads: Every person Indebted
70 one who neglects or refuses. after demand
must pay me same for such other person after
IN sri17 ssi stating mans Of such person
to draw the warrants for or to paw the salary
OF ices Of any officer Is the debtor of such
ofneer within the meaning Of the preceding
The state has no power to direct the action
Federal Government into its debt + is fbs 1l
fore impossible for the state 70 hold Federal
officials liable FOR the debts IF other employees
OF the United States Government The sec
tons OF the Political Code quoted above do not
apply in such cases Respectfully.
FRANKLIN X LANE.
Attorney and Counselor.
Much criticism has been caused by AS
SCISSOR DOdge's arbitrary decision in the
matter Of collecting poll tax from every
amount OF the tax to be deducted from
the salary warrants This criticism is
particularly bitter because of the fact
that the law allows the Assessor to retain
80 cents out of each g collected. 1t fol-
lowsLhat the Assessor is personally bene-
flied financially by rigid enforcement of
the law and there are those who are I'M
kind enough to assert that his zeal in
enforcing the law in the matter of the coll
lection of the poll tax is due TO his desire
to swell his private bank account.
In this connection several ugly stories.
some Of them we'll authenticated, are
afloat relative to the manner in
which the Assessors deputies wiring
the s. tax out of the ignorant the poor
or the unsuspeciing persons whom they
pounce upon. Recently one of DOdge's
deputies held up a Chinese servant of
one of the head officials of the San Fran
cisco and North Pacific Railway. The
servant had been sent 10 the ferry with
a package which he was instructed to
ship to his employers home in Marin
County. The package was plainly marked
and addressed. Arrived at the ferry the
Chinese fell into the clutches Of one of the
Assessors deputies, who demanded that
he forthwith pay over 81 for poll tax The
Chinese protested. whereupon the deputy
forced him against the wall of the waiting
room and searched him. Not finding anI
money in the servants pockets the dep-
uty seized the package and made off with
1t in spite of the protest made by the
Chinese and the too evident fact that the
package belonged 10 another.
The official whose property had been
confscated in this hgh-handed manner
indited scorching letter to the Asses
sor and recovered his package The dep
uty who committed this outrage is still in
the employ of the Assessor and is still
hard at work collecting poll tax
Other and similar instances where citi-
Zens have been insulted by these tax COL
lectors are numerous and much com
plant is being made as TO the character
of the men who have been employed by
Mr.. Dodge to perform the work. Some
of his deputies are eX-polcemen. who
were discharged from the Police Depart
ment for cause. Others are roughs or
pothouse politicians. who have no respect
or regard for the rights of citizens. Many
of the Assessors deputies are good men,
who deplOre the acts of their associates
for the reason that they feel they must
bear a share of the reproach that such
acts of rowdyism entail upon the entire
office force