The record-union., 1899-09-02

been made. which amounted to 7I1a
per cent. of the sales as indicated by
the stamps affixed. This, he said, add
ed to the cost of the stamps used,
raised the assessment to SO per cent. OF
the total selling value.
Upon suggestion of Chairman
Brown, Assessor Dalton explained the
locations and amounts paid for a num-
Der of the individual properties and
compared these with the assessments
on the same. He said all assessments
We're made without reference to deeds
filed.
Questioned by Equalizer Beamer, As
SCISSOR Dalton admitted that in gather
ing his data from deeds filed, he had
not thought to ascertain whether or not
the properties sold were covered by
mortgage. Beamer said that provided
there was no mortgages the values and
assessments given would appear to be
just, but that if there were mortgages
on the property the figures shown
would be misleading.
Dalton said that nine times in ten,
when deeds were made, if mortgages
covered the property, they We're men
toned. Beamer said his experience
Ldd oilONu the ODpOSllC.
Equalizer Toland then went fishing
for information respecting other prop
erty values, and learned that the Con-
ira Costa Water Works, which on March
1st had been valued at S1,550,OO0, ex-
elusive of the franchise, which is as
sessed in San Francisco, had been as
sessed by Dalton at S1,30O,OOO. Dali
ton explained that the water company
made their property values appear as
high as possible in order to get higher
water rates. If, he said, an old pipe
was removed and a new one put in,
| both were marked down as property OF
! the company, so that at that rate 1t
would follow that after a long number
of years, the company would rate it's
property as being worth S4O,00O,0O0.
! Some of the members of the board
! picked out Individual pieces of prop
erty and asked for explanations of the
| assessments levied. In some instances
Mr.. Dalton could give the desired in
! formation, in others he could not. He
stoutly maintained, however, that Ala
| media County was assessed as high as
it could stand He admitted that cases
might be found where the assessment
might be raised, but he was equally
| certain that other property had been
| assessed right up to its actual value.
| Asked why he had reduced assess
ments on certain properties, Assessor
Dalton said he had done so because
they were worth no more.
That's your general answer, isn't
| it?" inquired Toland.
Dalton admitted that such was the
case
Well" continued Toland, ''you
might have written us to that effect
and saved expenses. Why don't you
give reasons?"
I've been giving reasons" replied
Dalton. i've told you that rental
values have deprecated and business
has scattered to other sections"
| Then Equalizer L. H. Brown kept on
with his questions relating to indi-
vidual pieces of property, and it looked
as though he Oaklandites would not
! be able to catch the late train. In
! the meantime Assessor Berkey and his
! deputy, Kay, were waiting patiently
| for a chance to tell some other rea-
! sons why Sacramento Countys roll
| should not be increased.
Assessor Dalton was emphatic in his
I
had increased in value within the past
year.
! Toland ran over some data which had
/ been gathered by the board, respecting
certain pieces Of property against
which mortgages were held, showing
/ that the mortgages were greater than
| the assessments. Mr.. Dalton and his
deputies thought it likely that the mon
ey might have been borrowed to erect
/ houses on the land, but Toland want
/ ed direct answers, though when in
| formed that they could not be given,
/ kept on down his list, demanding an
swers and then cutting off those which
| he had been informed were the only
ones which could be given.
On motion of Toland the matter of
/ changing Alameda's assessment roll
was taken under advisement, and a re-
1 cess was taken until 8 p. M, at which
hour it was decided to settle the ques-
ton as to which, if any, county rolls
should be raised.