The San Francisco call., 1899-07-03

4 Assessor OIL San IdIICloIO, llcNo
completed the assessment roll OF
- the city and county and is ready
to submit for inspection docu-
ment that will startle' the community.
The Assessor has increased enormously
the personal property assessments OF
merchants, business men and capital
lists. In some instances the assessment
for this year is thousands OF times
greater than it was for the last nScdl
year. The figures in detail Will as
tound the people of the city, for a
casual inspection will demonstrate that
hundreds of merchants have heretofore
escaped their just obligation TO the city
and have shifted to the shoulders OF
others the burdens that belonged to
them.
1t is out of the question to compare
the assessments of last year and TINS
year in detail, but over eighty typical
examples have been chosen and they
illustrate with absolute certainty not
only that an equitable division of COM
munity burdens has been made TINS
wear but that behind the assessment
Of last year a great public scandal
lurked. 1t should not be forgotten that
in the comparisons that will follow
reference is made only to personal
property assessment.
Assessments on real property are not
discussed, as the Assessor is not yet in
a position to give them and they pos
sess no particular significance. The
enormous increases have been made in
personal property. In real property
the changes made by the Assessor are
few and unimportant.
In comparing eighty-seven personal
property assessments of last year with
the assessments of this year on the
same property startling condition Of
facts is revealed The total assessment
for the personal property of these
eighty-seven persons, corporations and
firms was $3,515,056 last year. The as
sessment for the same firms. persons
and corporations for this year was
S641S,210. 1t may readily be seen,
therefore, that fraud or negligence
marked the first assessment.
No attempt will be made to deny this
accusing fact, as nearly all of the per
sons, firms and corporations have al
ready paid their taxes upon the as
sessed valuation of their personal prop
erty as fixed by Assessor Dodge. These
eighty-seven firms will pay taxes on
an assessed valuation which is $2,9O3,
1874 greater this year, or nearly double
what 1t was last year.
The result of this enormous increase
is at once apparent. The total as
sessed valuation of city and county
property is enormously increased. AS
1t increases the rate of taxation de-
creases and Dodge estimates that the
rate of S1073 adopted by the Finance
Committee of the Board of Supervisors
will be reduced at least 3 cents on the
dollar. making the lowest taxation in
many years.
Nor is this all. In the matter of
bonds of a quasi-public character and
Of corporations the Assessor expects to
add assessabe values aggregating S20,-
OOO. 900 to his roll The Attorney Gen
eraI is expected at any moment to rem
der a decision telling whether or not
these bonds may be taxed. This mat
ter has rested in doubt for fifteen years
and a decision is now anxtously
awaited. 1t was promised last Friday
and is again promised for to-day 1t
is perhaps interesting to note that the
Assessor has already collected $500,000
In personal property taxes, which is
800 900 more than his predecessor col
lected for the entire preceding year.
Some of the individual increases de-
serve more than passing comment.
The tax evaders have had very bad
case of CONSERVATION. Nose Gunst. for
example, has been raised from $l1,24O
to $25, 500. c. P, Huntington. that
shirker of all legitimate obligations,
has had his personal property assess