The San Francisco call., 1899-07-06
DODGE ANSWERS
THE CRITICS Of
HIS ASSESSMENT 7
He Insists That He
Has Been Just.
EQUALIZATION OF TAX VALUES
MADE TO SMALL
HOLDINGS.
The Assessor Explains the Increase
He Has Made in the Valuations
of City and County Real
Estate.
EQUALIZATION OF TAX VALUES
REDUCTIONS MADE TO SMALL
HOLDINGS.

Assessor Dodge takes exceptions to the
statement that while he has made cor
porate and capitalstic classes pay more
than they have hitherto done and has
made them bear proportionately their
snare OF municipal taxes he has not re-
duced the assessed valuation of the prop
erty of small real estate holders. DR..
Dodge declares, on the contrary, that he
has reduced the assessed valuation of this
class of property fully $3, 900 900, and that
the reduction in the Richmond district
alone will amount to over a million dol
lars, notwithstanding the views of certain
Supervisors as expressed in The Call yes
terday morning. Assessor Dodge accuses
his critics of unfairness in their analysis
of his figures and he intimates that the
methods adopted to discredit his efforts to
tighten the burden Of the people will not
stand the light of investigation. Politics,
he declares, is at the bottom of the at
tack and he expresses confidence that the
taxpayers will back him up in the po-
sitton he has taken. The following state
ment In reference to the matter was yes
terday dictated by DR.. Dodge to a Call
reporter:
Some misrepresentation has been caused
by the announcement in one of the morn
ing dailies that the Assessor had not re-
duced the assessment of the small prop
erty owners and this has been used as
the basis Of criticism An investigation
of the facts shows that the writer Of the
article referred to was misinformed
Assessor Dodge states that the an
nouncement made a week ago and pub
lished in The Call was absolutely correct
namely, that the assessed value of all real
estate, covering an area of three-fourths
of the city and county, has been reduced
10 to 20 per cent from last years assess
ment, making an aggregate reduction of
So 900 600 on real estate alone. The fact
that the real estate roll of this year is
over s., 900 900 greater than last year has
led to the inference that the value of the
land had been increased to the amount
of 81 900 900. This is also erroneous. The
fact is that the term real estate embraces
valuations both of land and improvements
and the increase of 81 900, 900 this year over
last year IN real estate assessments is
made up entirely of the increase in i'm
provements, mainly new buildings. AS an
actual fact the real estate is $500 900 less
than last year. the $500 900 decrease in
the valuation of outside lands being al
most entirely offset by the Increased as
sesSment of land in the business sections
this often being covered by mortgages
and in many instances assessed for less
than the face value of the mortgage. In
these cases the assessed value was raised
where land was worth it, TO the amount
the bank that holds the mortgage and
which has received taxes on the face Of
the mortgage through the increased rate
of interest demanded on the mortgage
owing to the fact that the banks know
that they must pay the tax.
In this manner nearly So 600 600 reduC-
ton in the value of small real estate hold
ings has been effected by increase in other
dfrectiOnS'