The San Francisco call., 1899-07-19
ASSESSMENTS EOUALlZED.


w after raised in respect to the municipal assess
ment for the present fiscal year, the action OF
the Board of Supervisors Monday last, and espe-
ciay OF its Republican members, is a and an
honorable precedent in the history OF San Francisco
The astute lawyers and manipuators who represent
the corporations may have cards up their sleeves but
that will alter the fact that for once, pledge has
been kept and at least approach toward equality
in assessments secured.
The Call does not dispute the proposition that, IN
the distribution of credit for this desirable result
there Democrats who entitled to their leglt1-
mate share. But the brag of the Examiner and its
pretended claim that the substantial approach toward
justice that the completed equalization dscloses is
due to the action of Assessor Dodge is unwarrantable
While is that the Assessor raised the valuations
of the personal property OF the Market Street Rail
way Company and OF other corporations, 1t is equally
that he carefully and unusty preserved the dis
proportion between corporations and private citizens
that had so long existed. He was compelled to ad
that in the case OF ordinary property owners, he
had adopted percentage OF from IS 90, while
poraons had been appraised from so to 90 per cent
OF the market value OF their bonds, franchises and
other property, and the only reason he could assign
for this discrimination his fear that he might be
suspected of "cuchng" propensities.
The Assessors argument was as falacious as the
boastng OF the Examiner absurd. The only true
rule is that Of substantial equality before the law
Corporations and individuals, in the theory OF
tion are upon a level. Neither are entitled to the
slightest advantage the other Under any just
system OF assessment, the value of all property, with
reference its ownership, should be fairly
tanned and undiscriminating rate OF percentage
adopted. But, if this precision is unatalnable and if
some inequalities inevitable, then aggregated and
swollen capital and private citizens should be sub
ected to the highest rate.
The Examiner demands credit for its efforts TO
elect Assessor Dodge But it owing to this par
cuar officer that the greatest inequalities intro
duced into the assessment and had not the Board of
Supervisors, so far as practicable under existing
conditions, recthed this inequality and by its method
OF equalization kept the entire valuation of property
within reasonable limits only would small prop
erty-owners have been sacrificed but the municipality
would have been placed at the mercy of the State.
The essential point to be observed is that large
quantity OF property that in former years has fraudu
lenty escaped from any contribution to municipal
penditure has now been forced out of its seclusion
and that while it is still relieved from full share Of
the public burthens, long stride has been made
toward honest Interpretation of the constitutional
and statutory provisions the subject of taxation.
The corrupt politicians who have been used by the
Huntington monopoly and by other kindred organi-
zatons cheat the average citizen and to buy ex-
emption for their employers for have failed.
Some preparations at least have been made for
plete trial OF the merits of the charter.
The year has marked the commencement of new
in municipal and in State politics, and in the prac-
teal administration of the various departments of
government. Republican integrity in the Legislature
was too much for Dan Burns. Republican and Demo
cratic integrity in the Board of Supervisors overcame
all the Vaccinations of the potters Of the Market
Street Railway Company. Now there has been an
approximation toward justice in local taxation, for
which also the Board of Supervisors, and not the Ex
amner or Assessor Dodge, are to be commended
The prospects of the Republican party in the ap-
preaching campaign have been greatly frightened by
the events of the past few weeks.