Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-29
PREDICTS MUCH
FOR Los ANGELES
ASSESSOR EVAN LEWIS ISSUES
STATEMENT
Tells What He Has Done and What
He Proposes to Do and Expresses
Faith in the Future Of
the City

1T is safe to say that the progress
and growth of our city in the next ter
years will be more real and noticeable
by far than that of the past twenty
years.
millions of money will pour into
our channels in the near future, which
will help to build It up until It becomes
the noblest. the grandest and by far
the greatest on the Pacific coast"
Evan Lewis, city assessor, believes
in a glorious future for Los Angeles
The foregoing sentences are extracts
from a statement made by Mr.. Lewis
yesterday.
In this statement the assessor de-
fends himself from attacks on his Of
fetal acts, and says he has worked for
the best interests of the people and
the city Mr.. Lewis declares that he
added S35, 900, 900 to the assessment roll
in 1904 and S47,000,0O0 this year, MAX
ing a gain of $S2000,000 since he as
sumed office, eighteen months ago
and a total assessment this year of
S203, ,0000 600. He expects another in
crease next year of not less than
S200O0,000. Continuing, the statement
says:
Last year there were but very few
complaints from the taxpayers about
their assessments and still less this
a few banks. The burden of taxation
rests very evenly now on all taxpayers
throughout the city and ii rests just
where it belongs.
Real estate assessments are very
low yet in some sections, especially in
the industrial sections, where the
values are increasing so rapidly that
the assessor can hardly keep pace with
them. Sixteen millions of the increase
this year was gained in the business
section lying between Temple, Pico,
Main and Figueroa streets, and about
nine millions in the industrial section
lying between Main street and the
river and south to Pico street, and the
balance in new improvements, new
subdivisions and in the equalization
of values throughout the city and other
sources.
Assessments Increased
'In 1905 the assessment of the ten
leading public utility corporations were
raised $2,00O,000 over 1904. This year
the assessment on these same corpora
tionS showed an increase of $4,000 900
after equalization over that of last
year. They are assessed now at S1O,-
100000 on personal property and fran
chises, or more than double in two
years. Most of the other corporations
have been doubled since l took Office
some twice doubled. Savings and state
banks in 1904 were assessed at only
$685. 740; in 1905 they We're assessed at
S1,6S5,16O and in 1906 at $2,524. 1870.
"The increase in the assessment of
the steam railroad corporations.
amounting to over one million dollars.
is due to the recent decision handed
down by the supreme court empower
ing assessors of the different counties
to assess certain properties given to
the corporations by the state board
OF equalization as part of their right
of way. That some of these cornora
tons have got off easy in the past
there is no denying, and some of them
may be getting off easily now. NOT
through the negligence of the assessor.
but through his inability to get at the
real value of the property.
II don't believe in 'cinching' cornora-
tions more than I do individuals. All
l ask is that they pay their lust pro-
portion of the taxes. If all corpora-