Los Angeles herald., 1907-02-10
Advocates Voting of
Proposed Issue
County superintendent Points Out the
Necessity for Better Educational
Facilities in Prospect Park
District

rtCl Idth ana WnlCn was lulIy related
In The Herald last Monday.
Superintendent Keppel strongly urges
the voting of $4,000 I'm bonds for the
necessary enlargement of the Los Feliz
building, as the district requires addi-
tlonal facilities and cannot depend
upon the city of Los Angeles to come
to Its immediate aid even If the dis
trict Is annexed, as it is expected that
II will be.
A committee composed of over sixty
voters of Prospect Park, of which u.
H. Fosdick is chairman, has just issued
n neat pamphlet In which they strongly
argue In favor of voting $40, 900 i'm bonds
at the election to be held tomorrow In
the circular is reproduced an interview
with Arthur Let's, published In last
Mondays Herald, In which Mr.. Let's
urges the acquiring of additional school
facilities in the interest of the advance
ment of the American citizenship
Urges Bond Election
The letter of superintendent Keppel,
dated Los Angeles, February s, Is ad-
dressed to Messrs. j. b. Murphey, w. II.
Hoegee and w S. Sutton, trustees of
the Los Feliz school district, and is as
follows:
"Gentlemen-I have before me cir
cuar signed by James G.. Bailey and
ethers and entitled AN appeal to the
~,
East Hollywood and Prospect Park
THAT circular Is an argument for
voting against the proposed 900 bond
issue of the Los Feliz school district.
The circular says in part while we
feel that the hours selected are not the
best that could have been chosen. we
urge and hope that all citizens will do
their utmost to get to the polls on that
day and cast their votes so that what
ever the result 1t will reflect the senti-
mentS of the district The school law
provides that in districts like Los Feliz
having less than 300 census children
the polls must not be opened before Q
n. m. nor kept open after sundown. AS
the law does not provide for paying
school election officers it would hardly
be fair to ask citizens to give the whole
day to such an election. / think this
explanation gives sufficient reason for
the hours selected.
"The circular says: our school tax
is the largest item OF our tax bills For
the fiscal year 1867 the school tax of
Los Feliz school district is "A cents.
For the same year the entire tax col
lected on property in Los Feliz school
district is S2.04 on the hundred dollars.
This tax is made up as follows:
State and county Observation-Disclosures 81 90
Special road tax. Observation-Disclosures. so
The school tax itself is made up as
follows:
For Hollywood Union high school
For maintaining Hollywood Union
high school .................... II
For Los Feliz school district bonds is
"rhe circular says:
1.-The Los Feliz school building and
grounds originally cost about $4,000. To
incur an additional Indebtedness Of $10-
600 at this time will double the school
tax rate paid last year. Those who have
placed the increase at 10 cents on the
hundred dollars can only hope to attain
that result by another increase In as
sessed valuation
Assessment Increases
"The assessed valuation of Los Feliz
school district for 1867 is $77S 000 The
proposed bond issue of $4,000 will re-
quire payment of $500 in 1907-S, $500
for interest and one-tenth of the prin-
cipal In making the tax levy the au-
ditor levies upon 95 per cent of the as
sessed valuation instead of the gross
valuation. Should this bond election
carry 1t will require an increase of q
cents on the hundred dollars; provided,
there is no increase in the assessed val
uation of the property in Los Feliz
school district. But there will be such
an increase, for a goodly number OF
buildings have been erected since the
1st of March and property values have
marched upward in every part of the
district 1t is no eXaggeration to say
that there has been general increase
of from 10 per cent to 20 per cent in
the selling value of real estate in Los
Feliz district during the year. These
increases due to new buildings and to
an actual increase in the value OF real
estate, are II cause for congratulation
and not for commiseration, as the cir
cular would seem to indicate. Four
years ago the assessed valuation in Los
Feliz district was less than 5000 The
increase from that figure to $773,O00 is
due to the magnificent prosperity that
has prevailed, and is now prevailing,
and that we hope will continue to pre-
vail in Los Feliz school district, and
not to errors upon the part of Assessor
Ward.
at is difficult to forecast the increase
in assessed valuation for 1907-8, but 1t
is reasonable to expect fully as great,
II not a greater increase than that of
last year, the increase in valuation will
reduce the tax rate Tor this proposed
bond issue
1.-THE increase in tax rate cannot eX-
ceed 81 cents on the 500 and in all
probability will be considerably less. |
Moreover, If annexation carries, Los
Feliz will no longer pay on the Holly
wood Union high school bonds and
maintenance. thus removing 20 cents
from the present school rate of 44cents.
1.-THE circular devotes considerable
space to a discussion of school condi- |
tians after annexation, and reasons
that annexation is a strong argument
against voting the proposed bonds. The
facts are just the reverse. Los Angeles
city school district moves slowly. The
district is now just completing its
school houses erected with the money
secured from a bond issue voted nearly
three years ago. Los Angeles city faces
the greatest tax burden that ever con-
fronted any municipality-the Owens
river bond issue In all probability
within three or four months Los An
geles city will be asked to vote between
$23,OOO'OOO and $25,OOO.OO for the Owens
river project, and when that issue has
been voted 1t will be almost impossible
to secure another bond issue in Los An
geles city for any purpose whatsoever;
for the bonds now outstanding against
Los Angeles city and Los Angeles city
school district and fha naxu Issue 90