Los Angeles herald., 1908-07-31

GET REDUCTION;
TAXES GO UP
CITY BOARD OF EQUALIZATION
CUTS ASSESSMENTS
coUNcILMEN ACTIVE IN BEHALF
OF BIG CONCERNS
Total of $e3o,ooo Taken from Street
Railway Companies Valua-
tions-Rate for Year
May Be $3.50

HOJ ~ WV
The city board of equalization con-
cluded its labors last night after pre-
senting more than 100000 in assess
ments to the corporations. As a result
of these gifts taxpayers will have to
pay at the rate of about $3.50 instead of
$1.25,y the rate paid last year. The city
auditor said yesterday the rate might
go over $3.50, the highest rate ever paid
in Los Angeles.
Exact figures cannot be determined
until Assessor Mallard has reduced the
percentage reductions to dollars and
cents, but he estimates the cut made
from his assessment of $268, ALI, $40 at
$3,500,000. This leaves the assessment
at about $264500,000 for this year, as
against $267 26.300 when the board had
concluded it's cuts last year. The fact
that the total assessment this year is
$3,0OO,OO0 less than that of last year is
the reason the property owners in the
city will be compelled to pay % cents
more on the 500 than was paid year
ago.
When the board had concluded it's
labors and the corporations had been
given their big reductions Councilman
Blanchard called for a vote of thanks
for Councilman Wallace for the excel
lent work he had done on behalf of the
corporations.
Councilman Wallace replied that the
corporations usually paid better than
with mere votes of thanks.
Wallace Active
The byplay was good-natured, but It
confirmed rumors that had leaked
through from the mayors office, where
the board was in executive session from
early yesterday morning until $50 in
the afternoon. The whispers were to
the effect that Councilman Wallace was
leading the fight for the corporations
There were also we'll confirmed ru-
mors that a vote of thanks to Council
man Blanchard for his excellent work
on behalf of some of the corporations
would be timely. While Wallace made
vigorous and successful effort to have
the assessment of the Edison Electric
company reduced $750,00O, and the bonds
of the Western Pacific, amounting to
more than 100000, stricken from the
rolls, Councilman Blanchard was equal
ly active in having the franchise as
sessment of four street railways re-
duced 10 per cent. These reductions
were allowed and the 10 per cent
stricken from the franchise assessments
of the Los Angeles Railway, Los An
s-Pacific, Los Angeles 1nterurban
and Pacific Electric, made a total cut
of $3.50, 900.
When these cuts finally were allowed
in the open session of the board Wal
lace explained that he was opposed to
the'reduction for the Los Angeles Rail
way but that he would vote in favor
of it anyhow. This was apparently a
| concession to Blanchard for favor
able vote on the Edison and Western
Pacific issues. Wren and Clampiti
voted against any reduction for the
| 7 Dol
lied the act as an outrage, as this rail-
way does business entirely within the
city limits. They contended there was
| some merit in the claims of the other
roads, as they received a certain share
of their business from sources other
than Los Angeles.
Bonds Not Assessed
The assessment of the bonds of the
Western Pacific, held by the Los An
geles Trust company and the Bank OF
Southern California, which Mr.. NAL
lard had counted on to pay $4,000 in
| taxes to the city, was arbitrarily
stricken from the assessment rolls
without EXCUSE on the part of the
board except as a matter of sentiment
| The city attorney had ruled that TINS
was a legal assessment and could be
allowed to stand, but the eloquence OF
Councilman Wallace won the day and
the DOI1uS were SLIlChCli OuI. w iiSNtiNi
the face that ]. c. Drake, for whom Mr.
Wallace had tried to secure the Owens
river bonds, held large share of them
had any thing to do with the action OF
the board could not be determined IRON
the outside of the mayors office. Tht
fact that Mr.. Drake spent long time
closeted with the board during its ex'
ecutive session of the morning gave
color to the rumor. Councilman Wrer
and Clampitt voted against striking tht
bonds from the rolls.
The franchise of the Home Telephone
company was cut 100000, and the fran
chise of the German-American Savings
bank reduced $4,000. The German
American was the only bank on Whlcf
any reduction was made on franchise
although nearly every bank in the city
complained against such assessments.
Two corporations which usually mee
with consideration at the hands of the
board of equalization got nothing
These were the Los Angeles Gas anc
Electric company and the Pacific Ligh
and Power company. Both these cor.
porations appeared before the boarc
and asked big reductions, but theil
pleas had no weight with the board
The Los Angeles Gas company was re
duced $401 900 last Thursday but this
Twas a reduction to which the assessor
agreed, as the figures were merely
placed on his books to protect the city
in case the gas company brought suit t(
recover taxes paid on it's franchise las
year. AS no such suit was brought th'
assessor voluntarily Cancelled tbs
double assessment.
Oil Companies Must Pay
The Western Union Oil company ane
the Central Oil company received nc
reduction in their franchise assessment
although Mr.. Wallace tried to impress
1t on the board that they were toe
high. These applications had been ov'
erlooked during the executive sessions
and were not taken up until the poaro
met in open session.
The assessments of the Y. w. c. A.
and the Y. M. c. A. were reduced 20
per cent, leaving comparatively small
amount on which these semi-charita-
BILE institutions will have to pay taxes,
All charitable institutions which had
asked consideration at the hands OF
the board were stricken from the as
sessment rolls. The Good Samaritan
hospital, which had asked the minimum
assessment because it was semi-char-
table, was not granted a reduction.
| pEX REACH. NOTED WRITER,