Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-01
GAME UNFAIR
SAYS HOPKINS
COUNTY ASSESSOR SHOWS
WHAT STATE is DOING
Northern Counties Have Shown De-
crease While Southland Has Been
PiIlng Up Her Millions for
Taxation
GCOntinued from Page onsl

tear down building, but 1t takes
a master mechanic to build one,"
But you can obtain equalization
only by comparison; therefore, you
will pardon me If L refer to some
other counties in the state, as we
cannot compare Los Angeles county
with itself, except by comparing one
year with another.
Prior to this year this county has
not appeared before you for con-
sideration since 1903, and in that
year its assessment was not
changed. What have we done
since?
Look at your own statistics and
you will see that In that year we
returned total Of $164, 712, 1856. The
next year, in round numbers, we
gave you an increase Of more than
5000 900; in 1905, 100000, 900; in 1906,
$4,000 900; in 1907, 5000, 900; in 1908,
$24,00O0 900, and in 1909, $21, ,000,0 900
more, this year reporting $420, ,002,-
800. AN INCREASE IN SEVEN
YEARS OF MORE THAN $255, ,0OG-
900, OR AN INCREASE ALONE
OF 100000 MORE THAN THE
TOTAL ASSESSMENT OF ANY
OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE,
EXCEPT SAN FRANCISCO.
Bear in mind that the two years
past have been years of extreme
financial depression. Look the state
over and see If you can find any
thing even approaching this.
Drop in San Francisco
Look at the only county that has
a larger valuation than Los An
geles county. In 1903 San Fran
cisco was also before you. You
81
next year 1t dropped S43, 900, ,0o0 and
this year it stands at $492, 1865, 1877,
or $53,000,000 less than in 1908.
However, we do not complain of
San Francisco's value. We know
through what 1t has passed, al
though the city as now rebuilt
represents more value than ever
before.
Take the next county nearest us
in valuation. In 1903 Alameda
county was o. KID by this board
at valuation of $126,477,9S1. 1t
lost $20,000,000 the next year; was
assessed for $120, 900 in 1906 and
this year is assessed for only S62,-
100000 more than in 1903. Here
is the showing of these three
counties for the seven. years last
past:
Los Angeles, a gain of .s265 900, 900
Alameda, q gain of ....... .$8e 900, 900
San Francisco, a gain of. .S53 ,OOO, 900
Taking the matter up in a diff
ferent form, find that in 1903 the
three counties Of Los Angeles, San
Francisco and Alameda paid 55
per cent of the entire state tax
and in 1909, If the present figures
of these counties are left un-
touched, that they still will pay
the same 55 per cent. But Los
Angeles county, which in 1903 paid
not quite IL per cent of the entire
state tax, this year on the present
cent. Surely this is going some
and should be satisfaction to the
most enthusiastic booster.
Matter of Comparison
We do not enter any complaint
about the assessment of the two
other counties mentioned, and re-
fer to them only for the purpose OF
comparison, but we do ask TO be
allowed to grow in our normal
manner without official assist
ance" from abroad,
How have we increased the value
of our property2 By the untirlng
energy of our citizens, who have
risked their private fortunes in
assisting the building up Of the
county and state; by the issuing
and sale OF millions of dollars
worth of bonds, expending the
money thus obtained in building
public improvements water works.
good roads, schools, ETC., mortgag-
ing our future and investing the
money in betterments, thereby Gre
ating new values and wealth FOR
the present.
No Niegardly Policy
These bonds are yet unpaid, but
we will pay them out Of our own
resources and are glad ana wiling
that the state at large shall pront
by these increased values created
nv the money derived from our
own bonded indebtedness, but In
the meantime we do not want to
be compelled to pay more than our
lust proportion of the expenses OF
the state.
DO you wish to penalize a com
munity for bringing millions OF
foreign money into the state to be
expended on great public improve
ments when by SO doing we have
increased the value Of the state
and created new wealth?
Do you wish to drown frult
rancher in taxes before he mas pald
for his water system, by aid OF
which he has transformed DIS
tering desert into an orchard?
For years tax experts have peen
seeking a system whereby the pur-
den of taxation could be ltted
from the land, and have charged
that a great proportion or other
property has escaped taxation; yet
talFGn fha T4alfV
only of this county as the measure
of value to use as the basis of ar
irving at the correct assessment of
the county, ignoring over $751;
900, 900 in value of other classes or
property.
Pertinent Facts Cited
desire to call your attention to
the assessment of 500, ,634,580 of
personal property, almost as much
as any other two counties of the
state, and to the assessment of
10000 poll taxes, AS MANY AS
ARE ASSESSED IN ANY OTHER
FIVE COUNTIES OF THE
STATE. These may be Insignia
cant items, but we who pay do not
think so.
also would call to your notice
the assessment OF IIdHcnlsSS' stCSN
railways and other public utility
companies, one of these street rail-
ways alone being assessed for one
and one-half times as mucn as the
entire assessment Of the three
steam railroads within this county.
Look not only at the per cent of
value used, but also at the per
cent of property assessed, compare
the total of one county against the
total of another.
Every assessor knows and Will
admit that there are inequalities in
his roll and that infallibility in his
office is no more possible than in
n.a.r nthnr, hra rnch Of human en-