Los Angeles herald., 1909-09-12
SOAKING SOUTH
AN OLD PLAN
Big Meeting Of Realty Men Is sched-
uIed for Monday to Take
Steps for Futuro
Action
CONTINUED from Page ono,

regarding the duties of the board" !"
said Mr.. McElvaine, "and l think there
is a solution, but it will need court
proceedings to determine whether or
not l am right. The law, up to this
year, provided that the board of
equalization shall be in session at
Sacramento from the third Monday in
July until the second Monday in Sep
tember.' The legislature this year
amended the law and granted the
chairman of the board the right to call
special meetings. hold that the board
violated the law when they left Sac
ramento during the term fixed for their
sittings in Sacramento and that the
law regarding the holding of special
meetings did not apply to this term. ;"
May Solve Problem
If Mr.. McElvaines contention should
be carried to the courts and upheld 1t
is believed by many that an easy way
out of the difficulty could be found.
The only thing left, If this course
is abandoned, is to comply with the
findings of the board and reduce the
tax levy as much as possible in order
to meet the increased burden while
giving some measure of relief to prop
erty owners
Mr. McElvaine said he had talked to
many citizens of San Francisco and
of denunciation of the boards discrim-
inatory attitude.
"San Francisco people don't approve
the raise" he said. "They say it was
unnecessary and uncalled for and that
the board has no figures to show war
ranting the increase"
In this connection, he repeated a re-
mark which he attributed to Alexander
Brown, manifesting the vindictive stand
taken by the leader of the "solid three"
Soaking South" Prophesied
"The remark was made by Brown
after the defeat of constitutional
amendment No. l last year." said Mr..
McElvaine. HE said. and / think
remember his words correctly:
r'Watch us soak the south next year.
Wen come down beyond the Tehachapi
and make them squeal
Whether or not the "squear' will be
to Mr.. Browns liking is a question
which, it is believed, could be answered
already in the negative.
Mr. McElvaine regards the perjury
charge brought against Henry Hart,
the Los Angeles appraiser, by the
'solid three" in the same light as gem
eral opinion in Los Angeles. The af-
fidavit, he says, was made simply to
disarm suspicion, and he predicts that
it will be pooh-poohed by the attorney
general as not worthy of notice.
Big Meeting Monday
Mr.. McElvaine said he would return
to Los Angeles Monday and probably
would attend the mass meeting in SYM
phony hall. Ways and means already
are being considered by those who will
attend the meeting, but owing to the
discretionary powers of the equalization
board no way out of the Difficulty can
be advanced that will contain any ma
terial promise of success.
Should decision be reached to COM
ply with the board findings 1t Is prob
able County Assessor Ed w. Hopkins
viii be requested to again reduce valua-
tions next year. and 1t is not believed
the board would dare repeat their
action of Wednesday last.
Plans to reduce the tax levies in the
county already are under way, and
County Auditor Dow said yesterday he
believed the rate could be brought down