Los Angeles herald., 1909-11-20

INCREASE
OF TAXES
Board of Equalization
Makes Statement
ATTEMPTS TO SQUlRM OUT OF
LOCAL IMPOSITION
TRIES TO PROVE RATE LOWER
THAN WARRANTED
Burden Heaped on Los Angeles County
Causes interesting Denial to
Be Issued by States
Assessors
TRIES TO PROVE RATE LOWER
THAN WARRANTED
fRy Assoclated Press I

CtAN FRANCISCO. Nov. 9.-Ex-
n planning it's reasons for raising the
~ assessment of Los Angeles county
and characterizing the resultant up
roar and agitation for state division as
"a tempest in a teapot" and the work
of few "tenderfeet and real estate
boomers" the state ! 1ard of equaliza-
ton issued a lengthy statement today
summarizing the evidence laid before
it to show that the county was as
sessed at less than 40 per cent OF It's
actual value. The statement is signed
by Alex Brown, chairman of the board
Before entering upon a discussion o.
the evidence laid before it, the board
declares that the house is familiar with
the method it pursues in securing It's
figures, allowing each county to ap-
praise its own property and relying
upon the counties to give us a square
DEAL
The matter of probate sales in Los
Angeles also is the first taken up. The
statement shows that list of eighty
five such sales was secured by the
board between December, 1907, and
May, 1909, which actually netted
$24O,S65.
County Assessors Figures
On these same parcels of property
the county assessors figures totaled
$50, ,290 or "a per cent of the value.
The matter of the estate of Lucky
Baldwin is then reviewed and the
action of the court in confirming thirty
one sales of Arcadia rancho land net
ting $142, $50 recalled.
The figures Of the county assessor on
this property fixed three years after
| hte sales are given at S56,345, or 80 per
/ cent of the actual value.
! Dealing with transfers, the state
ment tells of the boards work in Sc
curing from the title and abstract
! bureau the actual figures of great num-
bers of transfers of property, the total
value being SS46,224 and assessed ut
S314,140, or 81 per cent of the value.
Turning next to "small sales" each
deal considered involved the exchange
of at least $3.50, the statement declares
that the actual value was s90527 and
the assessed value $25,S65' or 2S1s per
cent
With respect to Pasadena real estate
fifty sales are considered that netted
1898 800. The assessed value was $146,-
205, or 36 per cent.
Railway Systems
OF the electric railway systems, the
board declares that Los Angeles roads
were assessed at 81 per cent of the
figure fixed. for similar properties IN
San Francisco. The southern roads
were assessed at S25,620 per mile and
those of San Francisco at $69,209.
Eight Los Angeles hotels, containing
total of 1900 rooms, We're assessed at
S993 999, while the st. Francis hotel in
this city, with 500 rooms, was figured
at 81, 100000.
The municipal assessment of eight
Los Angeles county cities, exclusive Of
the city of Los Angeles, was $S5O92,-
1872. The county figure for the same
property was $61, ,327542 or 72 per cent
of the municipal rating.
After reciting numerous other in
stances, the statement declares that
the assessment of Los Angeles county,
prior to equalization, was less than 40
per cent of the actual value. At the
previous rating, the county would have
been called upon to pay $1,776,S42.
Since equalization it will pay ST.
165 O65.
Concluding, the board states that it
believes that any man of reasonable
mind would see the justice of the ad-
vance of the county rate and declares
that it could not have done otherwise
in fairness to the other counties.