Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1883-11-14
TIE TAX CASES.
Few ofrer to Compromise by the Railroad
Companies.

Few ot1er to Compromise by the Railroad
Companies.
Hon. Greed Raymond, attorney for the
Central Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific
Railroad. yesterday made new offer to COM
promise the railroad tax cases. In letter to
San Francisco paper that has opposed set
Element, but now approves it, he says:
To the Editor of the Chrsnicle-Sir: note
your editorial to-day monday. November
12th). commenting upon my reply to Govern
or Stoneman, and through him to the letters
Dunn, both of which letters were published
in the daily papers of this city.
You say that the correspondence on both
sides seems designed more for political effect
than to serve the State, and that much of my
reply is irrelevant to the question involved.
1t may be true that much of my reply is ire
levant to the question involved, but it GER
tainly was not irrelevant to the matters con-
tanned in the communications in question. 1t
would not be becoming to me in reply to
State officers to deal with their communities.
tons IS irrelevant, or to assume that they
were intended for political effect, instead of
to serve the interests of the State. l replied
to those communications calmly and tenn
perately, stating fairly and in sincerity the
position of my clients.
You seem to doubt the sincerity of the
propositions made by the companies. Let me
assure you that we have made many PROPOSE
tons to adjust this unfortunate difficulty,
some of which have been rejected and some
of which have been accepted. In no case
where there was an acceptance have we failed
to perform what was offered, in letter and in
spirit.
Zoo hal ,,ff ~
interested in these matters, and that only
| thirteen or fifteen took interest enough in the
prosecution of the cases to appear in answer
| to the summons of the State authorities, is
satisfactory evidence to me, and ought to be
| to everybody else that the position of the
| railroad companies is becoming understood,
and that in the good judgment of the people
no very great fears are entertained Of loss
| to the State or counties, whatever may be the
result of the litigation.
| From the tone of your article you make US
appear to complain that we are assessed 10
per cent. too high IL is needless for me to
repeat that the assessment upon the single
track railroad is from 80 to 100 per cent.
higher than any railroads in the United
| States have been assessed at. 1t is needless
| for me to repeat that railroad, the net earn
| ings of which do not exceed 81 500 or 81, 600
per mile, cannot afford TO pay from those
earnings tax of nearly 500 per mile.
| |, however, do not propose to take up your
| space or time in an argument to prove the
sincerity of the companies in all offers made.
| In the editorial referred to you have stated
what you consider fair basis of settlement.
You urge that if it is IS matter of principle with
the railroad companies they ought not to
stand upon few thousand dollars one way
| or the other. AS an evidence of the sincerity
with which the railroad companies which
represent have acted in this matter and of
their entire good faith, L now offer to adjust
the disputes for the years $780, 1881 and 1882
upon the basis of your figures, and that upon
| the payment by the companies upon the basis
suggested by you all suits shall be settled and
dismissed, except those which have been or
are to be appealed to the Supreme Court of
the United States, and that we allow those
cases to stand, in order that the principles at
issue may be determined, agreeing, whatever
may be the result 10 those cases, to adjust
them in the end upon the same basis.
Permit me to say that from the beginning
1 have never doubted, and do not doubt now,
the result of this litigation. l have conf
dence enough in my opinion to desire that at
least one or two cases shall be kept open for
the decision of the Supreme Court of the
United States. Very respectfully yours
CREED RAYMOND.
San Francisco. November Il, 1888