Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-07
The District Attorney In
structed to Sue Them.
A Question Of the Collection of
Back Taxes.
A Communication From Attorney
General Hart.
Mach County Containing Railroads
Instructed. to Sue-The Tea
Freight Case-News
Notes.

The following letter regarding rail-
road taxes has been received by District
Attorney MacLachlan from Attorney
General w. H. III. Hart:
DEAR SIR / deem it my duty to
call your attention to the fact that the
railroads operated within your county
have not paid to the state officers the
county tax OF your county for the year
1887, as provided by sections 1866 ct seq.
of the Political Code.
Suits brought by the state controller
are now pending in the superior court
of San Francisco against these COM
panies for both state and county taxes,
but as the supreme court People We. G.
P. R. r., So Cal. 303) appears to decide
such county taxes should be collected by
county officers by actions brought in
their respective counties. think it
proper that you should bring such ac-
tion for your county.
l herewith inciose copies of a COM
plant for each road in your county.
You will please fill in blanks as to per-
sonal property (rolling stock) from
memoranda inclosed, the description OF
the roadway, etc., of the roads in your
county, and of the apportion-
ment to and mileage in your
county, you will find in the
statements furnished your county au-
ditur by the state board OF equalization
for 1885, pursuant to section 1866 of the
political code, and you should also be
able to ascertain the amount of your
county taxes due from 1887 from said
roads from your county records. Should
there have been for the year 1857 aEy
special township or district tax levied
In your county you should insert in the
complaints the proceedings required by
section 1896, political code, as to the
entry of the assessment OF the state
board OF equalization on such lesser
assessorial districts and such order az
your board of supervisors was by said
section required to make and enter.
You will please add to the printed
form of complaint inclosed any usual
and proper allegation for the collection
OF taxes by the county that in your
opinion may be necessary.
Respectfully yours,
WILLIAM II. H. HART,
Attorney General.
In 1887 the Central and Southern
Pacific railroad owned together the
following property: Total miles in state,
1742; locomotives, including tenders,
234 sleeping-cars, one-fourth by Pull
man Palace Car company, 10; passenger
cars, POP emigrant and smoking cars,
81 baggage, express aud mail cars, 5S;
cabooses, SO; box freight cars, 3005; fat
freight cars, 1888; dump, hand and Sec
ton cars, 1853; all other kinds of cars,
AZ; snow plows, 3.
The above are the statements of the
rolling stock furnished by the compa-
MES to the state board Of equalization
for the purposes OF state and county
taxation for the year 1887. pursuant to
the provisions OF section 1854 OF the
political code.
THE TEA CASE.
The tea case against the railroads,
says the Chronicle, has been taken in
hand again by s. w. Sears of this city
for the chamber of commerce, that body
having appointed him for that purpose.
This settles the question as to whether
the Traffic association or the chamber of
commerce will conduct the fight against
the railroads. Several kilograms have
passed between Mr.. Sears and the in
terstate commerce commission at Wash
lnSIOn, duQ tli6 uiutlCt Will DOt DC pSl-
mitted to rest. AS a part of the pro-
grainme in this case tender was made
by Siegfried & Brandenstein of 24,075
pounds of tea, the firm demanding that
the freight should be carried at the
same rate as is being done on through
bills OF lading from Yokohama to Chi
cago, namely, l cent a pound. This
tender was refused by the railroad COM
pany, and IL cents a pound was paid
under protest, as it was claimed by Mr..
Stubbs that this charge was within the
law. Mr.. Sears claims that the COM
pany is compelled to take domestic mer-
chandise on the same basis that 1t
charges on imported goods, to comply
with the decision of the interstate COM
merce commission of January Goth last.
NOTES.
E. K. Carson, contracting freight
agent of the Atlantic and Pacific at San
Francisco has resigned. Charles Thorne,
Jr., will take his position.
A railroad Is projected from Paso Ro-
bles to Cayucos, and a company has
been formed for carrying out the work.
1t is citizens concern, and 1T is ex.
pected that nearly all the stock will be
subscribed in San Luis Obispo county.
IQ6 ulStduC6 W Dt bIdvolcQ ID bWCuOy-
five miles, and the road will cost $780,
600. There will be one tunnel about
mile in length. This road will give the
people Of the upper Salinas valley an
outlet to the ocean and will afford an
opportunity for the cheap transporta-
tion OF their products to this city. There
is a prospect OF the extension OF the line
over into the San Joaquin valley.
There are strong indications that
traffic associations will be formed at Ba-
kers6eld, Fresno, San jose and Marys-
vile.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC TELEGRAPHERs.
The war OF the Southern Pacific on
the telegraphers who are members OF
the Order of Railway Telegraphers is
being renewed at the Oakland pier. Q.
A. Shaw is an officer OF the society lie
has been keeping news stand at the
or