The record-union., 1891-09-08
AND STILL NO MONEY.
The Street Grading Company on the
Anxious Seat.
President Henry of the Electric Rail-
way Company Gives a War Talk
on the J-Street Matter.

S. Solon Holl, attorney for the Sacra-
mentO Street Improvement Company,
yesterday renewed his request to the City
Trustees to take action in regard to re-
Ievying the assessment for grading
street, from Twenty-first TO Twenty
eighth. He said that what he thought
proper would be to charge the railway
company for their single track and the
balance of the street to the property
owners.
J. II. Henry, President of the Central
Electric Railway Company, in answer to
a question, said his company did not pro-
pose to pay an assessment for double
track, because it was not just nor fair
that it should do so.
Mr. COnklin said he did not know
about IT, lie thought Mr.. Henry might
still have the right to lay another track.
Mr.. Henry informed him that his COM
pany's right TO lay a second track on j
street had expired before the J-street inn
provement was ordered.
Mr.. Conklin said he did not know this
| before.
Then if you had no right to put down
a double track on } street, why did YOU
do so for a distance Of two blocks, from
Nineteenth to Twenty-first street?''
] y
Because [ thought at the time, and
you thought so, too, Mr.. Mclaughlin,
that we had the right to do So" answered
Mr.. Henry.
You thought so then, and you think
so now" suggested Mclaughlin.
Don't put those words in my mouthr'
said Mr.. Henry, Il don't think anything
of the kind!''
c. l.. Christianson, a property owner
on j street, said he thought the Improve
ment Company would not have levied the
/ assessment against the Electric Com
pany if they had not thought it was
proper.
But the Street Improvement Com
pany did not levy the assessment" re-
piled AiY. Henry. 1T was Mr. McLaugh-
i'm who did it,
IN answer to questions Mr.. Chris
tianson said he wanted the Electric Com
pany to pay just what the law said it
should pay.
That's Just what we propose to do"
said Mr.. Henry. ''If the law says we
must pay it, we viii do so cheerfully and
quickly, but VIC don't want to pay a bill
that we believe we don't owe. Mr.. Chris
ti&nson wants just what we want.
! If the law says the assessment made
! against us is legal then we will pay it
/ Immediately"
/ Mr.. Mclaughlin then began to talk
! about the track being on one side of the
street, but Mr.. Henry and Mr.. Holl in
sisted that that question did not enter
! into the controversy relative to the proper
manner of levying the assessment.
Mr.. Horny stated. however, that if the
/ property-ownerS on J street would pro-
/ sent a petition asking either that he pay
/ the assessment, remove the track to the
middle of the street, put in a double
track, or remove the track altogether, as
! he choose, he would do one of the four
/ things. he pat in a double track he
would pay the extra assessment. He
would first, however, have to obtain
! franchise to lay another track on the
street.
And do you think" continued Mr..
Henry, "that when / find that that single
J track is not laid in the street according to
/ law, that | VIII permit il to remain there
/ Would any business man of sense con-
/ duet his business in q manner he knew to
/ be unlawiuI?'
/ +. l.. White and NJ. II. Sheehan en-
gagged in adiscussiOn with Mr. Henry,
/ claiming that the railway company ought
| to pay an assessment for two tracks on
! the street.
/ The argument on the subject lasted un-
! til II o'clock, when Mr.. Mclaughlin
moved that the matter be laid over until
! Tuesday evening at half-past : o'clock.
/ He said he desired To get legal opinion
as to whether or not the electric COM
/ panv had the right now to lay track on
! j street without first obtaining a fran
| chise for the same.
/ The motion was carried.