The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-31

| show that no stipulation in any way saving
| or pretending TO save the rights of the State
| and several counties to the balance OF the
| tax was filed in the records Of the court, as
| claimed by the attorneys for the railroads.
In his testimony, Mr.. Ryan, the tax agent
| of the Southern Pacific Company, III
answer to question by Senator Seawell,
| said that reasonable assessment for the
| years 1886 and 1887 would be based upon
| the valuation placed upon railroad proper
| ties by the State Board of Equalization ana
| the rates would be fixed upon Sucn assess
ments at the State and county rate OF lo9z'
| and such an assessment would be accept
| able, he believed, to the railroad company
| Mr.. Ryan is supposed to speak with
authority and to reflect the wishes OF the
companies whose officer he is. Mr.. Cross
| has already declared, in answer to ques-
| tion of Attorney General Hart, asked OF him
| on Wednesday evening, that he was not
| authorized to state any specific sum that the
| companies were willing to pay as taxes 1or
| the years 1885. 1886 and 1887. therefore,
| Mr.. Ryan's statement must be accepted as
| the nearest approach to a definite PROPOSE
| ton in regard to the taxes due for those
| years.
| Now If the roads were assessed upon tne
| basis of the valuations for 1892, ana the
| taxes for State and county purposes levied
| at rates similar to the rates levied for State
| and county purposes for the year 1872, as
suggested by Mr.. Ryan. the amount that
| would be charged to the companies would
be 81. col $50 II.
| The amount Of taxes claimed by the State
| for thel years 1885, 1886 and 1887 is 81.
| 760 49, and the amount that the railroad
would be released from paying for the
years 1885. 1886 and 1887 alone would be
| S1,0O9,9O3 al.
Taking the figures presented by the At
| torney General as correct for the years
| 1880 to 1884, inclusive, the total amount Of
taxes that the delinquent railroads oper-
ated by the Southern Pacific Company
would, under settlement based upon Mr..
Ryan's suggestion, be released and alb
solved from the payment of would be
1872, 259 81.
Mr. Cross stated to this committee that he
was expressly authorized to state on behalf
of the Southern Pacific Company that they
would pay only for the years 1885, 1886 and
1887. and then only provided the reassess-
ment was deemed by the companies to be
reasonable. He further declared that If
reassessment of the property was had
which the company regarded as unreason-
| able litigation would be renewed and the
| State would get nothing.
! This whole matter, as far as the represen-
| tatiOns made to this committee by the att0r-
ney for the railroads is concerned, simply
| amounts to this: 1t is demand that the
| people of this State surrender to the rail-
road corporations the right TO dictate, not
| only the value that shull be placed upon
| their property for taxation purposes, but
also that the State shall permit them to die
| tate the very rate of taxation at which the
taxes are to be computed and ascertained.
As the assessments for 1892 were less than
| for 1885, 1886 and 1887 they demand that any
reassessment made shall be upon the basis
of the valuations for 1892, and as the State
rate of taxation was less in 1892 than in any
| previous year. and. consequently. the
county rates of taxation wers also
lower, they demand that the tax levied
| shalt be based upon the rate for 1892, and
not upon the State and county rates of taxa
| ton for the years for which the delinquency
exists. And in asking this they demand
| that they be wholly absolved and released
| from the payment of single dollar OF the
| back taxes of 1880. 1881, 1882, 1888 and
| 1884 They offer a pittance for
the taxes of the years 1885. 1886 and 1887,
| and declare that the State must take what
| they themselves are pleased to consider as
| being all that the State is entitled TO, or
| nothing at all will be paid. They have
| served notice upon the people In advance
| that unless their terms are accep ed the iti-
| CATION will be renewed and the laws OF the
| State resisted.
| do not believe that the people of this
| State are ready TO accept settlement upon
! the terms proposed by these railroads. |
| believe that The people demand SET
| Element in full of all that is due, ard
that no settlement short of this will
meet with the peoples approval. The treas
| ury doors are open TO them for the payment Of
| tie back taxes. just as they were open to
| them for the payment of the taxes which
they have paid since 1888. Ii they desire
| to pay these taxes it is not necessary to
| pass any law to enable them to do so.
| They have found the law ample to enable
them to pay the taxes for the years subse-
| quent TO 1885, the law is ample to enable
them to pay the taxes due for the preceding
| years. The only new law that is needed is
one that will compel payment.
| When Dunn had concluded his argument
| Shanahan made short address. reiterating
| the statements he made the other evening"
that the railroad company owed its taxes
| and ought TO pay them.
When Shanahan had concluded, the CON-
mittee adjourned to hear the remainder Of
the arguments. after the recess of the Senate
tomorrow.
DHnMVATG THE Moan