The record-union., 1894-08-01

do, and if then subsequently judgment is
rendered against the company by the
higher court, then, and in that case the
company can only claim credit on that
Judgment for the amount OF taxes PAID
under the reassessment. He thought
such payment would have no influence
on the Supreme Court-the company
wouldihave to pay the full judgment rem
dered. Such reassessment and payment
would give the State the benefit of the
amount of money paid in, without wait
ing for final adjudication OF the matter,
which, If carried 10 the United States
Court, may take years.
Mr.. Ryan then spoke of trip he made
previous to the building of the Southern
Pacific, for the purpose OF recording
mortgage on it in the San Joaquin Valley
counties, and how he would ride all day
with scarcely the sight of house. lie
also told how, after the road was built, as
he rode on the train to Los Angeles Tor
the first two years or SO, there would be
only two or three through passengers,
with an occasional local one. There was
scarcely town on the route, the county
seats being off the road, and for several
years it was operated at loss, although
managed as cheaply as possible. AS time
rolled on the country, having an outlet
for its products, began TO be settled up,
and towns grew up along the road.
When the new Constitution was
adopted. the leading idea seemed to be
that it was the people of the State against
the railroad company, and the people,
| fresh from the Constitutional Convention,
elected mem bers who came TO their seats
with the idea that they were there TO carry
out the views of their constituents and
raise the assessment of the road. They did
so, and the assessment on it was immedi-
ately increased far beyond the ratio OF the
increase in other property.
After the session of the board was over.
general conversation was INDUCED in
and railroad building and other kindred
matters were touched on. Mr.. Ryan
narrated the following circumstances as
! illuatrating some of the ironieS of rail-
road building:
After the road was built to Los Angeles
and was put into operation. the first COM
! plant made was that the freight on cab
| bages from San Francisco to Los Angeles
was too high. They did not even raise
their own cabbages. When the road,
after stopping at Los Angeles for two or
three years, was pushed on into Arizona,
| a howl went up that the company was
running Los Angeles, but IN the first year
| afterwards that country sold into Arizona
several hundred thousand dollars worth
|
the extension of the road had built up
the city.
ELECTION ADVERTISING.
| In relation 10 Mr.. Ryan's statement
| that the San Francisco papers were not
assessed for over SIS. 900 to $50, ,000 K. ID.
Beamer stated some curious facts.
II came across an item somewhere"
said he. "purporting to give the figures
! that the election in San Francisco cost in
kflD Z ID t
struck me as very large, and on figuring
the number OF voters l ascertained that
the cost was 50 26 per capita. l then took
pains to ascertain the cost OF the same
election in the twenty-one counties COM
posing my district, and ascertained from
the county officials that 1t cost in the
various counties from 81 10 to 81 90 per
capita.
This was so great difference that /
felt anxious to know where so great
| diversity in cost came in. When L went
| to San Francisco the next time l called at
the City Hall and asked if there was any
objection to my seeing the items, and was
allowed to look them over. l found an
item of $780, 900 for advertising and another
of $4,000 Tor printing.
~ did not just then understand the
difference between the two, but | soon
found out. Here are the amounts, which
| [ jotted down, and which were received
! by the different papers for advertising:
The Examiner received S14.5 rs; the
Chronicle, SI4, ,464 80: the CAL, Sl5,9 ,957 %;
the Bulletin, 50, 354 so; the Posi-, Sl3, ,575 20;
the Report, $4,000 80.
''These papers, [ find, were none of
them assessed higher than $4,000, most
of them being $4,000 or $1,000, and one
of them not being assessed at all that
! year, and yet this one bill for advertising
amounted to about as much as they were
assessed for, and in some instances to
more.
"And that is not ALL" continued he,
s'some of the papers were notified TO ap-
pear and show cause why their assess
ments should not be raised, and they did
so. They made their statements and the
! board did not raise them. On the con-
trary, it reduced them five per cent.
What do you think they did? They went
back home and made the State pay them
for publishing the fact that their assess
ment had been reduced. There's cold
cheek, for you.
''Oh, yes here's another item of those
! election expenses. 1t was for attorneys
ices, and amounted to Sll,0S0, and was
divided between several well-known
firms of San Francisco attorneysi in sums
of 1000 upwards.
IA noticeable fact at that election was
| that the newspapers INDUCED in no harsh
criticisms of the election machinery, and
| / don't wonder at it."