The San Francisco call., 1895-08-01
ATTORNEY RYAN'S TALK,
Tells the EquaIizers That the
Assessors Have Shown
Poor Judgment.
FIGURES CONDUCIVE TO TEARS.
Statistics to Prove That the Com
pany Is Generously Operating
at a Loss.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, July 81. = z.
Black Ryan, attorney for the Southern Pa
ciic Company, appeared before the State
Board of Equalization this morning and
delivered an extended argument upon the
subject of the excessive taxation on all the
property of the corporation lying within
the boundaries of the State of California.
In fact, if the argument presented by Mr.
Ryan is to be absolutely believed, railroad
property in the State of California is as
sessed entirely too high, and in reality
much higher than property CT the same
nature is assessed in sister common
wealths. The arguments advanced by the
railroad attorney are the same as those
presented to the State Board of Equalization
for years. The same chord has been harped
upon with finely executed variations, out
the argument is the same. 1t was claimed
that it was a matter of grave doubt as to
whether or not the State Board of Equali-
zation had jurisdiction over portions OF the
Central Pacific lying in Alameda County,
and the old matter of Federal franchises
was again brought to the front.
The attorney came armed with volum1n-
Gus statistics relating to assessments in
of roadbed in the different counties of the
State, and pleaded hard for reduction OF
what he termed burdensome and unjust
taxation. He declared that the people
had no idea of how railroad should be
assessed; that they seemed to think that a
mile in one portion of the State was worth
just as muchras a mile in any other part.
They failed to understand that it was q
constitutional provision that the assess
ment of the road should be divided among
the counties pro rata. according to the
population. Where the country through
which the track passes is thickly inhab
tied the earning capacity is far greater
than where the track goes through more
thinly populated districts.
The attorney was subjected to severe
cross-examination by one of the memb bers
of the board as to what he considered the
present valuation of the Central Pacific
system to be, and he seemed well posted
and made ready answers. He also claimed
that before the road fell into the hands of
the Southern Pacific Company it was not
assessed for half the sum it is at the pres
ent time.
G.. F. klink, clerk of the Southern Pa
chic Company, came to the assistance of
the railroad attorney with a number of
statistics by means of which he endeav-
ored to prove that the road had operated
at loss for the past fiscal year. Mr..
Ryan, in an endeavor to prove that the
railroad system in California was assessed
at higher rate than in any other State,
said
Arizona assesses the Southern Pacific
at $4,000 mile, including rolling stock,
stations, side-tracks, etc.; New Mexico,
$500; Texas, less than $4,000; Oregon. less
than 5000; Utah, $500; Indiana, Illinois,
Ohio and many other Of the Western
States are lower; Kentucky and Massa-
chusetts are somewhat higher than the as
sessments in California, but then that Sec
ton, which contains less than one-third of
tie area of this State, has population of
more than 10000 people,"
Mr.. Ryan took up the Central Pacific
road, and gave the distances between all
the stations from the Oakland mole to the
Nevada State line. The number of miles
Of road in each county operated under
Federal franchises was given as follows: