San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-06-05
THE STREET RAILWAY CO.'S
Side of the New Method of Collecting
Taxes.

NAAAAS AN Ne4SS $50 SNa~N
cars to transport the crowds, inter
ested in the unusual proceeding
adopted by the Council at its Mon
days meeting in respect to collect
ing taxes claimed to be due by the
San Antonio Street Railway COM
pany is at its height, a reporter
called on President Weiss this
morning to ascertain what he had
to say relative to the matter. AS
usual he was politely received, and
Mr.. Weiss said: 81 do not know
that l a add anything to what
was stated in a communication on
this subject, and which we are Just
now sending to Mayor Elmendorf.
If you think it will interest the
public 1 will give you a copy. The
same is as follows:
SAN ANTONIO, Texas, June 5, '95.
Hon. HENRY ELMENDORF, MAYOR AND
BOARD OF ALDERMEN, CITY OF SAN
ANTONIO:
lleIltu .-lu ltslCIouN > lSSuCO " Int
Express, in the published proceedings Of
your Council, on Monday, the Bird inst,
appeared the following resolution:
Whereas, it appears that influential
individuals are able to secure almost in
definite continuance of suits brought by
the city against them, aud
Whereas, the San Antonio Street
Railway company has been owing the
city delinquent taxes for a number Of
Vaors annnntinU IN nnUar1s nf 81 NM m
not counting this years taxes: therefore,
be 1t
Resolved, that the city attorney be or
dered to dismiss the suit of the city
against the San Antonio Street Railway
company, and the city collector be or.
dered to levy on the street cars, and if
necessary chaia up the same until the
taxes are paid.
Adopted"
The statement therein made, casting
reflection upon the honorable Thirty
seventh Judicial District court, OF Bexar
county, wherein the suit referred to was
filed by your city, as we'll as the assertion
with reference to the taxes claimed to be
owing by us, is SO totally at variance with
the facts. and as the author of said reso.
luton, Alderman Devine, seems to be so
ignorant OF the subject he e~ndeavors to
handle in a manner which is as novel as
it is communiStic and revolutionary, and
it being evident that your Council is I'M
informed as to the differences existing be-
tween US and the City of San Antonio,
with reference to the taxes claimed to be
owing by US, we have the following to
say:
First: We deny that the taxes
claimed to be due by US, ex.
elusive Of the current year, amount to
as stated by the author of the resolution,
upwards Of 100000; the records of the
sity collectors office show that there Is
charged to US for the years 1892 and 1898
just S4,500,6S and even with the most ex.
pert Juggling" Of the figures in the way
OF addings costs, interests and charges.
the sum charged against us is said city
collectors office is on June 4th, '95' but
s5,053,s9. For confirmation Of these
figures and facts yon are referred TO the
city collectors office.
Second: We deny, and brand as will.
fully and maliciouSly false, that we have
at any time sought to continue the suit
bled by the city against US for taxes OF
the year 1898. We have at all times
been ready to have the suit heard, and to
urge our proper defense against the
claims Of the city In this suit: we have
never asked for a continuance, and no
delay or continuance of the suit is
r~charseable TO US, Confirmation Of this
statement, also. can he had upon re-
ference TO the records of the 37th. Judi
clal District Court, Of BeXar County.
And since the author of said resolution
must have given the contents OF the
same, or should have at least, sufficient
Investigation and thought to have en-.
abled him to have become familiar with
the facts, we conclude that the aSser-
tionS made in the said resolution herein
before referred to, were with the full
knowledge that they were absolutely
false. For what purpose the author Of
this resolution so totally unsupported by
facts, was offered and the same passed by
your honorable body, is not more clear 10
us than what was aimed by the author,
as well as your body, when in
the preamble Of said resolution, an
attack Is made upon the in
tegritv Of the honorable 37th. Judi
cial District Court Of Bexar, County when
II states that, lit appears thai influential
individuals are able to secure almost in
definite continuance of suits brought by
the city against them"
Now, then, recurring to our remarks to
the effect that your honorable body must
be uniformed as to the facts of our re-
fusing to pay the city taxes now charged
against us, we beg to inform you that we
have a valid claim against the city OF
San Antonio in the sum OF S9,63S. SO plus
interest, and a further claim amounting
W uph dluS VI F-,OCO III duulUlOh W Tue
amount just named, which said further
claim arises from the willful and unlaw-
full tearing up and destroying Of our
tracks and road bed on Arkansas street, in
May, 1894, and In reference to this, 1t Il
proper that we should state, for the bene.
fit OF such OF your members who were no
then in Office, that on or about May eth
1894, in the dead Of night, between thu
hours of IL M. and 4 o'clock a. n. you
city, under authority Of its mayor, en-
tered upon our road bed, track and fix
lures, on Arkansas street, where we haC
lawfully located them, tearing up and de
stroying the same without warrant o
authority Of the law. damaging US in thu
sum aforesaid. In the construction, loca
ton, relocation and building Of tn
tracks Of our company in this city, W
have never found 1t necessary to do an,
such work under cover OF night, but hav
invariably performed the same 10 broa
day light, because we have at no time al