The San Francisco call., 1895-11-17
Nearly Quarter Of a Million Of
Railroad Taxes Go to
the City.
SOUTHERN PACIFIC OBJECTS.
San Franciscos Assessment and Tax
Ordinance Claimed to Be Illegal
and Void.

E. Black Ryan, the tax agent of the
Southern Pacific Company, with repre-
sentative OF the railroad corporation g
treasury, left their offices for short time
yesterday to escort something like $2O0, 600
in gold coin to the City's tax office.
Mr.. Ryan looked and acted like man
whose heart was not in his work, for he ap-
peared as if performing an exceedingly dis
tasteful task against his will. The quar-
ter OF million or so of gold was moved
reluctantly and, in fact, paid under pro-
test
AS tax agent OF the Southern Pacific
Mr.. Ryan had watched the movement of
the tax legislation out in the City Hall,
and having conferred with railroad attor-
neys at great length and on various occa-
sions, had fully made up his mind that
the railroad was an unfortunate sufferer
from imposition. He had the legal ad-
vice of Mr.. Herrin and advisers of the
railroads law department, and conse-
quently felt justified in making a most
positive protest in the plainest, strongest
and tersest language possible. So, al
though the money was passed over the
Tax Collectors counter, it remained a
really doubtful question if the City could
claim the coin legally as its own.
The taxes thus paid were for the first in
stallment upon real estate and personal
property of the various railroads of the
Southern Pacific coming into or having
property in San Francisco, the Bay Dis
trict track, Pacific Improvement Company,
Market-street railway system, including
the Geary-street road; also of the Crock
ers, Huntingtons, Mrs Stanford, officials
OF the railroad and some estates OF parsons
who were connected with that corporation.
The best of legal advice on the question
was secured and for that reason the rail-
roads action in paying those taxes under
protest will have special significance as
well as considerable interest for taxpayers
of the City and County.
In the protest the duplicate assessment
is held to be illegal, and the Supervisors
ordinance levying it void, through being
vetoed by Mayor Sutro and not passed SUBJ
sequently by the board. Again it is set
forth that no valid fixing of the rate has
been made, and in short that the whole
matter of assessment and tax legislation in
this City is in a sorry muddle.
The communica ton. accom- panying the
money sent in for taxes is as follows:
SAN FRANCISCO November 16, 1895.
To James ". Block Tar Collector OF the City and
County Of San Francisco, State Of California;
SIR: The undersigned, +. b. Ryan, as agent for
and on account OF the several corporations and
persons hereinafter named. hereby pays to
you, under protest, the sums respectively set
after their said several Names being the sew
eral amounts purporting to be due from each
of them upon the so-called duplicate assess
ment roll of the City and County of San Fran
cisco aforesaid, for the first installment of
taxes on real estate and personal property
owned by each OF them within such City and
County, for City and County and State pur-
poses for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1896,
TO wit: