New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-07-05
TOPICS IN CALIFORNIA.
A LONG HoLIDAY-HEAvY TAX RAT"
Observation-Disclosures JELL1Es.


rsY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrsuNE.l
Ca. rr.nc,sco July 4.-The National holiday
her. will amount to four days vacation for az
the Governor has declared next iuesu"'' wy
aam,.centenary of the raising Of the American
flag at Monterey. legal nohday' near. ~
hanks and business houses agreed to close from
last night till Wednesday morning. opeo'a
celebrations OF the Fourth were held IN san
Er.rcsco and IN half a dozen California cities
In Monterey, the old Spanish capital OF Call
forn,a the climax Of the festivities Will De on
Tuesday, when the raising Of the stars ana
str,nes nv Commodore Sloan will be celebrated
with a PROCESSION and appropriate ceremonies
A review Of six months business IN iocai fea'
estate furnishes q bad showing. Though safes
.h,,,.a No decline prices fell off 20 to 40 per
cent This was the natural result Of dull times
reduction Of rents and heavy taxes. which in
MANY cases absorbed one-third the rentals OF a
v.., The criminal waste Of municipal funds
and the equally criminal robbery Of property
owners through unnecessary street work, espe-
rially in the suburbs are having their effect,
and reform must come this fiscal year or there
may be a popular uprising. The tax rate Tor
The coming wear will have to be reduced to 81 90
on 500. instead of being advanced from the
which municipal affairs are carried on here oy
the Supervisors was we'll illustrated this week,
when majority of the Board voted IN favor OF
selling at auction the franchise of the Geary-st
cable railroad for fifty years the city TO re-
ceive only per cent of the gross receipts AS
the franchise does not expire for two years. this
premature move is regarded as In the interest
of the Market-st railway, which covers the
valuable privilege and. of course. this carries
with 1t the suspicion that the undue haste OF
the Supervisors is not unsesh.
A young Englishman. who bore the name OF
Daniel Defoe and who claimed to be llneai
descendant of the great romance writer, oled
here this week. He sailor, and curiously
enough he declared that the novels OF Captain
Marryatt led him 10 run away TO sea. He did
not think much of Robinson Crusoe, preferring
''Midshipman Easy" to II as a story of adven-
ture
The Health Officer is making war on dealers
in adulterated fruit jellies An examination this
week Of eight samples bought in oTen market
showed not one specimen made of sound, ripe
fruit. Several apple jellies were co'ored. while
one tin contained turnip pulp. colo1ed with
Rniline dye TO represent strawberry Jelly Prose
cutions will be begun and there Will be strict
enforcement Of the law, which provides Tor poth
dne and imprisonment
OF the ten local savings banks. the Hibernia,
which is the largest. pays the lowest dividend
for the first half of the year 81. per cent against
AZ last year. Most of the other banks pay o.oo
on ordinary and 43O term deposits. The
Hiberna rate is the lowest ever paid by that
bank, but 1t was made necessary by the tax
rate Of pa per cent which 1t was forced to pay
on all mortgages.
The San Joaquin Valley road is having much
difficulty in securing right of way through
Fresno as several residents refuse to permit
the railroad to go through their premises and
great opposition is shown to the building or the
road through Q-st. This new line Is also wor-
rfed by its failure TO secure grants or right OF
way from farmers. who at the outset progressed
great enthusiasm for 1t.
Suit has been begun by Richard Gird 10 re-
cover possession of the great Chino ranch when
was sold two years ago TO Z. H. Philips Tor
S15OOOOO Grid charges that Phillips has col
iected rents and sold land to the amount OF
$500 OOO but has neglected to pay instruments
on the purchase or interest on the S3OO.OOO
mortgage which he assumed. On this ranch Is
the largest beet sugar factory In Southern Cali
fornia and several thousand acres are planted
with the sugar beet.