The record-union., 1896-08-01

Alameda County. A committee from
the State Board met with officers of the
railroad company, and the resident en-
gineer and his assistants were in
structed to make careful measurements
and report to the State Board of Equal
ization the result. He would ask the
Chairman Of the board if the report of
the engineer agreed with the returns
made by the company, which was oo.I4
miles in Alameda County.
Mr.. Morehouse said that the report
showed that there was no shortage in
the report
Mr. Beamer read the report Of the
engineer to the board. which showed
that the track actually measured only
81 miles, showing that the company
had returned to the Assessor OF Ala
media County PA miles more of track
than actually exist in the county for
the two roads.
Continuing, Mr.. Ryan said that the
Northern Railway Company had re-
turned 1916 miles of track in Alameda
County.
Mr.. Beamer read from the report OF
the engineer showing that the actual
| length Of the track was only 1881,
making a return Of O.23 miles more
than actually exists.
Mr.. Ryan said that part of the track
returned was not in use, some old cars
standing on it, (which could be put else
where and the track torn up without
inconvenience. The reason for the
charge of short returns was due to the
fact that the Assessor included the
track to Siege, which is 5000 feet be-
yCnd the county line. He was gratified
that the board had investigated the
matter and found out for itself that the
company had not made short returns.
Mr.. Morehouse said that the board
wished next year that all side tracks
should be included in the companys
report as we'll as the main lines. and
Mr. Ryan said it would be done.
Mr.. Ryan read to the board some Su-
preme Court decisions bearing on the
subject of assessing branch lines, one
being that a side track Is on the right
Of way Of the system
Mr.. Ryan then took up the matter of
the narrow gauge on the South Pacihc
Coast, ruSning 96.16 miles from Ala
media to Santa Cruz. The deficit in its
last years earnings was $7S. 160 30, and
it's total deficit was 5000, 1876. The gross
earnings per mile last year were $6,-
292 per mile.
Mr.. Klink, Auditor of Disbursements
of the Southern Pacific Company, testi-
fled that in 1894 the gross earnings of
the road were $1,000 per mile, while in
1895 they were only Sc, 292 The for
mer year included the steamer earnings,
while the latter does not, and this par
TALLY accounts for the difference. The
receipts from the ferry, he thought,were
about the same last year, but the re-
ceipts of the road have fallen off. The
road is subject to washouts and other
incidents that increases the expenses.
In 1894 there was a surplus Of S13O,-
600, while in 1895 there was a. net deficit
of ST3, ,000 making a difference Of S203,-
600 in the two years business and
falling off to that amount.
Governor Budd, who had come in
asked how It was that the earnings of
the road were larger in 1894, the year
Of the strike, than they were in 1893
when there was no strike. Mr.. Ryan
answered that the depression Of bust
ness now prevailing had taken the
place of the strike, and was far greater
In its effects on the roads earnings.
Inc CTOFeInOV SdlQ ll6 OIO uOl see
how a comparison OF earnings for the
two years could be made, as one Of the
statements included the ferry earnings
and the other did not. Mr.. Ryan am
swered that the comparison could be
made from the totals.
Mr.. Ryan said that while they were
upon comparisons, he would like to call
attention to the assessment of the
California and Nevada road, g. narrow
gauge, assessed at $4,000; the Carson
and Colorado Railroad at 81, 1871; the
Nevada California-O Oregon Railway
Company at $2,162 rs; the Nevada
Narrow Gauge Railroad at So, ,444 A;
the North Pacific Coast Railroad at ST.
692 80, and the Pacific Coast Railway
at $4,509 q, while the South Pacific
Coast Railway is assessed at S13,
519 13 per mile.
| Mr.. Klink, in answer to a question by
the Governor as to how he segregated
the ferry passengers in his report, said
that he deducted five cents for every
| passenger who crossed the bay.
| In the afternoon Mr.. Ryan said that
| the assessment Of the Southern Pa