The record-union., 1897-07-31
RAILROADS AND EQUALIzERS.
SEVERAL COMPANIES HAD
HEARINGS YESTERDAY.
Facts Which the State Board is to
Consider in Making Its
Assessments.

Representatives of the Southern Pa
eific Company, the Atlantic and Paclnc'
the Southern California and the Pacihc
Coast Railway, and the Pullman Car
Company were before the State Boaro Oh
Equalization yesterday, and the Gay
was well spent before the last statement
had been made and laid away py the
equaIizers to await digestion.
E 3. Ryan appeared as the represen-
tative of the Southern Pacific Company
and most Of the forenoon session was
consumed in his presentation OF matters
10 the board
When questioned concerning the as
sessment Of that part of the company 5
system between Mojave and The Need
les, which has been leased TO the At
lantic and Pacific system, Mr.. Ryan sub
mitted that the property ought TO ba as
sessed to the Southern Pacific Company
as leased to the Atlantic and Pacific
Mr. Morehouse called attention to the
fact that the Atlantic and Pacific had
made its return to the board under pro-
test. and contended that it should be
assessed with all Of the property or
none. 1t was shown that the statute
governing the question seemed to bear
the company out in its contention, and
Mr.. Morehouse questioned to whom if
the road was to be assessed to the
Southern Pacific Company must the
rolling stock be assessed.
Controller Colgan explained that the
protest of the Atlantic and Pacific peo-
pie was not against assessment, but
against partial assessment. and sub
mitted that the property to the Southern
Pacific Company as leased TO the At
lantic and Pacific, and the rolling stock
of the latter corporation might be levied
as one single assessment, thus keeping
within the purview of the statute which
provides that a lease may be assessed
separately from the property itself.
Then Chairman Morehouse turned the
talk to the California Pacific line, and
suggested to Mr. Ryan that he enlight-
en- the board concerning that property.
Mr. Ryan submitted that the Southern
Pacific Company operates six several
lines in the State and that in his opinion
the proper method would be to take
them up as a whole, as the taxes on each
road is paid by the Southern Pacific
Company from a common fund.
Chairman Morehouse wanted to know
why all the lines We're not Jumped to-
gether and all equalized as a whole in
stead of as six separate properties.
Mr.. Ryan explained that several years
ago the Board Of Equalization had in
sisted that, for assessment purposes, the
properties should be segregated. The
California Pacific line Mr.. Ryan said,
is about where it stood last year.
In respect to the Southern California
road Mr. Ryan stated that the earnings
for the year ending March 81. 1897, were
considera bly, in excess of those of the
preceding year, but that the profits had
been greatly reduced by removing a
landslide which had precipitated a
mountain into one of the tunnels of the
road.
IN respect to the Southern Pacific
Coast Railway, Mr.. Ryan pointed to the
fact that it had, last year, been assessed
at $4,000 per mile, or nearly $1,000
more than any other narrow gauge road
in the State. He conceded that the road
was better than those assessed at small
figures, but not to the extent that have
been made heretofore on assessments.
He requested the board to reduce the as
sessment to that figure. The road is
9G.16 miles long, and lies in Alameda,
Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties.
Mr.. Beamer inquired what effect the
San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley
road has upon the Southern Pacific
Company's paralleling line.
Mr.. Ryan replied that the effect was
similar TO that which would be created
by any other competing line, and that
so far as local business is concerned the
Southern Pacific's business has fallen
of one-third. He submitted that it was
not a profitable piece of business to build
three lines of parallel road in the valley
where one could have done all the busi-
ness. Not only had rates been reduced
but business also had been decreased
and besides, the business in the valley
is. he said, limited to a certain amount
He considered that the Valley road has
reduced the local earning capacity OF
the Southern Pacific Company's paral-
lei line, at least one-third.
The Pullman Car Company, Mr.. Ryan
said, occupies about the same position
with the Southern Pacific Company
that it did a year ago. except that it is
running thirteen less coaches now than
he explained having been remodeled
into day coaches.
Controller Colgan inquired whether
the only reduction asked for by Mr.
Ryan on the Southern Pacific Com
pany's property, was from $4,000 tC
$4,000 per mile on the Southern Pa
cific Coast Narrow Gauge
Mr.. Ryan called attention TO the line
of track paralleled by the new road in
the San Joaquin Valley. and requested
that the board make what it deems a
suitable reduction.
In answer to question by Mr.
Beamer touching upon the comparative
valuation of the Southern Pacific's
lines in California and other States
Mr.. Ryan explained that while the
Central Pacific in California was as
sessed at SIT 400 per mile, in Nevada
the same line was assessed at but from
So. 900 to $4,000 per mile, and that il
Utah the valuation was fixed at 81, 800
per mile, with only portion of the
rolling stock included.
The Southern Pacific line, continued
Mr.. Ryan, leaves California with {