The herald., 1897-03-01
THE TAXPAYERS ARE l|M|D
Ready 10 Cry Before They Are
Hurt
BUDD MAKES DECLARATION
That the State Rate Shall Not Exceed
Forty.flve Cents
Berkeley to Receive a nuniflcent Gift From
BUDD MAKES DECLARATION
Mrs. Hearst-C Capital City Personal
and Political Gossip

SACRAMENTO, Feb. 26.-There are
numbers of good people who are for
ever predicting high tax rate and
throwing their hands in the air when
ever an appropriation bill makes its ap-
pearance. 1 read, for instance, In the
Bee of this city, the other day, that the
tax rate would be $1.20. the ingenious
financier who was responsible for the
statement having figured that 1t would
take that sum to raise the amount of the
appropriation in sight he having evil
IDENTIFY forgotten that they were for two
instead of one year, and that even If his
figuring was correct the rate would only
be 60 cents per annum and not 1.2O, as
he stated 1t. But the rate will not be
60 cents, nor even so cents; II will not ex-
ceed even by the fraction of mill Is
cents. The governor has declared that
repeatedly. He has told all the men,
bers of both houses that have spoken to
him on the subject that he will veto
all bills, no matter how meritorious they
may be which exceed that amount. and
experience in the past shows that he
will keep his word. But the chances
are that the levy will not be even 45
cents, for several reasons. In the first
place, the appropriations are being
pared down to the very lowest notch;
and then there Is surplus in the treas
ury. Speaking on this subject yester-
day, Secretary of State Brown said 10
me: Il do not think that the people need
be alarmed by the fear of a heavy tax
rate or a depleted treasury. There Is
money enough on hand to run the state
with case until next January. When
the tax levey is arranged for, all the ap-
preparations that have been passed by
the legislature and are pending In the
governors office awaiting his action
are taken into consideration and the
rate of the levy Is based on the probable
appropriations that he will sign AS
usual that was done by the last legis-
lature, and as a result allowance was
made for the collection of s1,523,47O for
appropriations which he vetoed The
board of equalization could not take
cognizance of those vetoes. they were
obliged to collect the tax as though the
appropriations had been approved by
the governor, and as a result a million
and half of dollars was collec and is
in the treasury today. The railroads
also paid s210. 900 back taxes. so the sur
plus amounted to s1,733.470. which can
be deducted from the amount 1t will be
necessary to collect during the next two
years. The amounts making up this
large sum of money saved were as fol-
lows: Coyote scalp law, s275. 900; Jordon
claim, $4,000; Mariposa road into Yo-
semitic valley. $4,000; affiliated colleges
(only one half of the appropriation has
been used, so the balance lapsed back
into the treasury, $125.o0O; district ag-
ricultural fairs, s190,Sc0; Chico normal
school, $1,000; Los Angeles normal
school, $4,000; administration building
Mendocino insane asylum. s147.2S
trade school building at Whittier state
school, s63s150; vennla tion for Los An
geles normal school and state capitol,
$31, 500; claim of A. McGinnis, $500;
claim of j. A. Hult, $4,000; claim of Major
Pico, $S111.15; claim of L. Rienzi $1,000;
commission for uniform legislature,
$1,000; Marin county claim. S3050; claim
of e. It. Card, s25O0: Preston school of
industry, $4,000; claim of Mrs. Wing,
$4,000; building for Woman's Relief Corps
at Evergreen, $4,000, building home for
feeble minded, $46. 500; claim of Tay &
Co., s40o; claim of Philip Bauer, $500;
insane asylum at Agnews. $4,000; state
board of horticulture, $40, 900; soldiers
widows and orphans, $4,000; San Diego
normal school. $4,000; blind asylum at
Berkeley. $4,000; Folsom prison, $4,000;
Highland insane asylum, s275, 900; Wo-
mans Relief Corps. $4,000; normal school
at San Jose, $500; transportating insane,
$427S; claim of John c. Pelton, $4,000.
1t is certain that this year the gov
ernor will not sign the appropriations
for the district fairs except in a few
back districts, and then only for small
amounts. He win do some other veto
ing also, so that even with the appro-
priations reduced as they are the 45-cent
will not be reached by several cents
in all probab bility. If possible the
rate will be kept as low as 40 cents, If not
for this year at least for next. The at
.torney- general informs me that the
cases against the Southern Pacific rail-
road in the name of the railroad COM
missioners are being vigorously push
ed The people, even the legislature -
said the general, don't understand the
status of these cases. They not only
have not been decided adversely to the
state, but on the contrary the state has
already won very important conten-
ton, namely, that the commission Is
constitutional. The railroad sought to
have 1t declared unconstitutional, but
Judge McKenna set aside that plea
and therefore a very important point has
been gained. The second demand of the
railroad for temporary injunction re-
straining the commission from fixing
the freight rates at figures which the
road claims are below reasonable rates
was granted because the affldavits Of
the railroad company declared that Il
was not only not making a reasonable
interest on it's investment, but that it
was actually losing money. On that
showing, which the state was enabled
to refute until it had examined the rail-
roads books, Judge McKenna granted
the temporary injunction, but the state
is now about to make an examination
of the books. having asked permission
to have an expert make such examina-
ton, it will then see If all the money
expended is for necessary expenses IN
running the road, and If the railroad
company Is making the money that the
public supposes it is, the courts no doub;
will grant an order allowing the conf
mission to fix the rates. That order
will at once become operative, even dur
ing an appeal. and the people will have
immediate relief This decision should
be secured this year. There will be
some delay owing to the resignation Of
Judge McKenna. but very little. You
see, therefore, that the people have
really gained a victory so far and that
they have every reason to anticipate
even a greater victory In the near fu-
ture"
l give my conversation with the at
torney- general at length because am
sure very few people understand the
status of this case, and most OF them
think that because the court granted Il
temporary injunction the state has lost
its case, and the railroad commission is
simply a barnacle on the state govern
ment If the case is eventually won,