The Dolores star., 1922-02-10
REPORT OF THE
EXECUTIVE COM
MITTEE OF SAN
JUAN RAILWAY *

At the close of the land campaign. it
was found advisable for committee
to be sent to Los Angeles to confer
with the Los Angeles syndicate.
The conference committee, so repre-
senting the basin, consisted of Messers
j. A. Clay, B. W Ritter, w. N. Searcy
and E. Tyler Smith.
That special committee held num-
Der of meetings with the syndicate
during period of two weeks and only
recently returned to make report
We now desire to make public re-
port to the land subscribers, the com
mittees and all others interested in the
railroad Enterprise. as they are all en-
titled to full information.
First We desire to say that we
have more confidence that ever before
that the railroad will be built. The
members of the syndicate express
great appreciation of the splendid quail
tiles of the citizenship and progress
iveness proven by the people of the
basin and seem more than ever deter
mined that Los Angeles and this
country of ours shall be united. One
of the first matters conferred upon was
the general condition and acceptability
of the lands gathered. 1t must be
remembered that the syndicate, until
after January /, had no opportunity to
rayaiu these lapds in opv ,pav II ,yac
advisable for our committee to be
present to furnish information as to
these lands, especially as to the value
of the lands at the remote edges of the
basin, and their probable increase in
value. The report of Mr. Fitzgerald
upon the lands was fair and just and
we believe the syndicate is, in general
well pleased with the lands presented
1t will be necessary, however, for in
spection to be made of the tracts which
were not actually viewed, and we con-
slider it only fair that this should be
DONE
We are informed that Mr.. Fitzgerald
will return to the basin for that pur-
pose just as soon as weather conditions
will permit.
The next matter taken up with the
syndicate was the building of the rail-
way. Our committee desired, if poss-
BILE. and as soon as possible, to obtain
final, binding agreement for the
building so as to make the railway an
assured fact. AS we have heretofore
stated, the present contract is only an
option whereby the syndicate may re-
ceive the land if it completes the rail-
way, but it is not at any stage bound to
build. That was the only agreement
that could be made at the beginning.
But many of our land owners and bust
ness men, especially since the land has
been raised, have expressed the desire
that some change be now made, so that
the railway may be absolutely assured
and the whole transac tion closed. The
syndicate seems to consider this sug-
gestion favorably. On the other hand,
the syndicate, in financing and building
the railroad, must make the whole
plan and the financing satisfactory to
the interstate commence commission,
and desires that the railroad company
shall. If possible, be free to make ex-
tensions so as to develop the whole
basin which our committee also con-
sders to be desirable. Several sug-
gested plans of closing the whole
transaction and making the road
certainty, are under consideration, but
can not yet be concluded. From these
conferences it now appears probable
that some changes in the contract may
now be advisable, for the mutual bene-
fit of both the land owners and the
syndicate. But we desire to make it
clear to all the subscribing landowners,
first, that no change whatever can or
will be made without the written con-
sent of the landowners; second, that
any change made will be as good for
the landowner as the plan and probably
much better, and. third, that any such
change if made, will settle and hasten
the building of railroad.
In conclusion we will say that the
syndicate has shown every disposition
to be fair and just in the negotiations,
and is using. much time and effort