The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 18, 1899, Page 1

This Paper not | to be taken from the Library.++++ SAN FRANCISCO, TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1899 MOB THREATENS ROSSITE R’S LIFE Brooklyn Streetcar Strikers Become Rictols When President of Tran- st CQompany Talks. ® e s +6 « 000 60060 rO- > 0-& R R oY July unchanged. they were gement -of the \es is obdurate and.un to-night re- he striking deter- s more > run on most of the lines by the Traction Company morning until 7 o'clock this sundown the Nassau line were crippled. None of tie ned to work and y durin non-u it work. re partially suc- e no inroads on Putnam-avenue ally intact, of its em- the sttiker ion men In this and and Jay street nue and De Kalkt p e running on full time and carried a great I - s through the day and The Con 7 lived up to its agr t s and bu: was not In fact, a- consequen s con: erably augmente s patronized the cars, alth : cases going blocks out of v to do so. Of all the lines in the traction the Flatbush avenue and a opened Brighton Beach route wer usly affected during th ne t most se! The regular schedule on the Flatbush and Brighton Beach .roads calls for ninety-four cars, but only six of these were successfully worked. On the Nos- trand-avenue line, which the Twenty-third street ferry landing in Williamsburg to Flatbush avenue and Bergen Beach, seventy-five cars are dall out. To-day only eight julated and most of these t cover the entire route. Tomp enue was very much neglected, | wo cars passing over the entire ere was a kers and their sympathizers by the st at Flatbush late this afternoon, when President Rossiter of the Rapid Transit Company addressed a meeting of the men who had gone out on the Flatbush | and Nostrand avenue lines. President Rossiter drove to the hall in a carriage in company with Seth L. Keeney, a di- rector of the road, and another official. There was a crowd of more than 2000 people around the hall when he arrived and he was received with shouts, hisses and jeers. He was met a committee of five men, representing the strikers, and they had a conference of twenty min- utes before he was permitted to «pea ‘When he finally went upon the piatform | the hall was crowded to suffocation with the strikers and the men who were aiding them. Mr. Rossiter was Introduced by Al- bert Sweeney, the chairman. TI lat- ter said as he came forward: Mr. Rossiter. Win or lose, gentlemen.” There were shouts, jeers and hisses as the president of the road stepped for- ward. “I want to say,” he began, “that I let us 17.—The strike riotous demonstration | s e bebei et e b edeP CLEARING BROOKLYN STREET OF STRIKERS. don’t need an introduction to the men. They have seen me in the powerhouses and along the lines and in the barns nd they know me.” again interrupted with and cries. “We want an gn an agreement,” could ard in the din. s a lie,” was shouted again. tdent told of the beginning of and the measures he had Yésterday all the cars whnt al- “hedule time,” he said. “That's a again there w “I don’t need to he continued. true or not. lines are running on nearly the regular schedule.” He endeavored to talk, but scarcely uttered a sentence without being jeered shouted out, and “You know whether it is { and hissed, and finally as he told of his runs from |y, iqors and { but dealings with the men and his desire to aid them, but of his determination not to recognize there was a strike, ‘there was a din that lasted for fully a quarter of an hour. Afte t was over the president said he had come to the meeting to restore » | harmony. He declared he would take the men ck and not hold their action against them. He gave theth until 6 o’clock to return, and said if they did not come back to work then they would discharged. “We'll never come back,” was the| in a shout from ' the house. him down! Kill him!” The - smiled while the babble reigned inally he was escorted downstairs and through a mob outside that shouted for his life. He entered a carrfage with his party and was driven to barns around the corner, where - the party 0 /Stem | hoarded the car Ampere. The crowd made a rush for the car, was driven off. Then, with Mr. Rossiter on the front platform, the cool- man about, the car went to Church street in Flatbush and was switched off toward the Thirty-ninth street ferry. afternoon small-sized stumps of trees were upon the Flatbush-avenue tracks In front of the Midwood Club, but all these obstructions were removed in time to allow the limited number of cars to make their scheduled trips. Con- Early in the thrown siderable difficulty was experienced on ostrand-avenue and crosstown lines, but no s yus mishap occurred. All the c were manned by two or more p men, and the presence of the officers aboard the cars prevented in a great measure any outbreak on the part of the str pathizers. kers or theif sym- Very few cars were run over the old Nassau lines, and those which were run were in charge of road inspectors, elec- tricians and trackmen belonging to the road. These cars were totally inade- quate te supply transportation for their patrons, and those who rode over the lines had to put up with frequent and annoying delays. At 7 o'clock this evening President Rossiter issued instructions to shut down all the traction company’s lines, and from that time until long after midnight not a car was run, with the exception of a couple which were placed at the service of the city authorities to take the policemen to outlying districts, and thousands of citizens were com- pelled to walk home. Chief of Police Devery spent the greater part of the afternoon in Brook- lyn. He allowed nearly half of the New York policemen, who had been on duty since early yesterday, six hours’ leave of absence, and in the meantime their places were taken by others B R PSPPI BL. OIS DU 0 D 0 S B e WY @ 000000000 essbedsdededesdsdsdedsdrdedsdedededodede who had managed to snatch a few hours’ sleep earlier in the morning. When asked for his opinion of the Continued on Third Page. To-day the cars on all the | SITUATION 2 fusial 2 H United States. kong. (Signed.) ORINOBRORON O RUNOUONO ANILA, July 11 (via Hong- kong, July 17).—The constant- ly increasing strictness of the censorship of press dispatches from Manila, which has pre- vented the cabling to the United States of anything that did not reflect official | views of important events and condi- tions, resulted in a united effort on the | part ,of the correspondents here to se- cure’an abatement of the rigor of the censorship. The initiative in this direc- tion was taken a month ago, and re- sulted in the framing of a statement which was presented on Sunday, July 9, to Major General Otis, commanding | the military forces of the United States in the Philippines, with a request for } permission to telegraph it to the United | stat The correspondents also asked for permission to cable their respective papers all the facts and different | phases of events as they transpired here. The correspondents had two long interviews with General Otis. in the course of which they claimed that the evident purpose of the censorship was not to keep Information from the enemy, but to keep from the public a knowledge of the real condition of af- fairg here. It was also asserted by the correspondents that newspapers print- | ed in Manila, which reach the enemy weekly, are permitted to publish state- ments similar to those which corre- spondents are forbidden to cable. Tt was made clear to General Otis that the objection was to the system and not to the censor. General Otis finally promised greater @ ORORAKD % O % DROKO! ! liberality, agreeing to pass all matter that he might consider not detrimental to the interests of the United States. General Otis appointed Captaiin Green of his staff censor. The statement of the correspondents is as follows: The undersigned, being all staff corre- spondents of American newspapers sta- tioned in Manila, unite in the following statement: We believe that from official dispatches made public in Washington the people of the United States have not received a cor- rect impression of the situation in the Philippines, but that these dispatches have presented an ultra-optimistic view, that is not shared by the general officers in the field. We believe that the dispatch- es incorrectly represent the existing con- | | | | i | ! | | | i | \ GARRISON TALKS T0 THE NEGROES OF INPERTALISH Let Them Cry Back Treasonto Those Who Denounce Them. e COREORATIONS - CQRANNOT ESCAPE Republican Supervisors increase the Rssessments of Wealthy Tax Shirkers by $700,000. i ' 3 e EPRESENTATIVES of tax-shirking corporations spent several unpleasant hours yesterday before @ LINGULN S PARTY [}[]NE :x the Board of Supervisors. During the morning and afternoon the Board held its final sessions as a ,:’ K3 Board of Equalization. Business of vital public importance was transacted, and it is owing to & T e ‘f the persistent energies of the Republican members, opposed by the Democratic members and antagonized i‘* The Constitutional Amend- |3 by Assessor Dodge, that the assessments of some of the great corporations have been raised, valuations of g3 T | :g small holdings have been reduced, unjust discrimination in fixing taxable values has been exposed and a i"! ment Abolishing Slavery in % more equitable distribution of tax burdens has been made. . the South a Dead Letter. \‘: After a thorough investigation of the assessment made by Dr. Dodge the Republican Supervisors S: . |$8 saw that gross discrimination had been made and certain corporations had been protected at the expense gy | ¢ of the small property-owners. Realizing this fact and seeking to remedy the injustice, the Board raised ¢ Spectal Dispatch to;The Call # the nssessment of the Market-street Railway Company by $600,000. making _the total $16,328,101. % OSTON, July 17.—William | ;2 The assessment of the Oakland Water Company was raised from $400,000 to $500,000, and none of the & Lloyd Garrison Jr. to-night ad- “8 other heavy corporation assessments were meduced. 8‘8 dressed a meeting of colored people, & The Republican members of the Board also made every effort to increase other assessments which are ¢ who have organized the Boston Col- 3 inadequate. Two mnotable cases were Wells, Fargo & Co. and the Sutter-street Railroad Company, but 3 ored Auxiliary Branch of the Anti- g2 every endeavor to raise these assessments was opposed by Assessor Dodge for reasons that he did not ex- ;'g Imperialistic League. He told them ¢ plain. He admitted that he had discriminated in favor of the Sutter-street Railroad Company and other 4 the party of Lincoln, the emancipator l: corporations, but he refused to agree to any increase. $ of their race, had departed from its gs While the sum of $700,000 has been added to the taxable value of the corporations, the total assess- noble motives, that it now stood for | 20! ment of the city and county has not been raised. The Supervisors did not commit Assessor Dodge’s blun- ,." practically the same things as that 4 der and inflict upon San Francisco an unjust tax burden by the State authorities. While the corporations ‘: of James Buchanan, and that the 6’8 will pay more, the small property-owners will pay less. The appeals of poor people were answered and ¥ constitutional amendment abolishing | g¢ justice but not favoritism was shown to the corporations. ;: slavery was a dead letter below Ma- | g o\l vy o e sietie 5eti o250 Bioti oo tio fie o 2o o tho oti otie Hio e iotie e 20 o 20 o et 20 13050 son and Dixon's line. He spoke of the contemptuous at- | titude manifested by the United | States soldiers toward the brave and | heroic Filipinos, whom they called “niggers,” as did the people of the| South speaking of their own negroes. | “Had colored men any assurance,” he asked, ‘“that these same soldiers | on their return to this country would not shoot down colored patriots in this country if directed to do so by the Tyrant Administration?” He called upon them to “answer | denunciation with denunciation, to cry back treason to men who would | so denounce them and to continue | the fight for liberty for themselves in | | Qoo tie oo NeRe RN NOT @ BOBORORG % RO %O % UHORAROND RORONGRG R OH O R O % ORGRONOVORORORORO ROV t3=3 nmssmoss;so. ONGKONG, July 17.—Aiter a long struggle against an unfair censorship of the press the American correspondents in Manila have decided to make a public statement from Hongkong, which they were not permitted to make from Manila. This statement has been cabled by the Associated Press correspondent for publication in all the papers in the It was submitted to General Otis and discussed at two conferences lasting three hours each. Although promising to mitigate the rigors of censorship he refused abso- lutely to let the statement go from Manila. Therefore we are obliged to send it from Hong- WILL DINWIDDIE. i this country and for the brave inhab- | itants of the Philippines.” | Steamer Mattowan Damaged. | LONDON, July 17.—Cable advices from Punta Arenas say the steamer Mattowan, Captain Connor, from New York, May 23, via Norfolk, for San Francisco, arrived there on the Sth inst., after having been aground on Satellite Path and in the Narrows on the 2d. She was pulled off, | leaking badly, but divers stopped thesleak. She will make repairs; snffielent -ty pro- | ceed, at a cost of £2000. § “WELL ] gl i 154 ROROROBOND AGUINALDO’S | CALL HEADQUARTERS. WELL July 17.—Important cablegrams have General Otis concerning a new mov dispatches have been in the hands but he has declined to make them by subsequent events. The latest dis; aging than previous ones, but the ly about them is that direct overtu told by a Cabinet official to-night D44 +O0+040404 0404 040+ 0404040 ‘Wmoo¢0#o¢0mo+ the Filipinos in respect to| etension and demoralization resulting | from the American campaign and to the | brigand character of their army. We believe the dispatches err in .the declaration ~that the situation 1s well in fana " 'and the assumption that the in- D ction can be speedily ended without | 2 greatly Increased force. We think the tenacity of the Filipino _purpose has been underestimated, and that the statements are unfounded that| A inteers are willing to engage in fur- | ther service. The censorship has compelled us to par- | ticlpate In_ this misrepresentation by ex- rcising or altering uncontroverted state- Tments of facts, on the plea, as General Otis stated. “that they would alarm the people at Home,” or “have the people of The United States by the ears. Specifications: Prohibition of report suppression of full reports of @ield oper- S in The event of failure: numbers of | feat prostrations in the fleld: systematic minimization of naval operations. and suppression of complete reports of the sit- uation. JOHN T. McCUTCHEON. HARRY ARMSTRONG, Chicago Record. OSCAR K. DAVIS, P. G. McCDONNELL, New York Sun. ROBERT M. COLLINS, JOHN P. DU NING, L. JONES, The Associated Pr JOHN F. BASS, WILL DINWIDDI New York Heral ED 8. KEENE tion. !?XCHARD LITTLE, Chicago Tribune. ditions among d. + , Scripps-McRae Assocla- 30 RORRON OVERTURES FOR PEACE ment from the Philippine Commission and at the War Department from views heretofore received from the same source have not been borne out tive results before making them public. All that can be learned definite- General Otis by Aguinaldo and some of his principal leaders. volunteers now being enlisted will not be needed. | muzzling the press. HE Supervisors lost no time yes- terday morning in attacking the important phases of their duties as a Board of Equalization. Dil- atory tactics on the part of the Democratic members, who sympathize with Assessor Dodge’s estimate, had al- ready prevented the accomplishment of much good, so the Republicans began their work with a will. Before the day was over they had performed one of the most important public benefits in their | official careers. “Which of these protests shall we take up first?” inquired Mayor Phelan. “I would suggest it be that of the Mar- ket-street Railway Company; it is the most important of the corporation.” “I think that is right,” assented Super- visor Aigeltinger, “we have heard something which—"" = “Market-street Railway Company, shouted Clerk Kirby from the door of the committee-room, and in answer came Henry Lynch, superintendent of | the system, J. A. Foulds, attorney, and E. Black Ryan, the Southern Pacific's tax expert and political connubiator. Mr. Ryan introduced Mr. Lynch, who was promptly sworn, although no ne- cessity-for it developed. There was not a minute i Which Mr. Lynch knew just 0007 0U8LEI0080008T000 9000000008000 80 908 Y 90008888000 THE WAR CORRESPONDENTS Botieetietiotiotiotie K oReNeRenINONININQ | - SCORE LS, o202 +tie N0 IN HAND” OHN F. BASS. HORGKHORORONORONO QOROROL D% O % OROLIRON DIRECT INGTON HOTEL, WASHINGTON, been received at the State Depart- e in the direction of peace. These of the President for several days, public because the ultra-optimistic patches, however, are more encour- President wishes to have some posi- res for peace have been made to I was that if the promises are fulfilled the B4+D404+ 04040404040+ 04+ 0+040+40+40 Q40404040404+ 0+ CHOHOH040+ EITHER OTIS OR THE CORRESPONDENTS MUST GO WASHINGTON, July 17.—“Either Major General Otis or the newspaper correspondents must go. To deport the correspondents will probably be ac- cepted at home and abroad to be a re- turn to the old "Spanish method of To relieve Major General Otis will mean an official ac- knowledgment of his failure and a de- moralization of military discipline.” This is the way a member of the Cabinet with whom I talked this even- ing stated the problem which confronts the administration as the result of the Just what action will be taken will not be known until after the Cabinet meeting to-morrow. As the matter stands to-night most of the Cabinet ministers with whom I talked think it will be imperative for the President to relieve General Otis or ifistruct him to what he was talking about. “Well,” said Mr. Lynch, have much to say, only these ments are too high.” Asked why thought so, Mr. Lynch made an atte ess he mpt to explain and continued to make no progress until Mayor Phelan suggested the line of argument that should be pursued. “What was the market value of the in stocks and bonds of your system March last?” he asked. “There were between 31,000 and 3 000 shares out,” was the irrelevant a swer. “But what was their value? persisted the Mayor. And the troubles that hereafter multiplied for Lynch be- gan. He took his first step in the maze by attempting an answer in genera ties: Black Ryan, who can always ex- plain, looked on compassionately. Mr. Foulds, pressed to the issue, offered Mr. Lynch a tabulated statement with which to refresh his fagged memory. “There were stocks and bonds to the amount of $16,996,000,” said Mr. Lynch. “There were 83,000 shares on the market at 63—8$5,229,000 in all. I think 186,170 shares have been i ed in all at a par value of $11,728,710.” Mayor Phelan asked why Me..Lynch gave the par value rather than the market value of the company’s bonds. He said it was upon the market value intangible assets had been computed. Lynch replied that the market value of the bonds should not be considered, as interest was paid only on the par value and the earning capacity of the bonds, consequently not influenced by the premium that might exist upon the paper in the market. “Besides, market values on stocks and bonds are so often fictitious,” mod- estly submitted Mr. Foulds. “These bonds are not in the market, they are in our treasury,” suggested the purpling Mr. Ryan to the involved Mr. Lynch, sotto voce. “Yes, they are not in the market,” echoed Mr. Lynch, and he looked entreatingly around for another tip.. Mr. Foulds thought it best to take up the tangled thread him- self, and ignoring the formality of be- why the Assessor had taken the market rather than the par value of the com- pany’s bonds as a basis of assessment of the company's intangible property, or, in simple words, the company's franchise. Dodge broke in with the statement that he had taken the market value of the stock and of the bonds as well as the best criterion of the value of the property intangible and tangible that was behind them, the value of which warranted the buying public in offer- ing 15 per cent premium on the bonds did not say that he had assessed the bonds directly. For the sake of well- simulated argument, however, Foulds assumed that such was the Assessor's mistake. “There seems to be a great deal of confusion,” said he. “I shall attempt to explain. The Assessor and his Honor seem to think that the bonds themselves have been assessed. This {s not so; it is the property which these bonds represent, our right to do busi- ness, which he has attempted to put a valuation upon. The only proper way to arrive at such a result is to take the par value of our bonds ($100) as the bonds at par represent the actual value; the market rate has nothing whatever to do with it.” “Why not?” pertinently inquired Supervisor Collins. “Why not” was precisely what the prolix Mr. Foulds was not seeking op- portunity to tell, nor did he. He simply reiterated that the earning capacity of the bonds was governed by the mort- gage which they secured and in no wise by the market value at which they might obtain. Mayor Phelan asked Mr. Foulds what he had to urge as a reason he had not made a statement of the par value of the bonds in preparing for assessment. “The Market-street Company has not paid its just share of taxes for ten years " said he, nicely. “The entire value of your stocks and bonds on which you have paid interest and builded up a surplus ofg8500.000 is $26,000,000, and you quibble at paying taxes on $15,000,000,” continued his Honor. publication of the newspaper corre- “I want to say,” said Dr. Dodge at | spondents’ “round robin,” protesting | this point, “that I have been more than | against the course of General Otis. fair with the corporations, and they can see it if they will look iInto it. Whenever 1 could I have given them the benefit of the doubt and have as- sessed them at a lower rate than indi- vidual holders when I have been able to do so. I did not want to hear the ecry that I was cinching the corpora- tions.” And then out came the meat of the Continued ‘on Second Page. wheole harangue—why a morning had been given over by Assessor Dodge and that the assessment of the corporation’s | | dulled by the difficulties of 2 bad argu- ing sworn said he could not understand | and $63 per share for the stock. Dodge | “I dom't kmow that I| weak subterfuge _ | over nothing but argument that was but and weaker figures intangible property.” In an instant it developed that this quibble and apparent ill feeling that had arisen in an argument solely over a comparative bagatelle of $800,000 on the franchise was calculated to furnish the reason and be the excuse for a re- duction of §: 550 along every line of the monopoly’s property—tangible as well as “‘untangible.” Assessor Dodge let that kitten out of assessed in | the bag when, in answer to a question | home—at from | | from Supervisor Collins Dr. Dodge ad- mitted flatly that while he had assessed the real estate of the individual prop- erty holder—the man who owns his seventy-five to ninety per cent of its actual value, he had as- sessed the ‘“‘tangible” property of the Market Street Railway Company at but ixty per cent, and in some cases at fifty per cent. Supervisor Collins gasped, Mayor Phelan c: a soulful eye of entreaty at the Asse: r. Mr. E. Black Ryan merely fidgeted. Mr. Foulds came to the front with the brave statement, which was calculated to fill an embar- rassing pause, that he considered that he hdd convinced his hearers that the figures of A ssor Dodge were out of all reason; that he thought his $800,000 argument fully warranted a reduction of three million and a half. Tben he closed hi: €. v Mr. Ryan, however, was not so sure of that argument. For once the little politician of the Southern Pacific was rattled. His perception had not been ment and he had not been blind to the effect Assessor Dodge’s admission had had upon even those who have been considered the most unregenerate of the board. It came to them all as a substantiation of a grist of rumors that have persisted ever since the board sat as a body of equalizers and Assessor Dodge’s involved figures were brought out where they could be seen. For days residents of the Panhandle district had been asking why the as- sessments along the line of that pro- posed flower garden had been figured at so much higher a figure than other properties in other sections which was considered quite as desirable for resi- dence purposes. Individuals who owned blocks next to and like their neighbors had asked why theirs was the higher by several per cent than the other. Bankers with a hundred thousand dol- lars in deposits had been in to ask why their franchises were assessed at $2500 and the franchises of banking institu- tions whose deposits bumped around among' the millions were set down at only $5000, or at the most $10,000. Rumors of such unjust discrimination were of daily occurrence, and the un- guarded admission of the almost always astute Dr. Dodge had given them the confirmation which they might have al- ways lacked. It was apparently fur- ther to conceal this break that Mr. Ryan Kkicked up a little argument on his own account with Dr. Dodge on the other side of the question. It involved only a couple of hundred thousand dol- lars, however, and was dismissed by the board as frivolous. Mr. Ryan, Mr. Lynch and Mr. Foulds were allowed to depart. Supervisor Phelps went into the main chamber and talked for a moment with Lynch. Mr. Byington moved that the Assessor’s figures be allowed to stand. Mr. Phelps promptly moved as an amendment that the Market Street Railway Company’s assessment be re- duced $1,000,000. “‘Assessor Dodge, did I understand you to say that you had assessed pri- vate property owners at seventy-five and ninety per cent and the Market Street Railway Compa at only from fifty to sixty per cent suddenly de- manded Supervisor Collins. “Why, yes, you see [—" “Then it seems to me that instead of being reduced this assessment should be raised. I see no reason why the private property holders should be dis- criminated against in favor of the cor- porations. I move as a substitute that the assessment of the Market Street Company’s franchise be raised $600,000, and that that amount be added to the franchise.” “I second that motion,” said Aigel- tinger. “And L, chorused Perrault, and then the motion was put, and only Mr. Phelps, who had talked with Mr. Lynch, voted against it. Then some one said Spring Valley. The representative of the water com- pany had been waiting all the morning and should be heard, but somehow or other the Oakland Water Company got first place and Dr. Dodge was afforded an opportunity to come out in the open and defend another of his assessments against an unsought increase. The Oakland Water Company, for reasons best known to itself, does business across the bay and keeps its incorpora- tion papers on file in this city. Until this year its franchise had not been assessed. Dr. Dodge appraised it at $400,000. Aigeltinger said it was the in- tenticn to run that figure up to $600,- 000, and Dodge strongly objected. He said he had consulted with Assessor Dalton of Alameda County and from facts supplied by him knew that he had assessed the company fairly. “We do not want to assess them to the extent that we will drive them from the county,” said he. “I think $400,000 is Continued on Second Page.