TWENTY-NINTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



23 



once, but gradually. One of the greatest incubuses which rest upon 

 the connnonwealth of California to-day consists of the enormous tracts 

 of land held under single ownership, for purposes which do not develop 

 the population and prosperity of the State. How to get rid of that 

 condition of things is, perhaps, one of the most important questions 

 before us. I believe the method is clearly indicated by the experi- 

 ence of New Zealand. I believe it to be of the supremest interest that 

 we should take this under consideration. 



MR. COOK. Mr. President, this is a very great, a very important 

 question. We have tried a little experiment in our place. We were 

 paying $2.50 a month for the privilege of talking with our neigh- 

 bors, and thought it too much. We adopted a telephone system of our 

 own — a local affair. It has been very successful. It now cost> us only 

 $1 a month, and we have increased our number very greatly. It 

 simply shows what will come when we carry into effect the propositions 

 suggested by my friend Mr. Kellogg. When we own our franchises we 

 will have enough revenue and to spare to pay our taxes. We also have 

 a local insurance company that has been quite successful — a mutual 

 fire insurance company, which has bettered our condition about six 

 times — have only to pay about one sixth of what we formerly did for 

 insurance. Five years ago we started this, and we have had three fires 

 since, and all we have paid in has accumulated. If we do not have 

 more fires than heretofore I don't know when we will have another 

 assessment. It looks as though we have enough money to pay for all 

 fires we might have in the future. It simply shows how much we have 

 been paying for those great buildings in the Eastern cities and to sup- 

 port those men who really have no interest in the affairs which concern 

 us. Let us own our own franchises, as we ought to, and it seems to me 

 that the tax question will be at least partly solved. 



MR. JUDD. Mr. Chairman, this subject of taxation has worried the 

 best minds of this State for a great many years. The manner of our 

 taxation at present is unjust in a great many respects, and more par- 

 ticularly to the agricultural and horticultural interests than to any 

 other. In Santa Cruz County the farmer is taxed for road purposes 

 forty cents more on the $100 than the people living within the incorpo- 

 rated cities. How are they exempted from bearing any part of the 

 burden of keeping up the public roads outside of the limits of the 

 incorporated towns and cities? I don't see any provision for that in 

 the Constitution, but it is done to-day, and there does not seem to be 

 any particular ''kick" about it. Here is another proposition: In one 

 county perhaps apple trees are taxed on a valuation equivalent to a 

 dollar a tree, and right across the rii^er, in another county, they are 

 only taxed at one fourth .that. And still another proposition: Here 

 is a vineyard in the mountains. The law says that lands similarly 



