The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1868-11-16
0heQnteIEi9etrfer,
TAxA1I0N OF nAILKOADS.

We copied, Saturday. in ertenSo, the
provision in relation to the assessment
OF railroads which has been proposed
TO the Legislature ms a part of the code.
We said then we were not aware wheth-
or that section had been drawn by the
codIGers or by the RevIsory Committee
of the Legislature. We are Informed
the codifiers embodied the existing law
without change. and that the committee
substituted for 1t the section referred to,
by u divided vote, and in the absence OF
some of its members. That section, as
reported to The Legislature for action,
provides that railroads shall be assess
ed for purposes OF taxation at S35. 600
per mile, this valuation to include
bridges, rolling stock, depots, freight
houses, machine shops, materials for
repairs. and all other property necessa-
rIly belonging to or used in connection
with the road, But the Company is to
be exempt from all county and town
ship taxation, and in lieu thereof is TO
pay into the State Treasury sumequa1
to the State tax. which is TO be distfib-
uted among the counties through which
the road passes In proportion to the
length of road in each.
The State Constitution requires that
all taxation shall be equal and uni
torm.--Literally this H., OF course, i'm
possible; for while the rates may be SO,
It's practical ImpoHsibility TO get the
valuations so exactly right as to make
the taxes drawn from property exactly
equal. Yet 1t ought to be the purpose
of all laws on this subject tO approxi-
mate this constitutional standard as
nearly as human skill and judgment
can. Because taxes may be and often
are as oppressive and unjust by reason
of unequal assessment as from unequal
rate. II can only be where the rate is
uniform and the assessment fair that
equal taxation can result; and wherev-
or from fault in either, a dollar is re-
quired of one man which ought to be
paid by another, 1t iSoppression, and If
It was in the power of those framing the
laws from which this oppression results
to have prevented 1t, 1t is robbery, and
nothing else can be made oft.
The existing mode OF assessing rail-
roads may not be the best that human
wisdom could devise; but it is intended
to approximate the constitutional re-
quirement, and that Is more, we be.
lieve, than will be done BY the propo-
sition we are considering.
It is proposed to fix in the Code an
assessment which Is arbitrary, appn.
cable alike to roads now existing aud
all to be hereafter built. Ifit were con.
cedetI that the valuation Is a just one
for existing roads. how can 1t be known
It will be just for those hereafter to be
bulltG They may be worth a great
deal more. They be worth less; we
hardly think they will, but 1t is not
probable they Will all be worth just
the same. Is 1t not legislative absur-
ditys to undertake to value them in ad-
vanceR
But while the section Is drawn in
general terms and for both present and
future, its present application is what
chiefly concerns us; and we would not
undertake tosay that this is not its chief
merit in the eys of It's friends. There
is but one railroad In this State, If we
except the two or three miles that cross
through the upper. end ofthe Panhan-
die: nor is there likely to be any more
II that overgrown corporation becomes
sufficiently powerful TO CONTROL the
legislation OF the State, as 1t has
has been for years trying to do.
What evidence is there that the valu-
alton proposed is the equitable one for
the Baltimore and Ohio road, to which,
US we have said, this scheme almost ex
clusiyely appliesR That portion of the
main stem in this State originally cost
nearly fifteen millions OF dollars, How
much they have added TO it by purchase
OF real estate, the erection of engine
houses, machine shops, &c., cannot be
estimated. But this original cost is
nearly double the valuation proposed.
II ~ill be said that the cost may be
more than 1t is worth. Perhaps but
other property is supposed to be-, worth
cost when II pays net profits OF from 10
10 80 per cent. on capital invested. astbe
Blltmore and Ohio Railroad ala mr.
Sording to It's own reports. tlurinc tho
nine years from 1856 to 1864 inelnsivs
the net profits In those nine vs,rs I,,,,,.'
one hundred and fifLy-two per cent, on
=, ne capital stock as IL stood Sep,ember
~, Aso4,-an syerageo about IL per cent
per . snne y Incorporation which renns
such prohis as lhese-a large NAT ~ :,
by eStortionate disctinl mai ans -,
the people and business of tbe s,s,a
has no good claim, In our opinion ~ =.