The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-02-06
Fox River Valley r. r.

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ton of 100000, required by the contractor
before the work is to commence. ,sis
Our belief was predicated~ upon what we
believe to be the fact, that it is for the interest
of the towns through which the road is to run,
not having yet voted, to vote literally to this
enterprise in order that it may 60 speedily OIL
to completion, ..,..a..t..
That out of purely selfish motives the people
along the line would necessarily respond to
this last call. Ae,. .
Some people there are in every community
who would not consent 10 be taxed one dollar
if they were morally Certain Of making ten
dollars out of the operation, who, IS soon as
the subject of taxation Is brought forward,
settle back in their clothes like balky horse
in harness, and with thumb in each ear seek
to avoid hearing anything that may be said in
its favor Or if, for the sake If courtesy, they
do pretend to kear, they keep settling back
in the breechih for fear of being convinced
against their will.
The subject should be looked upon as
business transaction, and with view Of arriv-
ing at the exact facts to the real interests of
the towns il. que5,ion, without any perjudice
either one WY i the other.
In the first place, there seems to be some
misapprehenson rs to the manner Railroads
are taxed, and as they afford vast amount
of revenue to the towns and counties through
which they run, it may not be smiss to advise
our readers how the taxes are levied.
On the subject of taxation Of Railroads our
laws provide as follows:
Sec. A. The schedule or list of the taxable
property OF railroad companies shall set forth
description Of all the real property owned or Oc-
cupied by the company in each county, town and
city through which such railroad may run and
the actual value Of each lot parcel of land, in
Guiding the Improvements Ihcreon, except the
track or superstructure of s. d road shall be an.
nexed to the description of CHI lot or parcel of
land Said list shall set nth the number Of
acres taken for right of W, =, stations or other
purposes, from each tract G. and through which
said road may run, describing said land as near
as practicable, in accordance with the surveys OF
the United States, giving the width of the strip
or parcel of land, and its length through each
tract; also the whole number Of and the
aggregate value thereof in said county town and
ton shall he denomiuated real property. The
list aforesaid shall set forth the length Of the
main track, and the length of all side tracks and
turnouts III each county, city and town through
which the road inay run, with the actual value
OF the same, and the value of the improvements
st each of the several stations, when said stations
are not part of city or town lots. The said
stations and track shall BE- denomiated "fxed and
stationary personal property" The list shall con-
tain an inventory of the rolling stock belonging
to said company, with the value thereof said
rolling stock shall be denominatod personal
property" also, a statement of the value OF all
other personal property owned BY said company
in each county city and town. The length of
the whole of the main track within this state
and the total value of the rolling stock shall DO
Listed and taxed in the several counties, towns
and cities, pro rata, in proportion an tho length
OF the main track in such county, town or city
bears to tho whole length of the road. All other
property shall be listed and taxed I'm the county,
town or city where ia, anne IL located or used
'Scatcs. Treat d Blackwell Stat, 1l08.
1t will be SEEM from an examination Of this
law, that the more miles OF Railroad travers-
sng town the more the taxation or revenue
falling into its lap. The rolling stock is asses
sed per mile no matter where the same may
happen to be when the assessor comes around.
1t, for instance, the length OF railroad DO
sixty miles and the length of It's line through
town six miles, the town would be entitled
to the tax on the valuation of six miles of road
bed, stations and other fixed and stationary
property in the town, and on 6-6Oths or
10th of the valuation of all tho rolling stock
of the road
Take for example the town OF Dayton
Suppose the people vote Gas we hope they will
to subscribe $4,000 to the stock Of the Fox
River Valley r. X. Co.;
TO what extent will the road aid her to pay
the debt The length OF line through Day
ton as now surveyed is 8 21-l00 miles Call
it for convenience 8 miles. The length of the
whole line from Wenona to Geneva is "a miles.
Dayton will therefore be entitled to the tax on
the valuation of 6 miles of road bed and sta
tons and on 6-s4 or LA Of the rolling stock of
the road. If the road were as well equipped
as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific r. r.
how much tax would it pay to Dayton2
The last named road pays to the town of
Ottawa for the same length Of line for the year
1868, tax, including that upon rolling stock,
of $lG7l.S8.
Is it not fair then, to presume that the Fox
River Valley II. r.. with the less valuable roll
ling stock it will necessarily have fnr q E.,y