Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-01-21
'E77E fsi ssE.
RAILROAD TAXATION.

Hon. Samuel h. Rankin, Treasurer of
State, in his late report makes the following
pertinent suggestions respecting the taxa
ton of property belonging to railroads:
The tax collected upon the gross receipts
cf railroad companies for the years 1867
and 1868, and including delinquent tax Of
1866, and penalty on delinquent tax of
1866 and 1867, was $l4l,5ll.Gl, one-half
of which was placed to the credit of the
general revenue, and the remaining one
half paid to the several counties entitled
thereto.
would here suggest that the law fixing
a tax upon railroad companies be so
amended as to cause the burden of taxa
ton to rest alike upon the property Of all
upon the property of the railroad company,
as upon the property of the farmer, the
mechanic, the manufacturer or the mer.
chant. To show the great inequality -,.nder
our present law. take, as exam pie, the tax
Of 1868: On the 3!st day Of December,
1868, there were | 4 Is miles Of main track
OF railroad IN the State, the gross receipts of
which, for that year, were $S,0l0,65l.2l
upon which the tax of one per cent. was
$50, i06, 81, the one-halt Of which-S40,-
203. 25-passed into the general revenuc,
the other onehalf being paid to the coun-
ties entitled thereto.
AS this tax of one per cont on gross ro-
CENTS is sin lien Of ali taxes for anv and
all purposes on tie road-bed track r1lline.
stock and necessary buildinrs for onera,;nr
the road" to estimate. tbe roads in, |idinc the
.rolipr.s,o aud nect s;arv tuild;uas"a at an
average valuation Of $40 .00o.00 Der mile.
woNId he ne,hans fully rs low az other
property in the State was valued for assess.
mel!t, in that year, and would make q total
va!uati N or SOS. 900 900. 90. which at two
and one-halr mills-tbe lew for State fax
for lg6S-would Weld 10 tbr State al,nc far
that year. revenue Of $72.t0O. 90, instead
of 40 ,2O3 %. the amount collected f,r that
wear under the present law. 10 iris adl
caun,y. school, insane. town And ci,v faxes.
which. in counties in which railroads we've
built in 1865. were not less ,hun nm AVERAGE
of one and A half Der cent. maxim thc ad
diiitlunal revcunc To tEe courties or &I3i
400 90. instead of $40 p03 - collected
puler the nresort law md I,aI.in', nn cara.
ra,e raycnue for S,ale aed comfy ,nrnoses
for that wear or S5e6 eGn "a i,t,nod or
$50. .I0G.jl. collected u,,der tbe nrospnt law
Had tile ,roner,v Of railroad cnmnanies
been valued as other nrooprtv ~ a,rre-
gate valuation would have h,nn increascd
and ,he rate npr cont or tax dir;r;sbed
and the burden of taxation would thus have
fallen more equally nnon an I do not
wish to be understood rs sncccs,;no Inv
the FOREGOING estimate. thar on ave,,re val
uation should be nlacod nron oIl r,iIroaA :
in the State. and The taxes ,ev;eJ nnnn ina,
valuation. Some have. nerhans cost mncL
more than others. some ,,ar bo hot,r con.
struc,td than others; some nav have hot.
ter buildings, or more or bcttnr ro,)ina stock
than Others and some dou,,lnss aro nv.
inc their owners laroer nroGt Than OH.
ers. | only desire TO call attention 10 ,ha
fact, tbat under on nrosent law ,hnro ;s
crcat disnronort;on betwoon tho tav co,.
lected from the nronar,v of raIrood oorn.
n,n;e, and that colIected FROM ,bo o,ha,
real and personal nronerty in tho State
West, m h"r5erwhan " horond We w. - om os s"a
wldernes3-wbcn thn resonrcos &c o,r
State were almost on,;raln nndorolorad
! and Western RAILROADS na.a o1 y
;uves,men, ,bev ara ro, Thon ~ !, a"I was,ar r.
bo,s s,ur1 rnio,, -, H. .. ac ,l e.
10 d;scr;m;na,o IN ,,a;r :, ,r". ha. ,ha. ,;.'o
is fast nass;no # mot alroadr ~ nas, '' 'l1r, nn,
railroads have bocome NO, on,,, sofa bu,
nro6taIla ;nvestnonts an5 ,;,L o,,n-,, , ,,o., ~.
are becom;nr move 60 and Do not no,, s.ai ra
| ou;ra oxo,,n,;on trnn, .Lo ,'. ar ;.
Cnnn, " .l""' rlu"' p''p'iu'n .. 'he o'a'e ana y,
ar;",a,;nn Gn l.'e,'". a;, ""u oes,ues ISSUES sucn US,
on;n. hn a's'"' % :ne puolc Poace "no
| I"'e' ~ e'u'S o'sNe"s'on anu s'i"e
n,HonI m;ai1 .ne people, .or laws discriminating
"IJ"'T .',n., :" .'for Vi Vi "g"'''s' IN.
o.''S. VI Pu,so"s vi properly oi Necessity
Im I''',I' ''Nu 'o''e', !" SP'',' Vi "h'aSo"'S'h
taxas %" ,"m aes u".''; 'ne "ssess,nIn' .