, 1873-08-22
RAILROAD TAXATION.

tatoly adjourned. The ghost from which tho
Board dod in such terror was the mntter Of tx
ing tho taxable value Of tho railroad property In
this Btato. The taxable 7aluo Of railroad prop
erty as fl1cd By tho Board last ycar WAS cas- $685.,
7S4 out Of an aggregate Of $510, ,8s8, ,CS3 Of all
kinds Of property taxed. II iH now demanded
by largo portion Of the people that tho as-
sesamont Of railroad property shau DO advanced
vartously to snma ranging from s250, 0,0oo, 900 to
946o, ,oooi tho argument being that, az tho
rairoad companies declare that their roads cost
thom certain largo sum per milo, upon
which thcy aro entitled to dividends, tho samo
roada should bo aAHeHBod for taxation at the |
aamo valuation. Tho Constitution Of tho Stats
Of Illinois states very plainly this mnttor Of tax
alton. It progidoa:
Tho General Assembly shall provide aueh revenue a.
may DO nesdful by lovying tax by valuation, |
80 that ovory person and corporation sha pay tax
In proportion to the ysluo Of hs her, OF ita prop
ersy. |
Tho General Assembly may vest the corporate n,,-
thoritios OF ciie8 towns aud villages with power to
make local improvements by special aaacasmcnt or by
special taxation Of contiguous property, otherwise
For all othor corporate purposes al municipal corro-
ratsona may ba vested with authority to and
collect taIes but such axca ahall ba uniform iu To-
apcct to poraona and property within ths Jurisdiction
OF the body imposing tho aame.
Tho action Of tho statc Board of Equalization
upon tho assessment Of railroad property
in tho matter Of county and town taxation, as
we'll as OF State taxation, the samo assoBement
being in force for both purposes, So far rs
tho railroads aro concerned, 1t Is therefore
serious matter whether tho assessment
Hhall be Increased, since tho rate OF taxation for
county and local purposes is about twice as great
as for State purposes Tho ''rroporty' Of rail-
roads which is to bo asseaaod and taxed consists
OF land town lots iron rails ioH, station-houaes,
/ md other buildings md improvements, and tho
rolling-Btock. Tho franchises Of tho company
arc something very different. md tho law OF this
| State has mover included thom among tho taxa
bios, although tho Constitution authorizes tho
taxation Of franchises. Now tho land, town lots,
buildings aud improvements. aud rolling-stock
arc to 10 assessed and taxed ut tho aamo yalt,a-
tion that would be placod them if thoy wcro tho
property Of private citizens. Tho 100 acres Of
land contained in the 100 foot Of roadwny be-
longing to railroad cannot honestly or fairly
DO assessed al worth moro por aero than tue land
adjoining it on both sideH. It is tho land and
not the franchise under which the land is occl-
pied that ia to bo valued and taxed. Tho town
lots owned by railroad companies must be valued
just as tho town lots, similarly situated and
owned by private citizons, aro taxed. Tho pus-
poae for which land or lots, or iron rails, and
locomotives are used, forms no part Of their tax
ab1e valuo. A. man may occupy 25-foot front
lot, improved by four-story brick building,
In Springfield, and may carry on tllorcin q bunk
or other business yielding him profit Of half d
million of dollars annually; but tho lot and
building occupied by him arc not, for that rea-
sou, to bo taxed ton times as high Us similar
lot aud building On tho opposite cornor used as
q retail grocery storo. aud which yieldB only q
nominal profit. Tho uso to which ''proporty il
put forma no part Of its taxable value. For taxa
bio purposes, d locomotive uBod on d railroad can
1nvo no higher value than the aamo locomotive
in tho shop Of it's makor. Tho iron rails md
superstruoturo of railroad have no taxable
yalue IA component parts Of railways; their tax
able value ia that Of so much matertal,
and tho cost Of putting them to-
gother. To include the valuo Of tho franchises
of corporation, whether it bo q bank, railroad,
steamboat, OF manufacturing company, in tho
value Of the land or buildings ii may use aud
occupy, is glaring injustice. A man may have
patent worth million Of dollars, and yet
manufacture and carry on his business in PROM
ses worth rs roal and personal property not over
$40, 600. Could thoro bo reasonable protaxt
for the State Board Of Equalization to include
tho valuo Of tho patent jn the value Of tho real
estate, improvements, tools, aud machinery ol
: tho patentce? And yot is not that precisely
what 1t isnow proposed the Board OF Equalization
, Of this State shall do III tho case OF tho rail.
roads? Railroads arc taxable upon their prop.
orty precisely al natural persons. THOR 1ands
their town lots their peraoual property Of al
. kinda must be taxed aa all other property ie
ta1el "iu proportion to tho value " tloreof, and
euch taxation must bo " uniform in respect tc
I persons and property" or it will bo void. Any
attompt to go beyond the strict letter OF tue Law
will be a failure. invalldating tho tax, aud
: diminishing, not Increasing, tho rovonuo OF the
| State. Lot tho Board Of Equalization roturn tc
. thoir duty Let them perform that duty as the
lar points 1t out lot neither olamor on tho Ont
+ hind nor hlandisl,mont on tho other caust
, them to discriminate for or ngainat any ono, bu
let thom aasoss the property 10 that eyory por
aou aud Corporation Bhal pay a tar 10 proper
, tion to tho value Of his, her, or its property,
t No more and 10 less.
}
: CREDIT M0Dn1ER IN CONNECTICUT.
r The New uayon Palladium calls attention Il
] tho complete change III tho manner OF organic
a Ing railroads in that State during tho last hv