, 1873-09-24
THE BOARD OF EQUALIZATION,

Tho State Doard of Equalization las q COM
mittco Of flyo mombors to consider tho subject
Of railroad taxation. This Committee Inns disa-
grocd upon the question whotlor tho cost Of
grading shall bo included in tho valuation OF tho
road-bcd. The question Of including tho cost Of
culverta md bridges has already boon decided In
tho Affirmative. We suppose tho Board will also
decide that, where farm has been drained by o
ditch, tho cost Of draiuing Hhnll DO included IN
tho value Of tue far1n. So, whom man fills up
swamp, the cost Of filling it must DO included
iu tho estimate Of its value Tho man in town
ut tle established grade must bo taxed upon tho
cont Of removing tho obstacle, as part Of tho
valuo Of his buildings. On cortaiu railroads. tho
coat Of grading ia but 1itt1o; !; on othors, it OK
ceods nl1 the other costa Of construction. Tho
Committee lnado two reports, ono III favor Of
including the cost Of grading III tito valuo Of
tho road, aud the other against It. Tho result
presents some strange figures. Valuing tho
property ut Goyon.tenths Of it's real value, tho
minority Of tho Committee, including tho
grading as part Of tho road, report lilo
valuo Of tho roads per milo as ranging
from So,231 on tho Springfield l. Illinois
Southeastern, to 1868 OIL the Laho Shore
s. Michigan Southern Railway. Tho four
divisions Of the Chicago l. Alton Railway aro
differently valued. Tho minority Of tho Com
mittoo report tho cost Of grading rs part Of tho
value Of tho road, aud tho result IL sn,allor
diffcronco in tho comparative valucs. Tho ag-
grogato mileage Of tho roads in this State, not
including the Illinois Central, is 5,701 miles,
which tho majority Of the Conamttco ya1uo at
98,400.0oo, md tho minority OF e60, ,154 900.
According to the programme 30 stronuouRly ad-
yocated ut Springfield, the capital stock and tic
bonded indebtedness Of oach road aro to bo
ndded together, and from tho aggregate tho
value Of tho tangible property ia to bo deducted;
the balance is to DO taxed. Exactly how tlia' ia
to DO done iu cnses Of railroads like tho
Luke Shoro and Northwestern. Which nayo i'm
memo capital stocks, and comparatively small
line Of roadway in tho State, is not explained.
Still 1t is to DO worked out tho snnlo way. It is
tho intention, VIC believe, to tax the railways on
$3.50, 100000, and that conclusion having boon
rcachcd, the exact arithmotical process Ia per-
hapa Of little consequence. In like manner 1t is
proposed to tax Cook County on aomo tlxod Sum,
ranging, according to tho varied Judgment Of tho
members Of tho Board. from a200, ,000 900 $780,
100000. Whom the maximum Sum is fixed, then
tho Board will proceed to doctor tho itoms. II
is said that ono membor OF tho Board visited
Chicago, and spent two days ut tho Pacific Hotel.
Ho estimated, and returned to Springfield pro-
pared to recommend that tho value Of town lots
in Chicago bo placed at an avorago Of 500 per
front foot. He obtained also tho official stato-
meut that there wore $50 miles of streets In
Chicago, or 1,700 miles Of frontage. Dcducting
ono-fourlh for street Intersections, ho Ind net
frontage Of G,832, 900 feet. THIS, at s400 per
foot, would give rs tho taxable yaluo of tho
town lots in Chicago tho handsome sum OF
90, 7S2, 100000. II tho Doard OF Equalization
will adopt this recommendation, 1t mood nssoHB
no other property in tho state. Taking
that as fair assessment, 1t might oven remit
tho railroad taxos aud permit tho private cor
porationH and the frapoliBcB all to pass untax-
cd. Tho Doard Of Equalization, if it is fairly
In the atntomontB Of the local papers,
have educated themselves to tho point OF be-
LOVING that Chicago is M inoxhauetiblo miuo Of
wealth. mud that its people will voluntarily pay
any amount Of taxes that may 10 levied upon
thon,.