, 1873-07-23


State provides for tho assessment Of all property
at Its truo or cash valuo, though at no tino has
the valuation adoptod by tho Asaoasors OK
coedod ono-fourth, and frequently not ono
fifth, Of tho real valuation. The mothod Of
taxing rat1road property has boon to compute
the number Of acres Of land occupied by each
railroad in oach county, the number Of town lots
and improvements, tho value OF tho track COM
putod by miles In ouch county, md tho whole
value Of tho rolling stock apportionod by milo
ago to ouch county. Tho roadways arc computed
as lands, and assessed ut tho avorago ratio per
aore rs oil other lands In tho county aro as
sessed. Thus, tn 1879, the railroad and farming
lands were comparatively assessed in tho
State as follows: Railroad lands, average
s2s.o1 per noro; improved farm lands (not in
cluding improvements), s8,37 per aero. Tho su-
porstructure was assessed at an average Of
92.977.70 por mile; the side track at M average
Of s1,931.o6 per mile; tho rolling-Btock at
1,323.11 per milo. Tho whole assessment
against railroad property for 1879 WAS as fol-
lows:
Db 447.14 1crea or lnnu NJ S4J.Bl+ l5lHlu3
4b70 town and city lots nt $401 .91...... 1833o9l
4,93s mies and 3,77o toct main track at
90 ass and s,55; feet siie track At '''''0
Rolling Stock, por milo, 81, o527s67
o,her personal property. l,451343
Total taxable yatue. g., ,3s4 428
This docs not include tho property Of the Illi-
nois Central Railroad TINT Company settling
with the State by percentage on its gross ro-
coipta in lou Of taxation. A number OF the
newspapers throughout tho stnte incline to the
opinion that tho assessment of railroad property
for taxation should be at it's full valuo, and it la
strongly urgod that, aa tho railroads claim that
the property cost thom somo $50, 600 milo, and
that thoy arc ontitlod to fair income On their
investment. tho property should bo taxed at that
valuation. at the close OF 1879 there woro In
Illinois, excluding tho Illinois Central Railroad,
448o miles Of railway, not including side tracks.
These, valued at $4,000 milo, would show
| total valuation Of 9223t t450, 900. placiug tho
rnte Of taxation for Ill purposes, State, county,
| city, and town, at an average Of per cont,
| the rovonuo from railroads for tho yoar 1873
would thus bo 94,469,0o0. It ii unqucstionab1y
! true that local AasoHsors in many counties will
| return thoir assessments npon this basis. and il
will DO for tho State Board Of Equalization to
aotorrr,no xr,o.,,o- t,,o. ax.tono =, vo,,,t;on ~
s~ ~ 'Ao0 ~S - ' N ''t ~
somo other shall bo adopted.
In 1872, the gross valuation Of oil taxable
properly in this State was e5o5, 600, boing
fraction oVor ono-f1fth Of its actual yalnc 1t is
now proposed, in tho interest Of the holders OF
certain bonds issued by municipalities to rail-
+ roads, to advance this 20 per cont valuation to
100 per cent valuo, but in 30 doing wo cannot
understand how thero can bo any departure In
tho caso Of railroad property from the rule
which npplios to oil othor property. Thus
| the "a, 600 acres Of land owned by tho railway
companies and used by them na roadway must
be assessed ut its Vaito ~ iaho ana "nas IL
hos cost to dig 1t down or Taise IL up 10 4e'ei.
| Tho AGO miles OF main track anu tho ooo mllea
OF ssdo TRACK must % assoss0a ~ l'a masorlal
Va4ao as 'facA' ino folAAs-h'ooA 'aoS1 10
Valuoa ~ ''e "''u'' eAan 'a1oo "nu tne properly
" wv .s'''''ao' 14o9' w AS'o'soo 1oSt as LUG
'AAoo' -o'oo0' '1u'o'' o'''A' "uo improvements
tno 1at1hes "1o aa0os4oa' NJ moro aha no loas'
oa 'Al7 loant 'no oonsti1utloh 1s e1p1loat 1t
49, -.......
NAV 1o nee5f,i hv 1ovv1ng IT,. hv xn,rs.,on
avery person aud corporation shall pay ta1 IN pro.
porto" 10 the 7a'ue Of h'e' her or Ito property
ia'to e"''' 'nor'ior'' % no taxing OF fa'lrono
'anaa " hns procoHs "nefeus from That BY
"444e'l ~ o'i'oe 'a''aa aro taaeu' ano tho town
1o1s' anu 'no iocolnotVes' anu el'o track muss DO
Aasea5oa III tno shmo WY 'ha' LUG 4lVo atoeR' the
"aeon'' 'au 'lo 4.'l'so'on'ou'S polons'ne 70