The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-07-31
Taxation and the Railroad.
From the Alexandria Democrat. July 22d.

From the Alexandffa Democrat. July 22d. &
We follow up, as promised in our last
our remarks III regard to the PROPOSE
ton off. W. Kellogg, which was sub
mitted to the Police Jury, at its late SEES
sion, and will at once dive into figures
andtaXatiOn; two ilnpOrtant items, which
never lie, and must be considered, and
considered seriously and calmlyin order
to arrive at the gist of the important
Proposition, which now agitates this
PROSTATE Parish. .Ft - al
There is much apprehension as to, the
amount OF taxes We will have to pay, if
the Parish accepts the prOpositiOnOf the
Central Railway Company, and we think
there need be none. Whatever may be
the merits Of the question, its comprc-
hensiOn, wen from the dullest intellect,
is free from difficulty.
The assessed value of the taxable prop
erty III this Parish is about $2,5O0, 900.
The 18th Section Of the Rail Road Char
ter provides that the portion of the Road
through each Parish, shall be assessed
i'll the respective Parishes, in proportion
to its entire length, including it's roll
ing stock. The length of the Road
through this Parish will be IS miles and
cost about $1,300,00O. It will, therefore,
constitute, if the present value of prop
erty. remains unchanged, fully one
third of the taxable property, and con-
sequently will have to pay one third of
the taxes. 1t will have to pay $1,000 of
OF the $21, 900 Of the annual interests to
be paid by the Parish. But this is not
of the ordinary Parish tax, and taking
the present status Of things as tile basis
of our illustration, we have the follow
ing solution of the problem of Railroad
taxation for the next twenty years.
The present Parish tax is about $4,000,
but to simplify our illustration, we will
put it down at $4,000, the same as the
annual interest ON the donation, viz:
$21, 900, the one third of which must be
paid by the Rail Road. The problem
then may be stated thus in figures:
0rdinarv Parish Tax = AN
Whole Amount Of Taxes ........ .s42. 900
Third paid by Rail Road -.-.........--.. 1900
Amount paid by Observation-Disclosures 5000
This amount of $28,000 would be but
$1,000 more than our present taxation,
indeed it is. but $4,000 more The peO-
pie of Bayou BRlf pay7tour times that
amount every year for extra expense in
getting their crops to market and return.
supplies. When the Road is built the
rent of the stores and buildings in Alex
andria, now vacant, to say nothing of
the increased rent of those now Occu-7
pied, will pay fully three times asmuch.
But we do not propose to discuss the
merits OF the question, nor do we pro-
pose to discuss at present the payment
of the $1,000 due twenty years from
now; by that time the Railroad, and our
posterity will have $50,0O0,O00 of tax
able property with which to pay, and a
tax Of six mills on the dollar will pay
the whole'at one payment, or if they de-
sire theyccan get 30 years longer; butI
that will be their business, not ours. By
that time they will i'll all probability
have given a million more to Railroads
from Fulton, from Monroe, Natchez,
crossing at the Falls, and others to Ma
cogdocfes and San Augustine, Texas,
and then really feel the taxes light,
smile at the cautious laundering of their
ancestors who lesitated about payingE
$4,000 or oven $1,000 per anum for the
of them all.