Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-07-30
THE LOCOMOTIVES PUFF.
Taxation OF Tennessee RaiIFOads-se-
lion OF the Stale Commissioner
Interesting Statistics Of Com
psHies FfIing schedules
Circular OF the Railroad Tax-AasessoTs
Questions of law for Judicial
Settle meat-RaIIFoRd Wars
and Reduced Fares
LouisviIIe and Nashville and Greai
Southern; Iron MORnGRt5, Nash
vile and Chattanooga, sUd 81.
Louis 81. Louis and South
eastern Railroads.

NOiOIGl a. H. DlhulOIug NOlOuGk - ).
Turner and Mr.. John +. Helms, sp-
pointed by Governor Porter to assess the
railroads in Tennessee, met in the CAPT
tol the twenty-seventh instant, and took
the oath OF office, which was admins
tered by Chancellor Cooper in accord
snce with the act of March 20, 1915.
Being only three in number, the conn
missiOneTs did not enter into the formal
ity Of electing a president and a secTe-
tary, but proceeded to work as "COm-
mittee Of the WHOLE
COMPANIES FILING SCHEDULES.
AS yet only the Mississippi and Ten
nessee, Louisville and Nashville, New
Orleans, st. Louis and Chicago, and the
Psducah and Memphis roads have fled
schedules, as heretofore stated.
NEW ORLEANS, ST. LOUIS AND CHICAGO
LINE.
The New Orleans, st. Louis and Chi
cago line claims to have 1l6 l3-l00 miles
in Tennessee, l03 locomotives and 1900
cars on their entire line. 1t also claims
that this rOlliDg-stock runs Tito New
Orleans, at which place il could only be
taxed if at all.
LOUISVILLE AND NASHVILLE AND
The management Of the Louisville
and Nashville railroad claim that if
taxable, only that portion lying between
Nashville and the Kentucky State line,
a distance of 45 42I00 miles, would be
subject TO taxation, and that the Ten
nessee and Alabama, Memphis, CIaTks-
vile and Louisville, and Memphis and
Ohio roads are entirely exempt from
70 mil ~ "a
Louisville and Nashville and Great
Southern road last year amounted to
81 653 OH %; whole amount of road,
owned and leased, 1142 miles; capital
stock, SIS, 9S4,6 Is. There are "a
miles OF the Louisville and Nashville
road in Sumner county; in Davidson,
II 500; Gallatin, Ii; Edgeield, 0.S5;
Nashville, 15-l00. They report the val
uetion of the Edgefield property to be
S27, 600; Nashville, $4,000; Gallatin,
$500. The number of locomotives on
the whole line is 154; cars OF all sorts,
1852.
THE COMMITTEES CIRCULAR.
The committee have determined upon
sending out the following circular letter
TO the management of each railroad in
the State: the undersigned beg leave to
submit to you the following iDteTogatO-
RES, which are called for by virtue Of
our appointment as railroad tax. asses !
sors under the set Of March 20, 1875:
First-DO the railroads under your
and control claim exemp- |
ton from taxation? II so, by charter or !
SecOnd-H your roads do not claim |
exemption from taxation, do you pro- |
pose to be taxed under the first section |
Of March 20, 1876, or under section II of !
said act?
Thrd-If you propose to be taxed IN |
der the eleventh section Of said act, what |
steps have you taken, if any, toward &C.
cepting the provisions Of said act?
FOurth-H you propose TO be taxed |
under the first section Of said act, please
furnish US a certified copy Of the amount .
Of stock owned in each county through |
which your road runs.
An early reply to these questions viii |
Oblige US, and will facilitate cur labors.
THE COMMITTEES OPINION.
The committee believe the Legislature
to tax all railroads alike under
the law. Should any road refuse to ac-
cept the amendment taxing il one and |
One-haIi per cent. on its gross earnings,
then the committee will proceed to as
5ess them in accordance with the pro-
visions of the act. In the event a road
,ails to accept The one and Oae-half cent
nor any other provision Of the
aw, assessments will be made and the
'oads allowed to fight the matter out in
he courts.
a QUESTION OF LAW.
A very important question will in all
OFnh0 nv lon |
counties through which railroads pass.
Indeed, it is much discussed. They will
,laim q pro rata appOrtiOnme1t Of the
axes on gross earnings paid over to the
This question can only be
decided in the courts.
NASHVILLE, CHATTANOOGA AND ST.
LOUIS RAILROAD.
This excellent railroad, whose charter
lame is the Nashville and CHATTANOOGA
and has for several years own
ID and operated the Nashville and |
Northwestern road, connecting thereby
With the Iron Mountain railroad for ST. |
Iouis, at the recent meeting OF its di-
ectOry, the tWenty-seventh instant,
ntertained q proposition relative to the |
buck River Valley narrow gauge rail-
BAD. The president OF the Duck River
ALLEY narrow-gauge railroad was intro
uced TO the board and spoke at some
angth, soliciting aid for his company.
lie desired the Nashville, CHATTANOOGA
nd st. Louis road to indorse the bonds
sued by his company to extend the !
bad to Fayetteville. DR.. Thomas Lips
Omb and J. 4. Whitesides were sp-
Ointed committee to confer with him t
,gardirg the matter OF his request. t
he Nashville, Chattanooga ana st. 9
Ouis railroad, under the presidency of 1
olOnel Cole, and the management of E
uperintendent J. w. Thomas, has be- /
)me one OF the best and most system S
TIC In the Union. 1t runs thrOugh-cars
ON Chattanooga TO st. Louis over the j
ION Mountain and over the Memphis C
vision of the Louisville and Nashville t
nd Great Southern road TO this city t
nd Little Rock. The present schedule q
sleeping-cars over these routes be- Y
geen Memphis and Nashville is now {
eTfect, thanks to the judicious intelli- a
snce and sound policy OF Mr.. John A. {
lynn, superintendent of the Memphis c
vision OF the Louisville and Nashville 4
ID Great Southern road. Il
THE RAILROAD WAR.
The freight and passenger fare war =
hich some time ago existed between | >,
e Baltimore and Ohio and the great =
railroads, and reached as !,
r west as st. Louis, has as last struck -
me Of the lines leading into Nashville. .,
,me time ago the st. Louis and South =
stern road, which runs from Nashville -
st. Louis, took up the war club against o.
G Iron Mountain railroad and its con- =,
ction with the Nashville, Chattanooga -
ID st. Louis line. The fare from Nash y,
lie to st. Louis was accordingly re- a.
ced to 81 50. This OF course had the -
Get to cause travel over that line be- E,
cen the above cities. The st. Louis =,
d Southeastern road runs a distance "
16l miles 10 Evansville, thence by e.
amer to Henderson, Y miles be- al
v, on the Ohio. From there it owns, =,
virtue Of former purchase, the Evans. a.
lie, henderson and Nashville railroad ~
Guthrie, 10 miles, aud thence the =,
Igefield and Kentucky rosd. With n nI
3 last two roads, which are l5S miles ~
length, the st. Louis and Southeast o. o.
road iuns into Nashville, the length a.