The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-10-06
The Morristown Gazette.
OUR RAILROADS.
What They Will Have to Pay in
the Shape of Taxes.

On the 27th Of last July, Messrs
j. J. Turner. A. III. Bradford and
John +. Helms, Railroad Tax Asses
sors, assembled at the Capitol and
proceeded to cary out the provisions
of the act, under which they were
appointed. Their first step was to
send for schedules of property.
Most of the roads complied, and
thus rendered their assessment easier
and more equitable. Some refusing
to respond to their letters of inquiry,
the Assessors were compelled to
make the valuation themselves, Mr..
Bradford going over those in West
and Mr.. Helms over those in East
Tennessee. 1t appears that it was
not from a desire to escape assess
ment that any of the roads neglected
to forward their schedules. In some
cases, the directors lived outside the
State and had to be Informed as to
the law by letter.
The Commissioners carefully ex-
amined all the charters of the roads
and everything relating thereto as a
work preparatory to an intelligent
assessment. From that time on
they worked most assiduously, deter
mined not only to finish up their
work creditably, but also TO do it at
the earliest practicable moment and
with as little expense to the State
as possible.
Last Monday they met to complete
their labors, closing them yesterday
10y making q condensed report to
Comptroller Gaines.
From the roads that have accept
cd the amendment Of one and half
per cent, on their gross earnings, it
is expected that the State will. in
round number, realize $60,000, and
from those assessed $40, 900, max
ING the total tax 100000. OF
course the counties and Incorporate
ed towns will make their own levies,
when railroads have been assessed
by the State. They are not per-
mitted, however to levy tax higher
than the State, which is 40 cents on
the 500 worth of property. 1t is
thought the counties and towns
through which roads pass will not
levy more than from ten to twenty
five cents.
1t will be q question only to be set
tied by the courts, as to whether
counties and towns will be entitled
to any portion Of the revenue derived
by the State from those roads which
have accepted the l J per cent basis,
or whether the State will be entitled
to it all. Should the question arise,
however, which is not improbable, it
will be a year or two before decis-
ion can be reached unless the case
should he hurried forward more eX-
peditiously than usual.
We make the following abstract
from the report Of the Commission
ers:
The roads that accepted the 18th
section Of the Act of March %, 1873,
were: f.: Nashville, Chattanooga and
St. Louis, Western and Atlantic,
East Tennessee and Virginia, en-
bracing the roads under its control.
East Tennessee and Georgia, Mem
phis and Charleston, Winchester and
Alabama, McMinnville and Manches
ter, Tennessee Coal and Railroad
Company, Tennessee and Pacific
Those taxed under the first section
Of the Act are: Mobile and Ohio,
St Louis aud Southeastern, Cincin-
natl, Cumberland Gap and Charles
ton, New Orleans, ST Louis and Chi
cago, Mississippi and Tennessee,
Paducah and Memphis, Louisville and
Nashville, main stem, and roads un-
der their control, viz: The Tennes-
see and Alabama, Memphis and
ClarksvilIe, Memphis and Ohio,
Knoxville and Charleston, Knoxville
and Ohio, and the Rogersville and
Jefferson Road.
The following is the assessments
for the State, counties and incorpO-
rated towns through which the roads
pass: