Bozeman avant courier. [volume] (Bozeman, Mont.) 1872-1882, 1879-02-06
RAILROAD ExEMREHkAN-

+ has been introduced into the Legislat'
which provides for exemption from asse
Is ment and taxation during period of tw,
d ty years. 'any railroad company viii
shall bnild its road. or any portion the
s of. within this Territory during the nc
s one year after the passage and approval
the act:" and exempting in like manr
: for period Of fifteen years. any rnilro
: company that shall build Its road or a
portion thereof within the Territory d,
ing the next two years.
n Without stopping to point out the me
obvious defects Of the bill itseIf-being.
our opinion. indefinite and ambiguous
!, its terms. giving. however. underlined al
almost limitless rights and privileges
any railroad company. without guarli,
safely or wisely the rights and interests
the Territory - We propose to discus
briefly. the unfairhess and injustice Of Il
principle involved.
On general principles. we take it #
granted that one citizen. company or co
poratiOn has as good right to claim e.
emptiOn from taxation as another: TIN
all persons are or should be on equal foo
ing before the law in this respect. and tn;
any law which cOnfers special privilege
on any legitimate or ilIegitimate enterpris
is wrong in principle and unwise and oil
vionsly unjust in practice. TO us. thel
appears no good reason why railroa
companies. who propose to monopoliz
the carrying trade in and out of the Teri
tory. establish their own tariff for freigl
and fares for passenger transportation an
build up paying enterprises by opera1in
railroads, should be exempt from the d,
ties and obligations Of any citizen or busi
ness firm.
But this proposed exemption law con
templates even more than this. for in tn
construction and operation of railroad
into the Territory, we are not only to b
deprived of any revenue from that source
but also from another important industry
that has contributed in no small degree
during the last fifteen years. to the reven
ues of the Territory and the various coun
ties. and which railroads are inevitably
destined TO snpercede. viz: the large trains
and wagon transportation of the Terri
tory. So that one enterprise is to be fos-
tered and encouraged by the Territory
and pay no taxes, while it supercedes and
dispkces another shat has contributed
largely to the public revenues since the Or
ganization of the Territory.
In an editorial article on this subject. the
Helena Herald Of the Both ult. cndeavors
o show by ''facts anil figures that this
proposed exemption is really very small
md insignificant matter at most. and that
We shall probably never have another
of accepting 50 favorable and
advantageous a proposition. all Of which.
# course. we are at liberty to take for
vhat it is worth. Here is its estimate and
me OF argument:
"How little this exemption asked of MS
pally is may be stated in few words.
railroads are assessed at
host at $1,000 per mile. AT 20 mills on
Ne dollar. OF $1,000 per year on 100 miles
T road. Or for the whole 20 years the
would amount to but SSO.OO0.
tile more than 81 per capita on our pres
ut population for that time. or about ten |
'nts for each inhabitant per year. This
the next thing to getting railroad in |
nick time for nothing"
According to this showing the asscssa-
e valuation Of 100 miles of narrow
huge railroad built within the Territory
ould be less than that of the mule and bull
aims which it would displace and. proba-
Y. drive out. So that. relatively speaking.
e Territory with 100 miles of railroad in
and exemption from taxation.
onld be just $1,000 wear B4Ess 4t t qHaH9}
Is showing Of the Herald is calculated
Their to mislead than to enlighten the
Ople in regard to the real merits Of the
estiOn at issue. 1t really matters but
tie how much or how little may be in
'ved in the proposed exemption. pro-
ied such LEGISLATION is wrong in princi-
and unjustly discriminating in its oper- !,
Ons. I
That the exemption asked for. however.
not. by any means, such trivial matter
the Herald would have us infer. we sub .
another. and perhaps full as reliable an I
innate of the magnitude of this proposed ?
nation. NarrOw-gauye railroads, in
ding rolling stock. right of way. and de-
and other buildings. cost about SIS. 900 u
mile. At 20 mills on the dollar this L
uld amount to SlGO to the mile, or s32.- n
per year on 200 miles of road tire u
CUNT that will probably be built within 81
Territory during the next two years).
en- for the whole fifteen years the ex- o
ptlOn would amount to the handsome al
'e sum OF $3.50, 600, or for 20 years $780, p
he above may be considered rather =. :,
raj assessable estimate on railroad .
perry as well as on the nnmber Of miles =,
will probably be constructed within VI
Territory during the next two years. -
1t must he borne in mind that this bill ~
poses exemption, not for one railroad y:
lpany exclusively, tut for any and all -. ~
road companies that may build within ~
limits of the Territory during the next
years succeeding the passage OF the :"
respective Of any inducements offered ~
his or any other Legislative Act. we :"
idently believe that more than 200 'i''
8 Of the Utah and Northern Railroad 20
ne built within Montana during the III
two years, and that at least 100 miles pa
Dad will be constructed by the North a., a.
Pacific Railroad Company within the -,
itory during the same period. The
ec.ive companies are pushing forward o ~,
enterprises on purely business prin- W.. W"
s. They have counted the cost and 'u'
lated the present important and pros 90. .aS
veIy increasing business of the Terri lee
and on these estimates they have un- -
'tedly figured their gross and net earn w
for several years In the future. and no 1o'
er aid or inducement will. in our III
ion. change the result or hasten the .''e
'letion Of either road to the business ~
va of MAINTAIN. a n
is proposed legislation would not on u':,
unfair and unjust to the tax payers 'n, '
e Territory in that 1t would rather ~,
ase than diminish the burdens of :.
H., -