Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1881-02-05
TAXATION OF RAILMoADs.

our state officers have been elected,
let our ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
and democratic-settle down to the
business before them.
The all-absorbing state-debt ques-
tion will, we presume, consume
most of their time, and attract most
from the public, but it is
by no means the only matter of
great Importance that they have to
deal with.
Tennessee has to-day in operation,
through her different roads, some
eighteen hundred miles Of railway,
built and equipped at cost of not
less than sixty millions of dollars,
and worth now, at market value, a
sum not far short of that. These
roads, under their original charters,
were all exempt from taxation for
longer or shorter period. The time
has happily, both for the roads and
for the people, arrived when the
last of these shorter exemptions is
about TO expire, and we must all,
individuals and corporations alike,
take our place among the tax-pay-
ers OF the state and help to bear our
proper share Of the burdens of gov
eminent. To determine the proper
mode. however, Of assessing a rail-
road for taxation is not one of the
easiest things imaginable. We have
at present a statute on the subject
which, so far as its practical work
ing is concerned, is confessedIy a
failure, and no fair-minded person
would be content to see the legisla-
tureadjOurn without either radically
amending it or repeating it alto
gether and enacting better law in
its stead. Montgomery county, for
instance, has about thirty-three
miles of railway, the actual cost of
which, according to reports of Off
GERS at the time of its construction,
was more than one million of dol
lars, not including rolling stock, and
yet it was assessed for the year of
1879, and is still assessed, at less
than One-fourth of that sum.
This did not materially affect us,
however, as both the state and
county were enjoined il, the federal
courts from collecting anything,
upon the ground that the exemption
had not expired; but now that the
exemption has expired, our people
are certainly entitled to fair valu-
alton and prompt payment. The
last legislature of Kentucky APP
pointed some Of the most prominent
and reliable business men in the
state, commissioners to assess rail-
road property for taxation, aud their
work has given general satisfaction.
Everything has been done openly
and above board. Full power was
given to examine infinitely into the
affairs OF each road, and the result
of this investigation was promptly
given to the public in every in
stance, and, as consequence, a fair
valuation has been arrived at all
over the state.
To show the difference between
the practical working of this law
and ours on this subject, it need
only be stated that that part Of the
Memphis branch road lying north
of Guthrie, in Kentucky, is APP
praised at about three times as much
per mile as that part lying south of
Guthrie, in Tennessee, though the
latter portion, having a tunnel and
several long bridges, was by far the
most expensive in its construction.
In Pennsylvania they have no
tax on private property, real estate
or personal, for state purposes. The
entire revenue, amounting TO some
six millions of dollars, is derived
from railroads, canals and other
corporations.
In Illinois a simple provision In
in the "IllinOis CentraP'
some forty years ago, that this road
should pay certain per cent.-Of its
net earnings into the state treasury
has resulted in so much
benefit to the public that the entire
state debt has been wiped out by it,
and large proportion of the annu-
al expenses are now being betrayed
from the same source.
In Tennessee and in Montgomery
county the property owned by rail-
roads amounts to nearly, ifnOt quite
One-fourth as much as all the other
taxable property of every descrip-
ton, and il certainly is not unreas-
enable to ask that our public schools,
the support of our poor, the paying
of the interest on our bonded debt |
and every other public necessity
should be sustained in something
like an equal and fair proportion by
income derived from just taxation
of these very useful corporations.
We are decidedly opposed to any |
unjust discrimination for or against |
any species of property, or any per-
sons or combinations of persons, in |
the state or out of it. We have no |
patience with this lately popular
and unjust cry against railroads,
and do not propose to encourage or
such movement, for |
we regard them as the most useful
and beneficial enterprise of the age,
but we do desire that they be justly |
and equitably taxed.
We do hope that the present leg
will take this matter in
hand and levy just tax upon the
for the sooner this end is
attained the better it will he for all
parties concerned.
THE ALE-IMPORTANT CUES
TION
Our state Debt.