The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-02-08

Taxation Of Railroads.
The following l. The report - the House
Committee 0n Roads and Internal Nayiga-
ton 20 response 10 The inquiry "a, % the f7-
H. on which railroad. Az assessed iGr tax
alton:
Your special committee appointed hy
YOU t0 INQUIRE into the assessment, d r1li-
road properly recently made by the Board
of Public Works lor purpose Of taxation.
beg leave report that they have examined
the subject as faT as their limited means
would permit. and ind that The railroad
official. claim ihai the Board. 10 establish
Ing tbe basis oi l-se--menf, ff-in>1cndtd
The limitation. prescribed ly the law. and
that their a-~ts.mentS are unequal and 'I-
prr--ive.
Your committee have therefor consider
s-d fhe question under two divisions.
Firsf. ln vie.g IS the law. upon Whai ~
-. are railroads 10 beasss-~ed ioTiaSaiion.
>-cond. The la-i. having been asoer-
tanned. were the a.~e-smenis excessive in
tieW oi ihai basis.
A. regards the basis. y0uT coHmitie-
found that the Board claimed ihai thr same
principle should govern IN THE case =, 10
cr~e 81 ail other a. essmenf~ oi property
VIE. every consideration II value should
be taken into account. IN ihe nr~i
place ii> salf value: then IT, gres-
taruinEs-ifs mel carnin-s; ana then
ans aud al other considerations that
tend % increa-e OF diminish ihc
s--timaif.- iormed-fhewhoic taken together
% he the lasis for fbe asceTTainment ~ thc
values. And that the ACT. by directing that
the reports q officials -hall l'e made under
eight Nifferent beads. designed 10 preclude
ihe possibility Il anything q value e-ca-
ping miaAed.
ON the other hand. the railroad cfiiciai.
claimed that tbc aci. by prescribing The
eight separate and distinct heads under
which their reports were % b. made. IN
tended 70 Imit and reSfr1ia The power a
The Board from going beyond thOse r.
Dorrs in anv other manner than by invalid
aiing iho-e reports by recognized legal
procedure.
They -iaied thai they interpreted the
words - roadio0g 0lsd traci 70 mezn the
lsnd occupied by the railroad and the super
sirlc1ure upon il. and thai The iAnds % oc-
clIuied should be- assessed Il what lands ad-
iaceni were assessed II. and The >uperStEiIr-
fure n no more in any c2se than i cost %
puf il therr: and further that the effects II
wear and fs-aT existing Il The time should
l,e taken into consideration, and IA pro-
portion 10 then. the a--~-nent should he
raiahly diminished.
Your committee are q the opinion tlzi
though there i plan-ibiliiy in the Position
assumed by the railroad oIirials. The Board
acted in socordxnce with the spirit and
true inient oi ihe !aW when they estsb-
lishei the lmsi- upon ~hich Il make assess
meuis.
There j. : recognized qnaiiiy m rzilrnad
pgopsrfy thai gir.s 10 il u, intrinsic value.
which i d. sai 9eglfris." and i i not .up-
posed that the law contemplated TIA. this
quality should be ignored In estimating is
value. NJ would be ihr case II tse faiirD4d
officials IRE correct in their position.
A. re-,ards The second division u tie
subject II iae liz.is upon which the 2s-ess-
menis were made Is cpTred and IN accord
ance With the terms of the law, ihen your
committee are clearly q the opinion ua,
the asssssrnsnfs are low enough. II Is DOT
ciAiIaesd by the railroad officials that the sale
value ol Tie ysrieas roads y not in excess