The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1883-08-14
Vic"-E'rc>idenI Ehipley on gs. *. As
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PINSAt0it. FfN, Arg. /. /


GCa5rh " D. BtrHcv. (DHpfroNr:
The press of the Sta'e has, without an cxccp.
tipn. mentioned tht, tue assessment placed by
the State rr the current year upon rs railroads
amounts 10 $50, ,209.i - against 81 12G942 40
last year. As the increased mileage of the cur
rem year over last cannot unde. any equitable
assessment account for over 80 per cent of his
increase, tie enquiry naturally arises: How was
thi, increase reached? Has any company in the
State shown net incon.e 10 Justify the advanced
assessment think not. Then the figures OF
the culrcn; year are oppressive and discriminate
against the railroads o; tnc State without which
Florida would have rcmalncda q term inr.,qAiht
Ny interest in Florida is is great us my inter-
est in the railroads OF the State but believe
10 not differ from other railroad managers when
! say that wise and just regulations by the State
are not objectionable Bu the railroads of the
Ntae arc OF great public utility Few i! any of
them are q, yet paying, aud it W i'll not DO to
cripple them in their development Of the mate
rial resources of the State by oppressive meas
ureS.
Without railroads every industry in our State
would rot, literally rot, for in Florida rapid
transit is imperatiycly demanded by the pcrsha-
be character OF its products which are the basis
OF our prosperity and Our hopes. Every county
in the State is anxious to get a railroad through
lis borders, Tor they bring diversity OF pursuits
and divi> ion of labor.
Bur my object is to deal with the assessment
OF the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad Admit
for the sake OF argument that roads under the
int nrnal Improvement system are liable to taxa
ZION, oT it not liable that they can be exempted
! and other roads taxed-in violation of the Con-
>tituion OF the state which torbids discrimina-
ton, the RoAD-BED, II public highway, ought
10 be EXEMPT from taxation Equitable modes
: Ia a q bp
readily devised. But the law directs differently
and beg 10 submit some facts which will tend
10 aid in securing just valuation. You have
assessed the Pensacola and Atlantic Railroad at
$4,000 per mile. This placed the value of
road not completed upon day assessment was
made, e. March lst, AT $1,Gl0000 not includ
ing buildings and real estate.
On the 3lst Of March, one month later, our
total disbursements had reached the sum of 81
tl4,64G.30. AS the rolling stock, buildings and
real estate are assessed separately we should de-
duct for these items S2}', ,231 80 If the assess
mcni is made upon the cash value OF the road
we should be credited with $150G4S.4 .43 which
represents the steamer Mobile lost at sea- amount
expended on telegraph line upon which Western
Union Telegraph Company pays taxes, the differ
encc between cash price of rails and spikes at
time OF assessment and date when we bought,
the amount paid for damage to buildings and
ferries in right of way, none of which adds to
the cash value upon which assessments are based
We should also deduct over 800 900 paid for
extra dispatch in building our road an item less
than the interest would have amounted to- had
we adopted the old plan and consum ed a year
or two more in constructing our line. This re-
duces apparent cash cost for taxing purposes to
1920, '65.99 But claim that justice demands
sill further reductions.
1t cost The Pensacola and Atlantic road $75.-
900 per mile to cross Escamba Bay Can any
one be found who will say that the two miles over
he at
great outlay brought no advantage in operating
these two miles. On the contrary it is dctriment
involving interest on their cost and large an
nual outlay for repair and renewal The same
holds good for the $l20000 paid for crossing at
ApalachicoIa river, and for the smaller amounts
at other streams, aggregatiug $500 ,472 90 To
illustrate briefly the road-bcd OF railroad rep
rcscnts lis Foundations
Suppose two men build factories under exactly
similar plans and specifications, except that Mr.
a. must blast and level rock hill before he
builds, while Mr. b has level location. Mr.
A. may spend $4,000 securing his foundation
but when the tax assessor comes along no one
would justify his assessing A. one cent higher
than he assesses b. So il is with railroads. All
they need is n foundation If that founda
ton runs over high trestes and expensive bridges,
| ii the topography Of the country requires high
+ entertainments, tunnels and deep excavations,
which will all cost money, is this value that
| should be taxed.
Evidently not as it is a of danger and
expense 10 The company and OF no possible adj
vantage Deducting the amount $500, ,472 9G
! given above from So $50 765 80 it will leave you
81 12S 2930s as the cash value of road and if as
scssed all citizens are assessed at so per cent
TOR lcse) it would place our assessment at $S64-
146 So instead of 81 ,6l0,0O0.
But desire TO go further and insist that in as
sessing the road-bed OF a railroad it should be
! treated as foundation and valued at what it
would cost to supply all the road needs without
regard to The expense incident to overcoming
difficulties presented by nature The necessary
grading to surface and align and ballast a road
| in Florida where rock ballast is not accessible
would cost say
5000 cubic yards at l6c ........... $50 90
IS ~ rteel rails at $+5 S531 Il
$500 ties at 22 cents $1,000
spikes ana JOINTS 4D.Op
Laying track. 330Oo
|
Itmust be remembered that this valuation of
IS, 637. ~ per mile is upon new track. The cross
ties must be renewed every or years and the