Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-01-29

county. We have harrow gauge
road used principally fnl the haul
ing of coal from the Newca-'l, mine
10 Seattle Is length ! ,hput %
niles, It's cost not over $500 go; the
wharves and bunkers at one end and
the coal mine at the other, With the
saw mill, machine shop and other
property, worth a million and half,
yet ali are exempt from taxation, for
under this law, two per cent. of the
gross earnings of this little road, is
all thai can be demanded. At the
average rate per cent. for taxes in
that county, this property Gu 5ht to
pay into it's Treasury annually over
S20, 900; the amount actually paid is
between 81 900 and 50 200. inns Is
equality with venseance. An
equality that Teaches the pocket
of the homes; tax payer with singing
power. Yet l AN told that repre-
sentatives sent here will refuse to
vote for the repeal of this law.
Listen to it's language: :" Ia lieu
of any and all other taxes upon
any railroad, except railroads ope-
rated by horse power, within this
Territory. or open the equipments,
appurtenances or appendn1es there
of, or upon any other property stu
ated in this Territory, belonging mot
to the railroad buD to the corpora
ton owning or operating such rail
roads, or upon the capital stock or
business transactions of such rail-
road company. their shall x
be paid into the Treasury Of tiu Tor
ritory two per cent. Of the SroIs
earnings Of said railroad"
AS this two per cent. is to be paid
in lieu of the tax on all other prop
erty of every description and kind
belonging to the corporation owning
or operating the road, it will be an
easy matter for mill corporation to
swing all o: their immense land do
main clear of the tax-gatherer, by
the building or the renting of a
small logging railroad. Then, you
see, it will be so handy in their bust
ness also! Why not? What s"pe-
rior claims in justice, equity or law,
have coal roads over them?
But it is said you cannot tax the
lands donated by the General Gov
eminent, {" / will" slld tho Judge,
"discuss that matter further on;
brl considering, for the sake OF "r
tl,nf 4 thnfa l.
enough OF other property, IN tho
form Of mills, machine shops,
wharves, bunkers, warehouses, roll
ing stock aud road beds, not on the
public lands, which, at fair vaua-
ton, would produce a far larger
amount of revenue than this two per
cent. on the gross earnings. There
are, in King county alone, at fair val
ulation, two millions of property be-
longing to railroad corporations. At
q low rate, this would yield $50, 00G,
nearly as much as is realized under
this law from all the property be-
, longing to railroad corporations in
this Territory.
, But, said TIE Judge, the great ar
, gument is that the counties and the
Territory are getting more revenue
, under this law. than under the old
/ law. Suppose such to DO the fact,
does that show this law to be equal
and just? The old laws were defec-
tive IN their provisions for tho as
, sessment and taxation of this kind
, of property, and the railroad COM
, panies successfully resisted the pay
, ment of their taxes under the same
We propose to substitute other,
. different and valid provisions. Shall
we be permitted to do so? The liti-
CATION in which we have participated
has developed certain facts, the
knowledge of which on tho part of
the counties and the Legisla urc
points the way to success. There
was bill introduced i'll the last Leg
islature, known as the Miles bill, y
which, if it had become a law, would
have accomplished the desired re.
suit. The railroad company saw the
f danger and in order to still further
escape the payment of their just pro-
, portion of the public burdens Sc.
cured the passage of this unequal
law.
Who is so strenously opposing the
repeal of this infamous law? Is it the
people? Nay. They gave us our
commissions and in all of those com
missions there is IN emphatic COM
mand that VIC Immediately repeal this
unjust legislation.
, The Judge here made On extended
, statement of the recognized and
well-cstablished principles upon
! which lands, the title to which was
! derived from the United States Gov
/ eminent under the different land
laws thereof, including presumption,
r homestead, timber culture and other
classes, Us well as grants to railroads
were taxed. The principle was this
That whenever the claimant or COM
:, pany had performed all the law re-.
quired them to perform, then their
: title was complete and their land
!, could be listed and taxed rs land.
They then, to use the language OF
> the lawyers, had a perfect equity.
The issuance or non.issuance of q pa
patent had nothing to do with the
: matter. Their title rested on their
compliance with tho prescribed con-
ditions.' The patent was but evil
dence OF that fact or of such comply.
ance. Here he showed the reasons
of the failure of the legislation here
, tofore enacted to tax railroad lands.
The laws of Congress had required
; the railroad companies to pay the
costs of the survey of the railroad
lands before patent should issue.
The railroad companies had deiiantly
refused to pay such costs and hence
had not done all the law required
them to do and therefore were not
entitled to patent. This refusal
not only shielded the land in their