Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-10-25

The State Of West Virginia, and probably
! fsur.ff.hs OF 10 was outside. The COM
many bad about sixteen miles OF pipe ~
| this county. The consumers Of the Wheei-
ing company we're nearly on the Quo side
of the river. II only one-fifth OF the prop
ertv Of The complny lay Ia West Virgi 1ls
| The Assessor could not get even yaiua-
tioa of 500 900, estimating the plant ct ia
ful value. The property had never made
enc single dollar Of profit True, II hau
declared four dividends, IN 1857, OF three
fourths Of oae per cent each, but It had TO
borrow the money 10 pay those dividends.
The company had Of 500 feet Of twelve
| inch pipe ia Ohio county, aud %. lou ieet
Of ten inch pipe. the gro3s cost OF "h'cn'
At fl ret hands, when pipe was hign' Was
S114. 900, and it could have been dupl cAtea
in 1887 for 500, 031-isss than hall this as'
sss.ment l. conclusion, he Thought a
valuation Of fifty cents for ten inch pins
and sixty cents for twelve inch pipe, az
pregatirg SAG, 600. was reasonable 10
sav,ng this. he called attention TO the fact
that property generally, was never assessed
dollar for dollar in value, aud be Wlsned
10 esquire why the Wheeling Natural Gas
Company should he singled out and COM
PEELED to bear more THAI its just proportion
Of the burdens of taxation.
Mr.. Howard replied 20 Mr. Clarke, re-
citing that in 1897 the Assessor found a
natural gas pipe and telephone line run
ming through the county. 1t had rot
been assessed. He consulted with Mr..
Jordan, and was advised TO list il az per-
SOCIAL property. The Company wanted 1t
put on the land books as real estate. No
return was made by the corporation, and
the Assessor fixed value of $500 QUO.
He found another company having more
extensive lines, aud he assessed that at
$500 600 The Wheeling Company paid
taxes on 5000 900 10 1887 and 1888. Now,
in 1889, they return SAC, 600 The Natural
Gas Company had returned $94, 600 In 1855
and 1889. He showed the Company hac
SIG 600 worth Of property, not including
right of way, etc, and thought the labor,
etc, pat upon the pipe "a 1t came from the
mills, increased its value TO the Company.
Was not the pipe mora valuable to the
Company under ground thsn it was at
the railway stations? Did they put IT
under ground that it might be worth
lees to them, or, was 1t worth
more to the Company there? In other
words, the county was not ASSESSING LOT
of second hand gas pipe, but was assessing
new natural gas line, in sexual use. ii
did not matter whether the pipe corrodei
or not; if piece of pipe gave out, it was
renewed, and the Company always kept
It's lire as good es neW-fit to receive and
transport gas.
Mr.. Hubbard addressed the Board brief
", calling attention to anumber of things,
and among them impressiDg on the Board
that they were not TO be Influenced by the
assessors valuation. The evidence addnc
ed was 81 the evidence the Board had
and in considering it, the members OF the
Board sat as Judges. Mr.. Hub
bard also referred to Mr. Howard;
enquiry Of why did the company put the
pips in the ground" and said they did 1t
because they were slightly fooled. They
expected to get a dividend out of it-but
they didn't. They certainly expected PEI
cent a year. for they started TO declare div
idends al that rats wheu they had TO Dor
roT thu money. Bat they soon stopped
/ That. IDey expected 10 lahu ihige nsui
but they didh'. even get their bslt
back"
The Board went into executive seseion,
and after half an !hour's delibsrstion fixed
the assessment on the Wheeling Company
at SS5, 600 for 1887 and 1888, aud leaving
the sworn statement of SAG, 600 for l5S9,
made by the Company, stand as accepted.
The Company will scarcely accept the
valuation.
TIE case Of the Natural Gas Company OF
West Virginia was not touched upon. 1t
may he here stated that the Assignment Of
counsel, made in yesterdays paper, va:
erroneous. Both Messrs. Hubbard and
Clarke appeared for the Wheeling Com
pauy. The Natural Gas Company of West
Virginia did NOS appear in response to the
summons.