Omaha daily bee., 1889-06-30
PULLMAN EVADES TAXATION.
He is Apeasod by tho State Board
OF Equalization.
HIS VALUATION is REDUCED.
once Enrolled at $4,000, the state
Board, Under n New Law, Reduces
IL TO Less Than S5,0OO-Sur-
priscd Commissioners.
Pnilmnn,s Coup d, ctat.

THE BEE of yesterday announced that the
property OF the Pullman company, the head
quarters of which arc IN the Third ward, had
not been assessed by the county assessor,
MIR. Roche. Last year, when the headquar-
tors were in First ward, this property was
assessed at $50, i50. OF this amount $50, 600
was supposed to cover the cars, the rest, $3.50,
the Office furniture.
The assessor, Roche, could not be found to
sxplain this omission, but u friend OF his said
that he thought the assessing had been dele
gated by Roche to q man named Solon,
who had probably neglected it.
At the headquarters Of the Phil
man company it was found the
assessors blank for the personal prop
crty had been filed oLt but that the assessor
had not called for it. The return on the cars
of the company, however, the superintendent
said would be made in the east, If made out
at all, which he didn't think it would, be-
cause the company was contesting the
c0unty's right to tax its cars The case is
ROW in the supreme court
In connection with this matter the point
t'as raised that the duty of assessing Sleep
,ng Car company's property had been re-
moved from the county and imposed upon
The state board of equalization.
A few days ago the county
clerk, greatly to his surprise, received a no.
trce of the fact from State Auditor Benton TO
the effect that the assessment and valuation
Of the Pullman property was s, ,53l. This
amount was obtained by considering the
length of each road in the county over which
Pullman cars were run and then assessing
the company at>a certain rate per mile. On
the O. & S. W., and the o. & N. w. there
were IA S-l00 miles at $500, making Il total
of S1,064.2l; on the Southern Pacific there
were 33 32-100 miles OF $l9.l2, making total
of S637.07; on the Nj. p. there were ID 32-1O0
miles at s55.62, making q total of $852.02 and
on the Union Pacific there were 33 S2-l0O
miles at S506l per mile, making total of
S1,9SG.20. The grand total is above given
The reduction is great one, aud is a sur
prise to the commissioners, who had no
knowledge that II law had been passed to
enable the Pullman people to avoid taxation
But such seems to be the case. Reference
to the synopsis of the enactme1ts of the last
legislature disclosed the fact that the law on
''revenue" taxing sleeping cars, approved
February, 1881, was again amended the
past session. The amendment was ap-
proved March 23, 1885, having been passed
with the emergency clause, and consequently
going Immediately into effect.
This provides that all railroad companies
In the state shall report to the auditor the
number of dining and sleeping cars not
owned by them but used in operating their
roads; also that the board of equalization
shall assess, for taxation, the average num-
ber of cars used each month, and the
assessed valuation of the cars shall bear the
proportion to the entire value that the
monthly average number of miles that such
cars have been run within the state, shall
bear to the monthly average number of
miles that said ears have been used or op-
Grated within or without the state such
valuation shall be in the same ratio as that
of the property of individuals.
Three years have elapsed since the Pullman
company paid taxes in this city. At that time,
under an assessment of S60,00), they paid
81, 500 INTO the county treasury. Two years
ago the company was assessed about $4,000.
1t then objected, holding that it should pay
taxes only in Chicago, where it's cars are
made, and that consequently the county had
no right to tax it,
The case is now in the supreme court.
When it will be decided is problematical.
Oncc u year Mr.. Bolln, county treasurer,
received q notice from that court enjoiniug
HIM from collecting taxes on the company.
Under the new order of things it lis thought
that the Pullman company has played a
slick trick on the people, and that its appeal
to the courts is now unnecessary.