The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-08-25

- NOuiu NC III III a. Univ
class. The company has no terminal facil-
ities; 1t doesn't buy from year to year from
other people. The Governor inquired If
the road should be taxed less because of its
membranes. and Judge Gardner replied
in the negative. He said he only spoke of
the roads debts 10 explain why it was not
In better physical condition. Governor
Hovey once again took OCCASION 10 remark
that a farm was not worth any less because
II was lncum bered.
General Manager w. J. Spicer. of the Chi
cagO ~ Grand Trunk road, made a brief
statement. asking that they DE assessed not
more than the Chicago IL Erie. the Balti-
more M OHIO. and other roads In their terri
tory. Their rates were low, and operating
expenses had increased SD that the road
earned but & small surplus over It's bonded
debt. and that surplus was expended In lrn-
proving 1t. Passenger business had fallen
off one-third, and freight traffic was much
less than a year ago. and IA a consequence
the company had shortened its force and
train service. Mr.. Spicer did not see how
ii was possible for them to pay any in
creased taxes, and hoped the board would
reduce their valuation.
q. b.. Bayless. of Franklin, told the board
the varied history of the Toledo, st. Louis
IL Kansas City railroad. and followed MP
tho details of the continuous litigation
that marked it's conduct by saying that the
line ran through q purely agricultural sec
ton. and had no large cities and but live
county-seats from which TO draw any con-
cluCIdOlC Duoiuccc. IL uCDcuuCu iOi I sup
port almost entirely on the agricultural
district. He thought the road assessed
high enough. and urged the board not to
increase its valuation. Mr.. Bayless is gem
eral counsel of the road.
A PATHETIC ToR
Traffic Manager Moore, of the Midland,
made the com missioners smile as he drew
a pathetic word picture of the deplora-
bic condition of that much advertised
railroad. He said when the old engines re-
ferred to by Judge Field finally became
too aged for tho Monon, the Midland pur-
chased them and its employees caressed
them IS newborn babes. The rolling
stock il all made up of WORKOUT loco
motives and cars purchased from other
roads Cor q song. Mr.. Moore said that they
miles of their road on condition that they
would extend it twenty-oDe miles to
Brazil. They were In the condition Of a
gas company that had sunk a well four
but hadn't money enough to get over the
other fifth. Brazil he regarded as the Mid
lands Trenton rock, and said that ii natural
gas ever gave out and the road ever reached
Clay county's big town, it ought to be as
sessed at $4,000 a mile, for its coal business
would then Justify such q valuation. 1t
was now paying 10 per cent. of its gross
earnings for taxes. He was satisfied the
board would not increase their assessment.
and said it would have been reduced last
year if the board had not established a
minimum.
How much will YOU give ANY one to
take the road off your handsf' asked the
Attornsy-general.
well. / don't know. You see l don't
wi it, but am only trying to manage it.
i occasionally think, though, that L would
like to swap offices with some of the State
officials" WhereupOn there was q great
or.h ~ Cra.- S-tfIta ~noDco ayA q ~ ~
him Justice, the AttOrney-general laughed
louder than any one else.
At the afternoon session Edward Hawk
ms, representing the Chicago Il West
it's breath by saying that his company could
hardly expect the commissioners to W
the present appraisements of their proper
ty. and that they would have little reason
erately Increased. I'VE are informed" con-
tinued Mr.. Hawkins, that the farm lands,
the city property, the corporate property
and all other taxable property in LaPorte
county, where the road is all situated. has
been raised in valuation, hence / say that
the company which / represent cannot rea-
sonably expect the board to pass this prop
erty without some advance on the former
appraisement." As Mr.. Hawkins read the
foregoing introduction to his statement.
the Governor looked with amazement at
the Attorney-general, who so forgot his dig
nifty as to deliberately wink at the chief
executive of the great State of Indiana. To
find a railroad company not only not seek
inviting an increase, is a novelty
that 10 encountered only once In
q century. and it Is doubtful
If the commissioners will soon recover from
the shock. Mr.. Hawkins gave the board a
detailed statement of the road he repre-
sented, and said as q whole it was q good
line, having a good earning capacity. The
branch In La Porte county, however, which
- -.-.- a.
fixed charges. 1t is a spur ~thirty-four miles
long. running from New Buffalo to the
southwestern part OF Pa Porte county. AS
the Michigan forests disappeared the lum-
much of its business, was so lessened that
the branch suffered greatly.
NO UNIFORM RATE.
Edgar Hill, tax agent of the New York,
Chicago & st. Louis road, generally re-
ferred to as the Nickel-plate, thought it
would be about as c~ommendable in a doc
tor to give the same prescription for all
diseases as for the board to adopt the same
basis for the assessment of all the railroads.
The Nickel-plate, he sand, had ISL miles of
main track in Indiana. 1t had no terminal
facilities, but paid the Lake Shore at Chi
cago and the Erie at Buffalo $4,000 last
into those cities over their tracks.
The road was built to sell. as every
ono knew. and had strong competitors to
fight all along its line. 1t received less rates
than any of the other roads for carrying
freight. Competing the NIckle-plate to the
P~ittsburg, Fort Wayne 81 Chicago, he
showed that while the formers earnings
per mile were $1,000 and the ~latter's $4,000,
the formers valuation for taxation was
$4,000 and the latters S2S,000. This Mr..
Hall held was away out OF proportion, and
said that If his road was TO be taxed Sl2. 0c0
"a mile the Fort Wayne, according to the
difference between the earnings of
the two lines should be faxed S4S, 600.
The Monon, assessed at Sc. 200 per mile,
earns. he said. as much as the Nickel-plate,
with double that value for taxation. Last
years assessment he held to be unequal AS
to railroad property. and filed with the
board O table he had prepared showing
many of these inequalities.
The other railroad companies that were
to have been heard yesterday failed to have
representatives present. John :. Boys. of
Sullivan. attorney for the New Pittsburg
Coal Company and the Jackson Hill Coal
and Coke Company occupied q few
moments of the boards time strengthening
out an error msde by the Sullivan county
auditor in the matter of the appraisement
of these two corporations They were in
creased about 10000 by the local board
and accepted the raise after some little
protest. but things became mixed IN some
way and Mr.. Boys came here to get the
the satisfaction of everybody. Cashier
Coulter, of the Farmers Bank of rank
fort, protested against the assessment of
thnf rnQfffnfrnn harm innrnuo Ah Stands