The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1893-09-01


The state board Of tax commissioners
has fixed its rating Of railroads and %.
nounces that IL will stand % now nxed.
subject only to appeals OF dissatisfied
railroad companies. The result 10 de-
crease of$734, ,522 10 the total aseessments
the addition Of the new
road, the Montpelier y Chicsso. which
is valued by the board at 81, l67, $50.
Taking this out, the reduction Of railroad
property from last years assessment 10
I ,90l, ,872. The assessment OF last year
made decrease from the year preceding
Of e213773, 90 that in the course OF two
ears the board has reduced the railroad
assessment $2,1l5,646, notwithstanding
The general improvement Of the lines and
general increase OF their earnings. SO
much OF the ground gained By the new
tax law of 1891 has been lost. So much
Of the advance towal d an equitable tax
alton OF the great corporations OF the
state bas been retraccd. We are on the
road back 10 the evils from which We
had TO some extent escaped.
The Sentinel enters its earnest protest
against this action in general, and against
several phases of 1t in particular. The
three systems chiefly affected by the
are the Pennsylvania, the Big
Four, and the Vandslis. These roads
are the controlling roads Of indiana.
They own tho Indianapolis Uuions
aud virtually the Belt and Stock Ysrds.
They have controlled the railroad lobby
of the state for years, Mr.. McKeen being
the real head OF that organization. Or
the lines on which reductions we're mades
the Pennsylvauis own the Indianspolis
& vincennes, the r., c.. G. Il st. L.
the leland Coal and Gosport branches
OF the I. & v. and the s. L. u l. G. The
Big Four has reductions on its Chicago
division, the G. H. & G., the F. f. 3 M,
the p. g E., both divisions. The Van.
dalia is decreased in both the L. h. y ].
and the T. II. & L. All three profit By
the heavy reduction on the Union and
the Belt. II is pretty well known that
there has been serious ruction between
these roads because the Vandalia lines
were underassessed heretofore - CON-
pared with the others, and this adjust
meut reminds one Of the memorable 90.
cssion Of which II was said, "And the
same day Plate aud Herod were made
frieuds together" We do not believe
that auyoao of theoo roa6s b seW -
|seass1 = 70 Or emit. o. ~ ostual ues.
|kst value.
The L. N. = G. receives rsducsioa %
lite Bedford b Bloomheld and Osleanss
West BADEN b French Lick liues, With.
lout any compenssting increase on its
main lines. As We showed two days
ago, this road was already assessed ct
less than 60 per cent. OF its actual mar
ket value, and there was NO justification
for this decrease. The reduction on the
indianapolis Union and the Belt 10 sim-
oily an insult TO the intelligence Of the
people. The former was reduced from
il So, ,9lO, 900 to S2,4O1. Gas. Tho latter
was reduced from e3Q64 900 10 S2,55e..
IO0O. The total reduction on the two,
land they are practically one, 10 d .OlA,-
slO75. For this reduction there 10 not Z
|shsdow OF excuse. These roads are moi
now assessed for over so per cent. ol
, their real value. They arc 40 valuable
that they are absolutely out Of the mar
|. ket and neither could be bought to-day
for twice the assessment. The action o
the board is in our opinion clear viola
tion of the pledges Of the democratic
party, and the Sentinel washes its hands
Of all responsibility for It.