The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1894-10-03

one-fourth of it's market value this last
named sum represents $7,629, $50 worth of
property. This, added to the amounts on
which the company seems to pay taxes in
other states, makes about $50, 600 as the
total amount Of property on which the COM
pany pays taxes in America. There may
be small sums paid that are not shown by
this official correspondence, but their total
would not be large
Or stating the matter another way you
get the following results The total assess
ments shown by this official correspondence
including the total assessment in Illinois,
is $4,043,53O. This stands for $18, $50, 1856 of
property. In addition to this, the CORE
spondence shows that the company pays
$l0379 of taxes in the states in which the
assessment Is not given. Assuming that this
sum pays taxes on about 100000 and it
gives little over s2O,OOO,0OO as the total on
which the company pays taxes.
1t therefore follows that there are upward
OF S4O,OOO0O0 worth Of property of the Pull
man Palace Car Company that escapes all
taxation of every kind. This is sub
ject to taxation in Illinois and should be
taxed there, not only because under the law
1t is subject to taxation here even If it
were not at all times in the state, but be-
cause the company's report hereto attached
made to its stockholders and to Poor's
manual. shows that most of this property,
if not all of it, is actually held here.
Notice the following: Patents, s107, 469
furniture, N13,391 real estate and buildings
in Chicago, $685. 24 real estate and plant
at Pullman, s7,S45275; balance of accounts
and bills, $110S6,5 S6; stocks and bonds
$5,55s,961; cash on hand, $4OS,O7S; making a
total of $26 114678
In addition to this the following items
or property that must be mostly held in
Chicago: Materials and supplies, ST. 721 100;
cars and equipments, $24,S44,6S9; total, $780,,
Dot, 449. An examination of these figures
SHOWS
only by law asSessabe in the state, but is
actually in the state so much of the time
as not to be legally assessable elsewhere
and it is claimed that in many states the
company has successfully resisted taxation
on the ground that it was only liable to
taxation in this state.
AS already shown upward of $40,000,000 of
the company's property now escapes taxa
lion of every kind. This is an injustice to
the other taxpayers of the state While
Its capital stock and surplus were formerly
not quite as large as at present they were
yet very large, so that it is apparent that the
company now has in it's possession several
millions Of dollars which could have been
paid into the public treasury in past years
If the company had been obliged to pay its
fair share of taxes.
1t is not in the power of your board to
reach back and compel the company to pay
what it should have paid in the past, nor
can you now lawfully assess it's property
other property. If the company actually
pays any taxes not shown by the official
correspondence then it should be given
credit for it on producing proper evidence
of it.
1 notice that the railroads of the state
were assessed in the neighborhood of So 600
per mile their roadbeds and rolling
stock. One road assessed at $4,000
per mile. These figures certainly represent
from 20 to 20 per cent of the market value
of roadbed and rolling stock-that is, they
are assessed about as high as other prop
erty. While it is charged with much force
| that there are still several pieces of rail-
| road property in the state which almost es-
capped taxation yet it is evident that many
| of the great railroads of the state do pay
their fair share of taxes on this class of
property Pullman cars are railroad prop
erty and should bear their share of the
public burden of the state.
l herewith submit copy of Mr.. Pull
mans evidence in full as published in the
| Chicago Tribune, and 1 respectfully ask
| your board to right this wrong against the
honest taxpayers of the state. For moth
| ing is SO certain to create discomfort among
our people as the feeling that they are the
| victims of njustice-a feeling that they are
| obliged to carry burdens which belong on
| the shoulders of others.
| WAGNER CARS NOT ASSESSED.
The members of the board listened to the
governors forcible remarks with great at
| tention, and when he had finished piled
| him with questions, in the course of which
| it came out that Wagner cars not as
sessed at 81 in this state, owing to an omis
sion in the laws covering the case.
| The governors communication re-
! ferred to the capita-stock committee, and
| Mr.. Hearn, a member of that committee,
gave notice that he would tomorrow move
| radical amendment to the rules, providing
| that in assessing the capital stock of com
panies or corporations the committee shall
! take into consideration the marketable cash
| value of the capital stock of such COM
panies or corporal tons quoted by reliable
| commercial authority, and shall value the
| same in accordance Herewith in making
assessments.
| If Mr.. Hearn's amendment is adopted, the
| Pullman company should be assessed this
| year at $l3,OO,O00 instead of 81 So, 800, as il
| was last year.