The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-07-13
COMPARISONS DRAWN.l
VIRGINIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA
ASSESSED FIFTY PER CENT.
HIGHER.
HIGHEST FREIGHT RATES IN THE UNION
The Manufacturers and Shippers Have Or
gained to Put Stop to the Dis
crimation Against North
Carolina.

CfImaton hSai'lSt hoiGl
Carolina.
In RESPONSE to written invitation, the
editor of the News and Observer yester-
day sent the following letter to the Rail-
roal Commission, now in session as
board of assessors to assess the rail
roads:
s"ro the Railroad Commissioners,
Raleigh, n. c.:
..Gentlemen: | presume | am indebted
for the honor of the invitation to
furnish such information that you may
see fit to present with reference TO the
assessment of railroads for taxation, and
the reduction of railroad rates, to the fact
that as public journalist l have advo-
Gated two needed reforms:
"1st. An assessment of railroad prop
erty and franchises more nearly in ac-
cordance with their value.
"2nd. A reduction in the tariffs charg-
ed the public, so as to conform to the
rates in other sections of the country,
and to end the discrimination against our
own people by the imposition of high
freight and passenger tariffs.
First, as to the assessment or rail-
roads for taxation, / am not an expert
in railroad matters, but the fact that the
State of North Carolina gets fifty per
cent less in taxes from its three great
systems than Virginia or South Carolina
is evidence that the assessments here are
too low. The Atlantic Coast Line. the
Seaboard Air Line and the Southern
Railway have lines in each of these
States, and while they all have more
miles in North Carolina than in either
of the other two States, there is no ques-
ton that they regard the North Carolina
section as quite as valuable as any other
portion of their systems. And yet all
three of these systems are permitted
here to list their roads for taxation at
much less value per mile than in the
States North and South of
us. The Railroad Commission
is charged with the duty of
listing this property for taxation at a
just valuation, and until the assessments
are raised to correspond with a just as
sessment-not less than that in other
States-the people and the press will be
warranted in continuing to urge action by
your body.
''The Atlantic Coast Line is one of
the best paying roads in the country. 1t
has enjoyed special favors from the State
and has done much to develop Eastern
North Carolina. 1t pays taxes in this
State on a valuation Of $4,000 a mile,
while in Virginia it's line is assessed at
$4,000 per mile.
"The best paying portions of the Sea-
board Air Line system embrace the Raj
eigh and CASTOR Railroad in North
Carolina, and the Seaboard and Roanoke
in Virginia and North Carolina. Virginia
assesses that part Of the road in it's ter
ritory at $4,000 per mile, while in
North Carolina the assessment is only
$4,000. Another part of this system,
the G. G. and N. road, is assessed for
taxation in this State at the rate of
$4,000 per mile, while the South Carolina
portion is taxed at $4,000 per mile
'"The Southern Railway, the other
great system traversng the State, is as
sessed for taxation in North Carolina at
Apnly $4,000 per mile. The through line
the Southern from Washington to At
Ma-its most important links taxed
Virginia at $4,000 per mile and in
south Carolina at $4,000 per mile.
4 II have travelled over the entire
length of these roads in all three States,
and am certain that the portions lying
in North Carolina are not less costly or
less profitable than in Virginia and
South Carolina. Either we do not make
the assessment high enough or our
neighbor States make it too high. / be-
lieve the first proposition to be true.
1.-The law governing the assessment Of
railroad property is so plain that your
body ought to have no difficulty in reach
ing the actual value Of the roads for
taxation. Chapter 121, Laws Of 1893,
provides that The Commission shall de-
termine the value of the railroad stock
as defined in section 45 claws of 1891,
and the value of the rolling stock, ascer-
tanning such value from the earnings as
compared with the operating expenses,
and taking into consideration the value
of the franchise as well as other condi-
ditions proper to be considered in arriv-
ing at the true value Of the property as
in the case Of private property and the
aggregate value as thus determined
"Section 46, Chapter 119, Laws of
1895, provides that When any railroad
has any part Of it's road in this State
and part thereof in any other Stae, the
Commissioners shall ascertain the value
Of the railroad track, rolling stock and
shares of capital stock Of said company,
and divide it in the proportion the length
of such road in this State bears to the
whole length Of such road, and determine
the value of such railroad track, rolling
stock and shares Of capital stock in this
State accordingly This section would
seem to leave no room to permit the un-
eqaql valuations we see in this State
and in Virginia and South Carolina.
with reference to the question of
railroad tariffs, beg leave to call your
attention to the resolutions adopted by
the meeting Of the large manufacturers
and shippers of the State held in Green's
boro last May, called to consider the
discrimination in rates against this