The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-30
KICKING ON TAXATION
Railroad Compan MES Want the
Assessment Reduced.
OBJECT TO THE INCREASE
Recommendations OF thu Board Of EQUAL
ixation Fail to Meet Their Views.
Tn Western Union Gets
q Reduction.
Special Dispatch to the Standard.

- ~ kht
Helena, July 29.-The state board of
sentatives Of two railroads who ap-
peared before the board in the endeavor
to rave the assessment of their espect-
i've roads left maintained where they
were placed last year. A. ]. Shores of
the Great Northern and @. s. Fernald
Of he Northern Pacific addressed the
board. Mr.. Shores addressed the board
at some length. He said. among other
things, that last yea when the board
increased the valuation of his road the
understanding was that there would be
no increase this ear. He presented to
cost of railroad operations in this state.
He referred to the money the Great
Northern and the Montana Central have
been expanding In this state in the last
year improving their road beds. While
admitting that this might be deemed an
increase of the valuation of those prop
critics In general, he said that the
money had been paid out in the state.
contributing to the prosperity and ad-
vancement of Montana. and he did not
think the railroad should be expected
to stand a corresponding increase In its
valuation. He said that the railroads
were already paying a large part of the
X OF the state ana nOpeu TO escape
an Increase this year.
Mr.. Fernald, on behalf of the North
ern Pacific. said that he endorsed what
Mr.. Shores had said. He referred to the
Klondike travel and pointed out to the
board that the railroads did not derive
as much benefit from this as the public
had been led TO believe. On account of
the action OF the Canadian Pacific in
demanding a differtntial on Klondike
t.o xrAI Hrfn.sp~ about N anttfn0 nnd
siashing of rates, the transcontinental
roads had been carrying a lot of people
to the coast at practically o loss. Mr..
Fernald said he believed that last years
valuation of the Great Northern n the
Northern Pacific did his road an injus-
tice, since the main line of the Great
Northern was assessed less than that
of the Northern Pacific. He maintained
that they should be equally assessed.
The board adjourned without deciding
Just what assessment will be placed up
on these two roads. This matter will be
decided tomorrow. IL Is not unlikely
that, as announced in to-day's Standard,
there will be an Increase on some por-
tons of the lines of the companies. II
is not believed hat the total increase
on all the railroads of the state viii ex-
coed half a million dollars as compared
with last years figures. The total as
sessment last year was about S13, O00.-
900. Tomorrow the board will hear the
representatives of the rest of the rail-
roads running through the state. Those
expected to appear before the board are
j. b. Evans of the oregon Short Line,
II. M. Hallorn of the Butte, Anaconda
q Pacific, Mr.. Pollard of the Burlington,
Mr.. Harlow OF the Montana railroad,
and T. e. Brady of the Great Falls &
Canada
James Swan. the Montana agent of
the Western Union Telegraph company,
appeared before the board to-day to
protest against the assessment that the
state board has recommended to the
county boards to be placed upo tele-
graph lines. The board has suggested
hat the various county boards make
the assessments $40 a mile for the first
wire and 500 per mile for each additional
wire. The valuation proposed on the
additional wires is an increase OF $40
over last years figures. Mr.. Swan said
that the increase was rather hard on the
telegraph companies. He said that the
Western Union was not making any
money I'm Montana. The company has
in all about 800 miles of wire In the
state. 1t costs about s15 per mile to
build a telegraph line of one wire and
the life of such a line is about 10 years.
He concluded by asking the board to re-
duce the assessment on the additional
wires. A. the conclusion of MIR. Swans
talk the board decided that 1t would
recommend to the county boards to
make the assessment or the additional
wires s15 per mile instead of $40.