The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1899-01-12

truth Of the matter seems to be that the
railroads juggle figures TO deceive the
people with respect to their earnings
They falsisy reports Of earnings and stuff
expense accounts TO avoid reduction of
rates and escape taxation. The Milwau-
kee railroad reported over a million dol
lars more personal property represented
by locomotives and cars in 1895 than IT
did the year previous. This hidden prop
erty was brought to light by the trial
or the rate cases, and would doubtless
he in hiding to-day but for the evidence
brought out on that trial.
/ find that in Iowa the Chicago. MIL
waukee e. st. Paul pays an aggregate of
S-l9G6716 in taxes or S1i132 per mile,
while in this state il pays aggregate taxes
amounting 10 Sl01 950.69, or %.l2 80 per
mile. The Chicago & Northwestern pays
$2l7 $3.50. or S1S7.41 per mile in Iowa.
while in South Dakota it pays Il total of
:6G3I6, or $500 per mile. In Iowa the
local rates charged are but little more
than half as great as they are i'm South
Dakota. In North Dakota, state which
is 10 more productive Of local business
than South Dakota, the railroads were
assessed this year at $1,000 Yer mile nat.
This is the figure which | uvgod as n
proper assessment for the heading lines
in South Dakota.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & st. Paul gets
% per cent of it's income from South Da-
kota, while only 16 per cent Of it's mileage
is in this state. II declares dividends OF
2141 per mile on its vatered stock, pays
its officers high salaries, lays million
dollars a year by as surplus, and
then refuses to lower rates or pay its fair
share of taxes. Can this condition be
remedied? / believe the task is possible
OF accomplishment. AS a first step, the
railroad commissions should be authorized
and empowered to go into every state
where the South Dakota railroads have
lines and check up the earnings OF these
companies as shown by reports made to
officers of neighboring states. 1t should
be 9scertained definitely whether the
earnings Of the roads in this state are
ge trously credited by the railroad COM
panes to Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Ne
braska and North Dakota, for the benefit
of the people of those states. or whether
they are not reported at all, which is sus-
perted. AS second step, the state board
of assessment ami equalization should be
emasculated of its power to assess rail-
roads and should become board of
equalization only. Tho assessment Of rail-
roads and all other such property should
be made by the local assessors, who are
widely scattered about the state, and who
VIII be less liable to fall under the con-
tfol OF the corporations than a state
tCard which may owe its nomination
and election to active railroad influence
Local assessors should be furnished
through the county auditors, with all
necessary information on the subject Of
corporate earnings and valuations. which
1t should be made the duty of the railroad
commissioners TO publish every year.
A trifing Increase in the valuation OF
railroad and express companies was Sc
cured this year, but the raise was trivial
IN COMPARISON TO what ii should have
been. A fair increase in the valuation Of
TINS class OF property would add not less
than SSUO,OUo per year to the public reye-
nue..
The governor also calls attention to the
fact that the great mining companies in
the Black Hills escape taxation Proper
~ which turns out annually a product of
over SS,OOO.0OO pays a mere bagatelle At
present. this rich property is assessed like
farming lands, on the acreage basis 1t
should be assessed on the value of its
product.
The governor discusses a great MANY
other matters of general interest.
The treatment of the Insurance question
by the governor is somewhat sensational.
lie calls attention to the good results Of
having established department of in
surance in charge of a commission, and
presents statistics showing the growing
business of the companies in this state
He advises that the state undertake the
business OF insuriEg the property of it's
citizens. A state monopoly, he SAYS run
for the people and wholly in their inter-
est will be powerful enough to success
fully compete with foreign insurance mon
opolies. The credit of the state will he
a constant guarantee of the solvency OF
policy. The state can succeed where a
mutual company of it's citizens must fail.
A mutual company which shall compose
the entire state in its membership, and
having all the states power, can, under
we'll devised system, either reduce the
nct Of iyG holt DO
money from this one enterprise to pay the
running expresses of the state.