The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-03
PULLMAN C0MPANY'S PROTEST
CLAIMS SOUTH CAROLINA's NEW
TAX ACT Is UNFAIR.


Says the Provision So Far as IL Con-
Germs the Pullman Property Is Tn
constitutional and Void-Its Capt.
tai Not All Invested in Sleeping
Cars-PIan of Assessment Held 10
BE Unjust-COmpany Made a Report
Under Protest.
Columbia. S. c.. June 2.-The state board
of assessors of railroad property met here
to-day 10 assess for taxation palace car
corporations, telegraph. telephone and ex-
press companies. The concerns named do
ing any business in this state are required
TO make returns on specified day early
in the year of the entire capital stock, and
then the investments. mileage or business
in this state.
The plan of taxation is. taking the
Western Union Telegraph Company for
example having ascertained its total mi.e-
age and capital stock, and the mileage
in this state, to assess for taxation pro
portionate amount of the capital as South
Carolina mileage bears to The whole
The returns must be filed at the time spe-.
cited under a penalty of 500 day there
after.
Returns of the Pullman Palace Car
Company, Western Union and Postal Tel
egraph Companies. Bell Telephone and To-
cal companies and the Southern Express
Company have been h.ed
A Vigorous Protest.
The Pullman Palace Car COMPANY
makes the most vigorous protest against
the right of the state to tax any of It's
property declaring the act unconstitutlon-
al aud Void-that the scheme of assess
ment for taxation viii be most unjust 10
the company 1t conducts no business in
this state, simply furnishing to railroad
companies sleeping and parlor cars for Use
in operating the roads the Pullman com
pany reserving 70 itself the right to collect
a certain price from such passengers as
use those cars for the extra luxuries fur
nshed, such as servant, toilet arrange
ments, etc.
Only 10 per cent of the company's can
ital is invested in palace cars. the other
being in machinery, tools, patents. raw
material whole town of 1900 inhabit-
ants none of which is connected with fur
nishing sleeping cars to railroads. Con-
unuins, the company says:
Claims 1t Is Unfair.
There is no provision in said Faw for
deducting from the entire capital stock The
large amount of personal property owned
by the Pullman Palace Car Company, out
side the state of South Carolina and not
connected with furnishing sleeping cars to
railroads for use in or through South Caro-
lima or elsewhere. Hence the law requires
the assessment and taxation Of such. a
proportion of this personal property as the
length of the lines of railroads presuma-
Bly, in the state of South Carolina bears
10 the total length of the Zines of roads
over which such cars are used property
not subject 10 the jurisdiction of South
Carolina nor connected in the remotest de-
gree with any business in which the COM
pany is engaged in South Carolina"
IL further declares the assessment per
mile in South Carolina would be unfair
because on the same roads in other states
from three to six times as many cars are
used as on roads in South Carolina.
The COmpany's Report.
Subject to these explanations. and I'M
der protest, the company reports that its
capital is S54, 100000, but only sl0,250 600 be-
ing invested in furnishing cars to rail-
roads; that the officers of the company do
not know the market value of the stock;
that the total length of miles of road over
which its cars run is 1869; and The
length i'm South Carolina is / ,060 3S-l0O A
detailed statement showing the number
OF mites of road using cars in each town
ship is attached to the report
The other companies make no protest,
the returns of the Bell telephone causes
remark because of the small valuation
Before taking final action the board adj
iourned this afternoon to June Z. The
Pullman problem requires a vast amount
of figuring and il VIII probably have IN
stand a test in court