The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-29
THE PENNSYLVANIA'S PLEA.


Col. /. N. walker, formerly tax commits
sioner, appeared before the State Board Of
Tax Commissioners yesterday in the interest
Of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company. He
said he stands by the tax law of 1891 and the
acts of the State board under that law, but
the friends of the measure have been dis
appointed in its operation in that local
levies have not been reduced commensurate
with the increased value added to the du-
plicate under the law. The local Officers
seem to have disregarded their duties and
have failed to reduce the levies as was con-
templated by the trainers Of the law. The
colonel believed that the new county and
township reform laws will give some relief
in this direction and that local levies will
be greatly reduced hereafter. The board
had made some mistakes at the beginning,
but he was surprised it has come as near
the mark as it has. The Pennsylvania off,
GERS, he said, have protested for many years
that the assessment on their property has
been higher relatively than that on other
railroad property. For this reason the COM
pany had kept its earnings by various di-
visions separate and had so reported them
to the board. He said THAT serious mis-
take made in the assessment of the
Pittsburg, Fit. Wayne & Chicago road last
year. The gross earnings of that road, in
Guiding the division east of Crestline, were
500, a mile, and this was the basis on
which the vauation Of the read was made
ings of the western division, extending from
Crestline to Chicago, were $17, 259 mile, and
as this Is the division which runs throug Ss
valuation. To fix the valuation on the earn
ings of the entire road. as was done last
year, is unjust, as those earnings represent
that portion operating through Pennsylva-
MIA. The correct basis which the road
should be assessed should be on the gross
earnings of the western division alone,
or that which operates through Indiana, he
claimed. The assessment made on this in
correct basis, he held, increases the value
Of the road 5000 mile more than 1t should
have been valued at. The Pennsylvania
company. he said, is the largest taxpayer in
the State. as the taxable value of its prop
erty> approximates $40, 900, and last year 1t
paid into the State treasury in taxes SELL
005.46. This is the tax on more than % per
cent. of all railroad property in the State.
He quoted Vice President Brooks as saying
the company desires to pay its full share OF
taxation. but he asked the consideration the
magnitude of interests deserved. When Col
Walker finished Governor Mount, on behalf
Of the board. congratulated him on his able
argument and he also congratulated the
company on securing member Of the board
to act as it's tax agent.
s. o. Pickens also appeared for the road.
He submitted a statement compiled by w!
F. Charters, an expert in the examination
of lard records, regarding the assessed value
of lands The report says it may be true
that land is assessed at IS per cent. of its
al
through Indianapolis, but exceptions are
found in Scott, Jennings, Shelby, Johnson,
Jackson. Vigo. Parke. Hendricks and
Wayne. where the land is assessed at 20
per cent OF its true value Counties in the
northern half Of the State are not assessed
as high as counties in the southern half.
The northwestern part of Indiana has the
lowest assessment and the river counties are
nigh. The highest assessments in the State
are in Fayette, Hancock, Floyd, Clark, jeff
erson, Morgan, Owen and Putnam, where
the assessment runs three-fourths at least.
In Fayette county land is assessed al it's full
cash value. while in Hancock county the
land was assessed while a boom was on.
New Albany and Jacksonville are travelling
the way of all river towns, but there is no
corresponding decrease in valuations. The
assessment in the gas belt is now about 66
per cent. The report states that in Ham
mond and other towns suburban to Chi
cage the land is assessed at not more than
% per cent. of its value.
Judge z. G. Field, OF Chicago, briefly stat
ed the case for the Monon. l.. c. Stanley
of Chicago, solicitor for the Chicago Grand
Trunk. said 1t costs the company 81 cents to
earn every dollar. and he desired decrease
in the assessment. The balance of the day
was spent in executive session. and the
board will adjourn the first session some
time to-day.