New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-03-23
r.ysrJOv OF RURAL FRANCHISES.

Tho ohiection which Mr.. Carr of the Dela-
= ood 1rudeon Railroad Company, made 10
tho bill for the taxation of franchises WAS 'o'
,sinly well founded II would not nave pec"
reasonable 10 leave the measure IN SUCH oi"'
,ho. every steam railroad running across
country road would he subjected to taAa'ior y"
.ho ro,uo of rs franchise as user OF pubic
nropertv Such use is only Incidental oec"u'e
.he road IL crossed by the necessary route anu
cannot be avoided Crossing II nelther saws
.ho oornoration expense nor adds to It's income
rho cor,orotion buys It's right Of way and pays
800 On y and should not have its franchise
taxed on the theory that the right 10 cross roaus
"a ANYTHING valuable But in avoiding any such
unjust taxation there may be danger OF res'ilcF
ing the application Of the bill within TOO mario"
limits Albany kilograms report that II IS 20 oe
omonded so that a steam railroad will be taxed
under II only for the value Of franchises 10 run
through city streets
Removing the word across from the OIL rs
originally introduced would not so limit the
measure which is of general Application 10
franchises for all enthusiastically, steam, ele-
waited. underground and surface, in city streets
and country roads. But possibly the intention
&c 10 hermit steam railroads and even electric
railroads in the country 10 use highways WIN
out taxation. This should not be done II the
corporation using a city street Is TO be taxed
for the privilege, the corporation using rurH
highway should be taxed in proportion. The
difference in value of public property used
makes no difference in the principle. The steam
railroads which use country roads are lew' Du'
the number of trolley lines which use them is
great and growing greater Every considera-
ton Of public policy and private justice calls
for their taxation The steam railroad gener-
ally purchases strip of land for It's line ana IS
assessed for the full value Of the land. Beside
Il we find trolley lines which secure for nothing
their right OF way IN the public road. and theh
escape taxation on the value Of the property
thus occupied. This is a discrimination against
the company that pays for what 1t gets. II
these trolley roads wish 10 gridiron the State let
Them pay for what they acquire. They should
70 more be permitted TO turn 20 their bencnt
the public highway for nothing than steam
railroad would be. Not TO tax their franchises
Is 10 put a premium on grabbing by giving 10
the grabbers exemptions which they would no,
have II they bought the land they needed, in
stead Of trespassing on the public
OF course the value of a country road fran
chise bears no comparison TO the value OF rights
In n city street. The tax law should not be
made an instrument Of confscation or the
means Of retarding the development Of rural
transit facilities In many parts Of the country
,roleys are built In the highways by general
consent for the general benefit Often they
could not be built except for free right OF way.
But II the law Is wisely applied there need be
no hardship in taxing such franchises. II the
highway is through thinly settled region the
property used IS OF little value, and The tax
would be correspondence light. AS our corn-
try became more thckly populated the value Of
kAs franchise would be increased, and should be