The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-06-03
PULLMAN COMPANY PROTESTS.
Objection to South Cardinals Assessme mt
of Corporations.

COLUMBIA. s. c.. June 2.-Under authority Of
an act OF the Legislature passed last year the
State Board OF Assessors OF railroad property
met here to-day to assess for taxation palace
car corporations. telegraph. telephone and cx-
press companies. The concerns named doing
any business in this state are required to
make returns on a 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 IL. taking the Western
Union Telegraph Company for example. to
ascertain its total mileage and capital stock
and the mileage in this state and
then to ASSESS for taxation proportionate
amount OF the capital as South Carolina mile
age bears to the whole. The returns must be
filed at the times specified under n penalty Of
800 day thereafter.
The returns OF the Pullman Palace Car Com
pany and Western Union and Postal Tele-
graph companies. Bell Telephone and local
companie'. and the Southern EXPRESS Com
pany have been filed.
The Pullman Palace Car Company makes the
most vigorous protest against the right Of the
State to tax any OF its property declaring the
act unconstitutional and void and that the
scheme OF assessment for taxation will be most
unjust to the company. 1t conducts no bust.
ness in this state. simply furnishing to railroad
comr9nies sleeping ard ParIIIor cars for use in
serving to itself the right to collect, a certain
price from such passengers as Use these cars
for the extra Injuries furnished: Only 10 per
cent OF the company's capital is invested in
palace cars. the other being in machinery,
tools, patents. raw material, town OF 1000
inhabitants. none OF which is connected with
furnishing sleeping cars to railroads. Con-
tinuing. the company saws
There Is provision in said law for de-
Quoting from the entire capital stock the large
Pullman Palace Car Company outside the State
OF South Carolina and not connected with
furnishing sleeping cars to railroads for use
in or through South Carolina or elsewhere
Hence the law requires the assessment and
taxation OF such proportion OF this personal
presumably in the State Of South Carolina
bears to the total length of the lines OF roads
over which such cars are used property not
subject to the jurisdiction OF South Carolina
or connected in the remotest degree with any
business in which the company is engaged in
South Carolina"
1t further declares the assessment per m lie
il. South Carolina would be unfair. because on
some roads in other States from three to six
times as many cars are used as on roads In
South Carolina. Subject to these explanations
and under protest. the company reports that it's
being invested in furnishing cars to railroads:
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 l2n,67n and the length in South Carolina is
|, 900 :}S- 100.
The other companies make no protest. The
returns OF the Bell Telephone cause remark be-
cause OF the small valuations.
Before taking final action the board adj
journed this afternoon to June Z. The Pull
man problem requires vast amount OF fig
uring and it will probably have to stand test
i'm IA