Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-02-25

In Ohio delinquent taxpayers are
haunted continually by the fear of the
sudden summons from one of the
auditors assistants. 1t is not neces-
sary in that State for any man to take
popular disfavor upon himself by in
forming. There are men appointed by
the auditor to do the work. AS fees
these men receive 20 per cent. of the
amount due the county or State. Who
ever it was, he made a good stake in
the following case and he is still after
more corporations.
The company in question is West
Virginia corporation. 1t has been
heavily taxed by West Virginia ever
since their bridges were completed
sixty years ago. Such a thing as be-
ing taxed by Ohio authorities never en-
tered their minds until a polite note
from the auditor informer requested
them to call and-etc.
1t seem rather remarkable, says the
Belmont Chronicle, that corporation
could exist and do business in Belmont
county for a period of sixty years and
yet never pay any taxes until the
present time, yet such is the fact, and
the reason for this State of affairs lies
in the fact that no one probably ever
thought that it was not paying or
ought to pay taxes in Belmont county.
We refer to the Wheeling & Belmont
Bridge Company, owning the bridge
from Bridgeport to the Island. AL
though a bridge has been there for
more than six decades, Belmont
county never collected cent of tax
from the company until last week. Not
very much of the bridge is in Ohio,
and this probably accounts for the fact
that what there is in Ohio was over
looked. The West Virginia line is at
river and, of course, the greater yor-
ton of the structure is in another
State. But part of it is in Ohio and
Belmont county, and the valuation on
that part of it has been fixed at $500,
and the company has already paid
tax on it for six years, amounting to
about $1,000. When the matter was
called to the attention of the bridge
company and business was talked, but
little objection was entered, it being
patent to the company that they
would have to come down with the
money if the matter was pushed.
Hence, the treasury of Belmont county
is about 81 200 better off than it was.
This has called attention to one or
two other matters in the same line.
On the Bellaire bridge of the B. & o.
the latter company pays taxes in Mar
shall county, West Virginia, on $315,-
600 valuation. On the portion Of the
bridge in Ohio it pays on valuation
of $500 to the mile. On the Ohio side
there are three piers of the bridge and
forty-nine stone arches. If the part
in West Virginia is worth $4,000 the
part in Ohio ought to be worth $780,
600 or 5000, 600, and the company ought
to pay $4,000 or $4,000 a year in taxes
instead of only a few dollars, as at
present. West Virginia collects the
tax, and there is no reason why Ohio
should not The United States Su
preme Court has recently decided
case involving the question here pre-
scented, and it held that the track OF
the bridge and the bridge structure
itself could be appraised separately for
taxation. 1t is not probable that the
bridge owners will take kindly to the
suggestion that they should chip in
as taxes several thousand dollars a
year in addition to what they are now
paying, but if it is just and legal that
will cut no figure.
One other bridge in the county pre-
sents a similar question and looks like
the corporations would have to pay
more taxes than they have been doing,
not because they are corporations, but
because they have been escaping their
just proportion Of taxes. Several hun
dred thousand dollars are invested in
the Bellaire bridge and there is no
valid reason why it should not be taxed
like other property. The question is
one of interest to every taxpayer and
its outcome will be watched with
eagerness.
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