The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-14
RAILROADS HAVE
THEIR DAY IN COURT
They Protest Against Paying
More Taxes.
DO NOT PLEAD POVERTY
BUT SAY THE OTHER FELLOWS
PAY TOO LITTLE.
DO NOT PLEAD POVERTY
AND they ALSO SHOULD PAY TOO LII TIE
They Called on the Governor 10 Know VIVA
he Meant by Opposing Them and he
Meekly Replied that he
Wasn't Doing so.

WASH UOlng so.
Yesterday the drums of railroad in
hnence beat The long roll Of anti-increase
in-taxatiOn.
And there was a council of corporation
captains lowering around the Corpora
ton Commissions office.
AS these annual tax light ars descended
upon us this paper felt no surprise. y
handful of lays ago 1t predicted their
line of argument They followed t eX-
actly.
Any profession of amaZrnlnnt, the re-
fore, on anybody's part would be ridicu-
louS The densest folk knew it was in
plan to raise mighty dust about Tie in
crease in taxation, and even the town
idiot saw it coming.
"A year ago they came i'll even a
mightier host. burt THAT was Il poverty
social. They came then ID picture star
Walton and discuss rece.rerships. Yes
terlay they swr:lcd their comfortable
paunches out. crossed their hands and
talked of prosperity-the prosperity of
themselves and other people.
We are. We are prosperous and making
money. But there IRE others. And the
Others are on the rax books for less than
we are, therefore. you II have to scale
us down. You can't rall the other fel-
low up, because you've got nothing to
do with him. but yon can pat us down,
for we are under your care. and You
must do it or We'll - into the Federal
courts
Now that in nutshell is what tn.
railroads yesterday nad 20 say to the
Corporation Commission and that is all
they did have to say.
The railroads represented before the
Commission We're as follows:
Southern Railway. b. Andrews,
first vice-president: w. A. Henderson,
assistant general counsel; Chas. Price
and f. III. Busbee. attorneys.
Atlantic Coast Line-Warren G. Ell
lott. president: j. r. Kenly, general
manager: II. O. Burton, and Geo. Roun-
tree, attorneys.
Seaboard Air-Line-Ilegh r. Watts.
general counsel; John ID. Shaw. attor-
ney.
Atlantic and North Carolina-S. l..
Dill. superintendent; j. c. l.. Harris,
attorney.
Atlantic and Danville-Alfred p.
Thorn. attorney.
Aberdeen and West End-Henry A.
Page, president
The hearing began with statement
read by Col. Andrews showing the as
sessment of railroad property in North
Carolina compared with the assessment
lin Virginia and South Carolina. This
al af{ali
sessed at Il higher value in this State
than in its neighbors.
Col. Andrews was followed by Presi-
dent Elliott. of the Atlantic Coast Line.
who made an exceedingly strong argu-
ment for his side Of the question. In
fact it was the speech Of the day.
Mr.. Elliott said so far as the Coast
Line was concerned it had always been
willing, since it had been put on the
tax books. to bear its just proportion
Of the burdens Of government. The
Wilmington and Weldon was one of the
| first railroads ever built in the State.
I he said, and when it was finished it was
the longest railroad in the world.
1 $50 great an enterprise was this at
{ that time that the road was exempted
! from taxation Seven years ago we
surrendered this exemption. and since
L that time we have offered no objection
Y to any reasonable taxation. The Will
& mington and Weldon road was put on
4 the tax books at value Of $4,000 per
2 mile. Now il is valued at $4,000 per
Z mile.
x Il mention this to show you how
i steadily the tax valuation of railroad
property is being increased. Seven years
: ago the maximum valuation was $1O.-
900 mile Today / find it 500. 1000
And yet the valuation Of other property
remains the same.
IF you have placed reasonable value
on our property it is entirely out of
proportion with the value of other
property Of the State. and therefore we
are bearing more than our just burden
2 of taxation.
Now it may be replied. for that is
the general reply. that You have nothing
whatever to do with the assessment OF
other property. But if You observe the
law and the constitution you will have
something to Go>with it, Only recently
the State Treasurer issued statement
over his own signature TO the effect
that the assessment Of real and personal
property in the State is only 66 2-}
y
duty, if you regard the constitution. to
take judicial notice of the fact that the
value placed on private property for
taxation in North Carolina is only about
two-thirds of its real value. and yo,
should fix the value on our property in
the same proportion.
Can yon find any other corporation
in North Carolina today that is assessed
ut its earning capacity? Why there are
corporations in North Carolina that
have property worth 100000 that are
assessed for $4,000. More. l think
can name corporation that earns 500
600 year that is assessed at only
$4,000.
'Again on the railroads is placed a
value about equal to that placed on
all the town lots in the State with
all the improvements on them. Yet
where is the man who says that if the
railroads were sold they would buy