The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-31
THE RAILROAD VALUES
RESULT OF THE STATE TAX BOARDS
RECENT LABoRs.
Increase of n Million Dollars, Placed
Chiefly en- Telephone and TeIe-
graph Companies.

road companies in Indiana. and, although
in large majority Of cases the same valua-
ton mile assessed two years ago has been
fixed for this year. the board announces that
the total increase in the valuation Of rail-
road property. telephone. telegraph, palace
car and express companies will amount 10
about $,o00.000. When the large number OF
new properties in the State is taken into
consideration it is apparent from the figures
that the State board has somewhat reduced
the valuations Of two years ago. In 1891
there were only twenty-one telephone and
telegraph companies listed by the State
board. while this year the board has sixty
eight on its list. There has also been an in
crease of one express company. Members
Of the board have occasionally stated dur
ing the session which ended Saturday night
that the railroads Of Indiana are assessed
much closer to their real value than the land
and other property in the State. The board
has been overwhelmed with pleas from the
roads.
As compared with the assessment made
last year, the Baltimore & Ohio Southwest
ern gets decrease OF $500 a mile on track
and rolling stock, and the assessment on
the main track of the Chicago & Erie re-
mains the same as year ago. The as
sesgnent on the Chicago & West Michigan
appears the same as year ago. The as
sessment Of the East Chicago Belt and the
Eel River line will be the same as that OF
year ago. The assessment of the Louis
Vile. Evansville & ST. Louis is the same as
that fixed year ago, and the reduction
for the Louisville. New Albany & Cory
don road, as compared with last year, is
5000 mile. The Terre Haute 81 Indian
apolis and the Michigan Central remain as
last year. In all the figures given below
the comparisons are made with 1897 instead
OF 1898
THE 1897 COMPARISONS.
Aside from the bridge companies at Louis
vile ard local terminals and belt road
companies the Pittsburg, Fort Wayne G.
Chicago road pays the largest assessment
mile in the State. 1t has 152 miles Of main
track which it paid $4,000 a mile two
years ago, but at the present session,
through the eloquent plea of ex-Tax Com
missioner Walker, who recently associated
himself with that road, the board at the
present session reduced this 81 600 mile, be-
sides reducing the rolling stock $500 for each
mile. This will reduce the valuation of the
line in Indiana quarter of a million dol
lars. The Indianapolis division Of the Penn
sylvanfa system pays this year on a basis of
$4,000, an increase of $500 mile for main
track over two years ago. This system list
ed Its property In Indiana on a different
basis from 1897 and 1t Is somewhat difficult
to make comparisons. The main track of
the Chicago division was increased 5000 a
mile, but the board has cut down the mile
age from 242 to 1S2. The Louisville divi-
sion was increased $500 a mile. A compar-
ison Of figures shows that the Pennsylvania
system, not including the Pittsburg, Fort
Wayne & Chicago, has been assessed ap-
proximately at the same totals as in 1897.
The Lake Shore & Michigan Southern will
pay on the same basis as before, $4,000 a
mile for main track.
NO CHANGE IN BIG FOUR.
There are practically no changes in the Big
-Four divisions, merely few dollars differ
ence on right of way improvements. The
Baltimore &c Ohio and Chicago gets a reduc-
ton Of s, 900 a mile on its 146 of main track
with no changes in second main track, side
track and rolling stock. The Baltimore &
Ohio Southwestern gets a decrease of $500 a
mile on its track and rolling stock. A re-
duction Of $1,000 a mile on main track and
$3.50 mile on rolling stock is made for the
l59 miles Of Chicago & Erie. There are no
changes in the Chicago & Calumet Termi-
nal, the Chicago q Grand Trunk, the Chi
cago & Indiana Coal the Chicago & Indi-
ana Eastern and the Chicago, Indianapolis
d Louisville (Monon.) The Chicago juno
ton IS listed for the first time this year at
s1s,cs per mile for main track. The Chi
cago, Hammond d Western road was listed
In 1897 at $500 for main track, and il is un-
derstood that this Is the same concern The
following show no changes: Chicago. Lake
Shore q Eastern, Chicago & South Bend
and Chicago & Southwestern, but the Chi
cago &c West Michigan has been reduced
Sl.ovo mile on main track and 500 mile
for rolling stock for its thirty-four miles in
Indiana. The Chicago, st. Louis & New Or
leans road appears for the first time at &c.
GOO a mile. 1t has slightly more than four
miles OF track in Indiana. The Cincinnati
wabash & Michigan is lowered 500 a mile
on main and side tracks, while the East
chicago Belt, with little over three miles.
Is increased 5000 a mile. The Eel River
line obtains reduction of 81 Goo a mile on
Its ninety-eight miles of main track and $500
mile on rolling. stock. The Elkhart &
cut in two, and hereafter will only pay SlO,-
600 mile. The other reductions are as fol-
lows: Fort Wayne & Jackson. $500 a mile on
miles OF side track; Indianapolis & Vim
cennes branches. 81 900 a mile; the Louis
VILE Evsnsyille & St Louis. $1,000 on main
track and $500 on rolling stock for each OF
the ll6 miles OF line: the Louisville, New
Albany & Corydon, 81 900 on main and $500
Oii sue treckSs SturglS, GOShen & st. Louis
700 mile on main track; Terre Haute q
Indianapolis, $1,0c0 a mile OF seventy-nine
miles. Aside from the roads before men
toned the New York, Chicago d ST. Louis
(Nlckel-plate), with 155 miles in Indiana
Will pay on $50 600 a mile on 155 miles OF
main track, an increase OF $1,000, while the
Michigan Central will pay on $500 more q
mile main track.
In addition 10 the roads enumerated above
the following roads have their valuations on
main track remain as in 1897: Cincinnati
Hamilton & Indianapolis: Cincinnati La
Iayette az Chicago; Cincinnati, Richmond e
Fort Wayne; Cincinnati & Southern Ohio
River; Elgin. Joliet & Eastern; Evansville
Belt; Evansville * Indianapolis; Evansville
d Terre Haute; Evansville, Terre Haute q
chicago; Falkland, Franklin & Martinsville
Elndlay. Fort Wayne & Western; Fort
Wayne, Cincinnati & Louisville; Fort
Wayne q Terre Haute Southeastern; Grand
Rapids * Indiana; Indiana Block Coal; In
diana, Decatur * Western; Indiana, Illinois
d Iowa: Indiana Northern; INDIANAPOLIS
Belt; Indianapolis Union Railway; Indian
apolis q Nincennes; Joliet & Northern In.
diana; Kentucky q Indiana Bridge Com.
pany; Lafayette Union: Lake Erie q West.
ern; Lake Shore & Michigan Southern: the
branches of the Louisville, Evansville K st
Louis; Louisville * Jeffersonville Bridge
company; Louisville & Indianapolis; Mich.
igan Airline; Montpelier q Chicago: New
Albany Belt and Terminal; Peoria, Decatur
q Evansville: Peoria & Eastern: Peru 4
Detroit; the Rantoul line; State Line & In.
diana Cties; St. Louis, Indianapolis & East
ern; Toledo, ST. Louis & Kansas City: Yer.
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