Oil city Afro-American., 1900-01-27

lQQ1and on o,zSz.So Iuk16S VI main
| track, 304 miles of second track and
2,086.S7 miles OF sidetrack, making a
total mileage of S.683.S3 miles, an as
sessment Of $153, ,693, ,506, or $176.9S per
mile-the average tax rate being $1.50
on each one hundred dollars; and New
Jersey, under an assessment on 2,273,-
526 miles of first track, 827.91 miles OF
second track, 1885 miles of third and
fourth tracks, and 1,450.299 miles Of
sidings 4,748.1O4 miles
$1,512, ,6S5.45, or $318.5S per mile for
state and local purposes.
Here only the main or first track is
listed; there all kinds of tracks are
valued and counted in the mileage.
To illustrate the great inequality OF
assessment by the railway companies
the railway commission for 1898 sub
mits the following observations:
"The Houston G. Texas Central is
one of the best paying roads in Texas,
and the aggregate value thereof, as
made by the commission, is SO ,58S, ,903.-
| %, while the San Antonio & Arkansas
Pass railway IS comparatively a poor
paying property, and the commission
! valued 1t at $S,677, ,69S.37, and yet the
| San Antonio & Arkansas Pass road is
assessed at 1921. .146.00, while the
Houston & Texas Central road is as
sessed at only $4.977 $4,000, or $313,-
$4,000 less than the San Antonio e.
Aransas Pass railway The disparity
of values Is still greater when we see
that the income from operation of the
San Antonio & Arkansas Pass railway
for the past year was only $512, 1927,
net, while that of the Houston & Texas
Central railroad was $1,01S,3 ,329.04, net,
being nearly double that of the San
Antonio & Arkansas Pass railway.
Last year the Galveston, Houston
& Henderson Railroad company had
earnings sufficient to pay all operating
expenses and taxes and interest on
$40,00000 of bonds to the mile of it's
road, and to put $29, 1882. 80 in perma-
nent improvements, and to still have
a surplus left out of the years earn
ings of $33.091.33. While the gross
earnings of the Southern Kansas rail- |
way of Texas were insufficient by S46,- |
154.22 to defray even it's operating ex- |
penses, and yet 1t Is assessed for taxes |
at $126.24 per mile more than the |
splendid property of the Galveston, |
Houston & Henderson railroad |
''The Texas Central railroad runs
from Ross to Albany, and last year
it paid dividend of three per cent on
its preferred stock, interest on bonds
and operating expenses out of it's net
earnings for the year, and had S24.-
1921 left. The Tyler Southeastern
valued by the commission at +
$3,O24.O1 less than the Texas Central
railway, is, owing to it's unfavorable
location, almost worthless, and Is as
sessed at 81, ,550.2S per mile more than
the Texas Central railroad is assessed.
These references are sufficient to
call attention to the great inequalities
Of the taxation under the present sys-
tenn, or rather want of system"
Fully as Objectionable have been the
renditions by the railway companies
Tor the year ending August 81, 1899.
The summary of table number 81 of
he comptrollers report, which is we'll
worthy most careful and thorough
discloses that the average
assessed value of the Galveston, Hous-,
on & Henderson railway-the carrier
If the entire traffic between Houston
md Galveston of two great railway
ystems, besides a fair proportion of
he local freight-was but S6.997 per
nile. This is undoubtedly one of the
'est revenue producing railroads in the i
tate, and yet we find 1t listed at 5000
Ter mile less than the San Antonio e.
Aransas Pass railway, $3,177 per m;Iel
ess than the Houston, East & West
'eXas, and $6.764 per mile less than
he Texas & New Orleans. 1t is hardly {
robable that the Galveston, Houston :
Henderson railway, with it's present 7
nd future advantages, could be DUR :
hased from 1t owners at a less cash 7
rice than ten times beyond it's as 7
essed value. In the same table we findfI =
hat the Houston, East & West Texas
Tas assessed in Harris at $7,817. in =,
Iacogdoches at $13,317, and in Shelby
ounty at $12,S17 per mile. The New :
ork, Texas & Mexican railway was :
in Fort Bend at $7451, but in
ne adjoining county of Jackson at [
y ,O97 per mile; the Pecos & Northern T.
exas at $327O in Castro, and $6270 per
llle In Farmer county; the Missouri, 4
.ansas & Texas at $7752 in Bastrop, F
5000 in johnson, $10,478 in Travis, and F
Ii l,732 per mile In Hill county; the g
custom & Texas Central was listed in, G
arris at $12 1926, and in Travis county q
$l6,565 per mile, though the rolling
ock, which is included In the assess
ents, Is valued at $2S, ,106 more In the =.
rmer than in the latter; and the q
ulf, Colorado & Santa Fe at $9864 in y.
ell, $11 $40 in Lampasas, and S7O6O p
n mile in Runnels county. When it el
remembered that. in the matter of p
ate taxation under the present con- p
tuition, each citizen and each county cs
directly and pecunIariIy interested Ell
the assessment by every other citi- th
n and in every other county, the O5
cts recited cannot be well ignored. al
What recompense is thus made to II
e people of this state, whose munif- es
MT liberality to- such enterprises has co
It been equaled by that of any of the tn
nerican commonwealths! gr
Out of her domain she has donated m
railway companies 34.179,O55 acres fo
land, all of which has been SURVEYED Gil
d returned to the general land Office is
/ patent. More than that. she has pu
t only given to one company-the ST.
& Great Northern-12,- ce
acres for every mile constructed, cit
t she has also exempted from taxa mi
county and municipal-for m;
period of twenty-five years. the land to,
given and the capital stock, rights. or
nchise and road of the company. Ie
rhe railway land grants of this state tn,
only exceed in area the land acre
? of any one of twenty-five states of
. Union, among them being included re
w York. Pennsylvania and Ohio, but d
o the combined land acreage of SUI
inc, Massachusetts,, New Hampshire, on
ode Island and Vermont 1t also ex- Ior
ds one-ffth of the entire land acre Du'
: of our own state. Many of the clu
dis so granted were quite valuable. pee
'ecially those located in the pine cul
lber region. A complete schedule of err
grants is hereto appended, to which
attention of the legislature is in wa
ed. ito,