The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-11
Rnil,,ey rnNnlion in reAns.

Railway Age.
The annual movement in Texas TO In
crease tho burdens and restrictions OF the
railways was iuaugurated last week by
The message of Governor sayers to the
legislature, convened in extraordinary ses-
sion 10 reform the laws on taxation. Tho
burden of the very lengthy address. like
those of the governor OF Michigan, was,
taN The railways more; treat all corpora
uous with suspicion, lesislatc against
clpual
Tho last legislature created tax com
mission and directed It to report a bill
designed to secure an exhaustive and
equitable assessment of all taxes upon
every species Of property IN this state,
real personal aud mixed. tangible and In
tangible, and whether belonging to natural
or artificial 70 residents or nop-residcnts
TO the end hat no character
lof property assets. holdings or
valuable Interests shall escape the due,
lust and equal burdens OF taxation The
theory is commen1able. Would the prac-
ice he made equitable
Nearly one half OF the message is dcvot
ed tn the railways, the effort being to
show that This class Of property is above
al others the subject at gross uudoryal-
uatleu" ana gross inadoquacy la the re-
| turn Of thcir physical properties Cor tax
| Htiou.' Vet before reaching this fruitful
and popular theme the governor enumer-
ateg so many ether offenders of the same
character that It is evident that II the rail-
/ ways were assessed at IA higher rate gross
inequality would result. Thus the gov
ernor deplorcs the fact thar live stock
representing much greater value than
7 all the railways iu the State is listed for
S3l5i 600 less than i'm The preceding year;
b that merchandise is assessed as worth SOL
66I 900 an increase cf only S2,3Ai0O0 over
1890, although the Insurance upon such
property Is on a valuation OF SIS 000. 900,
that notes bonds and mortgages seem to
BE- exempt from the support OF the govern
mcnt. that the National banks Oh lau
uary t. 1895, reported only Stiles 900 in
hand a. decrease OF $iS9,O00On0 from 1890.
whorca5 In December previous thaforC as-
scssmcuO they had yearly $i3 600. 600; and
that in two OF the richest and most popu-
lous counties In Texas there was listed
for taxes, beyond that owned 10y banlA
and brokers. only 5000 altogether one OF
the counties, in fact, reporting nothing
at ali'
Evidoutly vast amount Of private
capital In. he state escapes taxation alto
sethCr. But how about lands? The gov
erpor does not offer Information on this
point, but prominent citizen, In a pub
! lshcd article, declares in substance ta.t
most II not all the products OF land and
large part OF the hog and cattle naus
try products escape taxation while the
lands themselves are assessed on about
ione-third their actual value, aud land
and rs products together are rendered
for taxation at about % per cent OF the
actual valuation. No such charge is ma.n
against the railways, Railway property
at least does not hide from the assesso- 5
sight and escape altogether bu. the GOV.
lcrnor thinks it il not assessed high enough
The average valuation OF railway lines
by the Texas railway commission is Sl5,lSl
per mile. and they are returned by the
assessors for taxation at an average OF
Sii6l per mile Thus. while much pri-
vato properly is not taxed az all, and
much ather property pays on about %
per cent OF It's value the railways pay
on 80 per cent of their actual value and
IN addition pay franchise taXcs and per
centages ON tide gross rccapta from pas
senger traffic IL Is stated that the al
Nalorem, occupation and other taxes OF
the railways together represent about one
tenth Of the entire revenues OF the State
from taxation, while railway property due,
not represent even one-tweptieth of the
total taxable property. Vet the governor
urges the legislature to burden the raul
ways still futher with a tax of / per cent
upon their gross receipts, in addition 90 a
tax OF rs per cent on 500 Of valuation
Taxation methods aud principles ia
Texas evidently need reformation. hui
neither justice nor eXpediency points 10
q increasing the burdens OF the railways
: aud thus compelling them TO increase their
. charges. while The burden OF taxation Is So
4 uneq1ally distributed on other property