Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1901-02-13
SUPERVISORS PETITION
LEGISLATURE To REPEAL Tax IMMUNE
CLAUSE Or VALLEY RAILROAD
CHARTER.

two days session held Saturday and
Monday to consider the present condi'
ton of the Valley Railroad, determined
to ask the Lsgis lature to repeal part oil
the charter granted this load, relative
to exemption from taxation, as the
road had not, according to the super
yisors' opinion, lived up to tue condi-
lions of the charter. The entire board,
consisting Of J. P. Welsh, Lexington
district, J. Fl. Harper, Kerr's Greek
district; r. II. Buchanan, Walker
Creek district; w. G. Mathews, Natural
Bridge district; J. j. L. Kinnear, South
River district, and j. A. Wilkins, Of
Buffalo district, were present and con-
Cured 10 all the proceedings, and or
dered that the petition be entered OF
re- cord in their minutes. The matter
was brought before the board by Mr.
William G. Nc Dowell, OF Lexington,
who spoke on the subject and gave an
exhibition of figures and facts with
liberal legal extracts to cause the board
to take firm st,nd in regard to the
matter.
Mr.. Mcdowell, acting as represen-
tative of the Board of Superv sor', left
yesterday morning for Richmond with
the petition and it will be presente ! to
the Legislature by our representatives
in that body, and bill urged to be
passed embodying the request in the
petition.
1t was brought out during the dis
cussion that the Valley Railroad DOS
not pay any county or town levios to
Rockingham, Augusta or Rockbridge,
through which it runs or partially runs.
If sid tax was paid to the county Of
Rock bridge, Of which this rDad is X
EN- )ted, it would amount to $1,000,
this does n t include tax on mi {, OF
road and buildings within the corpc-
rate limits of Lexin ton. Tnat the
roa1i is running deeper and deeper in
debt each ye II and it 'as charg d t'lAt
the Baltimor, & Ohio railroad ruus The
Valley Branch in the sole int rist OF
the Baltimore & Oh.o rad, and not in
the interest of the c)unties through
which the road passes and who con-
tributed largely to its building.
The county of Rockbrdge contribut-
ed bonds to the amount of $4,000
when the read was proposed as tn
county'S share, and at this date the
county has retired about one half o.
this bonded indebtedns. and the a |
yet remains uncom pletsd. That in the
course of time debt, will b, accu nula;-
ed which vii sw llow the road, rs ca n
year tue expense OF maintaining the
road is grea .er than the income,
throughout the county south Of
Lexington, AMI it is also stated that
the same condition exists further On,
there are cuts, fills, masonry, and other
railroad appurtance which we're made
thirty ysarsago, and periodically story
goes the rounds of the newspapers that
the road is to be built or completed
from Lexington 70 Salem, but there
ends. 1t would take a considerabl4
sum to finish ths work for much of that
already d me has gone to was o. The
portion Of Rockbridge through whic1
the road would run is one of the best
in the county, aud has DO railroad
facilities or outlet except by wagon.
The following is the petition
70 the General Assembly Of Virginia;
The Board of S1peryis ors of Rock
bridge County respectfully represent
that by Act of the General Assembly
of Virginia passed February %. 1856,
(Acts of 1865 6. page 329) and Act
p assed March 1, 1867. (Acts of 1867
page71O) the Valley Railroad Company
was granted charter to bull | rail
road from the town of Harrisonburg,
in the county OF Rockingham, to some
point on the Virginia and Tennessee
(now Norfolk and Westerly railroad
near the town of Salem, in the county
of Roanoke, with the privilegs OF ex-
tending its line through the main
Shenandoah Valley to the Potomac
river, upon certain condition..
In order to encourage and facilitate
the building of the road, the following
immunity from taxation was embo led
in Section 6 Of the Act OF Mar;h l,
1867: "That no taxes or levies shall, by
order OF any county court, o. council
or tru stees OF town or city, be assessed
against or imp, sed upcn Valley rail-
,ood or the canital inyestei therein.