Wadsworth semi-weekly dispatch. [volume] (Wadsworth, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1901-04-12
BOARD OF ASSESSORS.
Press and Public Displeased at High
Valuation of S. P. Railroad.

The State Board Of Assessors, the
Silver State believes, made a serious
mistake when IT placed an average val
uatlon of twenty thousand dollars per
mile on the main line Of the Southern
Pacific Railroad.
1t Is not our intention to defend the
Southern Pacific, but We do believe
that an injustice has been done the
company in raising the average valua-
ton Of its main track from Sill .444 %
to $20,o 900 per mile. 1t looks as II
the railroad had been picked out as a
victim and that it was the intention Of
the State to saddle upon it practically
the entire burden Of the taxes levied in
support Of our State government.
1t is rumored at the present time
that the company will test the legality
Of the assessment In the courts, and
in that event it will bring on expensive
litigation, and perhaps in the end de-
prive several counties and the State Of
the taxes Of that corporation for a
length of time.
1t is-also said that the company gave
the Assessors to understand that a
I raise to $4,000 per mile would have
! been satisfactory. In our opinion such
a raise would have been very fair and
in the interest Of the State.
& Next year. In case other values were
brought up to a pro rata standard, and
THE rate Of both State and counties was
2 reduced. no doubt the company would
have raised no objections to a further
increase in valuation. In other words
we believe it would have been a better
splan to have reached a double valua-
ton and a one half rate by two or three
steps instead OF one.
For years II has been the cry Of Me-
vada that the people Of the State had
no objection to-the railroad, but did OBJ
ject to the company having a political
agent in the. State to look after Its in
terests.
This is the first year In twenty years
or more that the company has had no
representative in Nevada. The COM
pany has recently changed hands, and
the late Legislature appointed a COM
mittee to wait upon the new mango
ment, olive branch in hand. While the
committee has made no Official report
to the Governor as yet Of the result Of
the conference. the individual members
have publicly stated to the press that
they thought much good would come
from the understanding had upon var
ious matters in which the interests of
the State and the railroad were inter
woven.
Now comes this act Of the State
Board Of Assessors, and while some
might argue that in the end the law
is flexible and that the rate can be re-
duced later on. so that in the end no
injustice will be done the company.
the fact still remains that,l 1t has been
raised nearly 90 per cent. and it is
hardly likely that the balance of the
taxpayers will be raised in that proper
ton.
Another mistake was made by the
State Board in assessing beef cattle at
the value Of $32,5O per head. This par
t.cularly affects Humboldt and Washoe
counties, more especially the towns Of
Lovelock and Reno. as they are both
large feeding points and a great deal
CT beef is fed at both points which is
brought in from Oregon and California.
These cattle are not in the State over
sixty or ninety days, and 1t works a
direct hardship to the feeders. It makes
no difference whether they are San
Francisco butchers or local farmers,
and in the end the hay ralsers will
%sIffer.