Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1902-01-15
THE BOARD OF
EQUALIZATION
It Fixes the Assessment Of Railroads Much
Higher Than the Average Valuation
in the United States.
AN AGREEMENT WITH
THE COUNTY OFFICIALS

The Territorial Board Of Equalization
adjourned this afternoon. 1t fixed the
assessment rate during it's three days
session for the railroads, telegraph and
telephone lines in New Mexico and al
so met with the county officials of the
territory and agreed upon certain rates
of assessment. The board found that
there are 1880 miles of railroad in New
Mexico subject to taxation. The aver
age assessment per mile in New Mexi-
co is $5,640. This is much higher than
the average railroad assessment in the
United States which is $5,025 per mile.
The valuation for taxation purposes
placed upon railroads is less in Missou-
RI Wyoming Texas and Nebraska
than it is in New Mexico.
According to the recent decision of
the United States supreme court in the
tax cases of Valencia and Bernalillo
counties against the Atlantic and Pa
way Company, only 66 miles Of the 176
miles in New Mexico of that railroad
are subject to taxation, the mileage ov-
er the public land being exempt from
taxation and only the mileage over pri-
vate land grants which is practically
all in Valencia county being taxable.
The counties of Bernalillo, Valencia
and Mckinley have on that account en-
tered into an agreement with the San
ia Fe-Pacifc Railway Company to
cir Io af 1t1of tn
an assessed valuation of $4,000 per mile
upon each of the 176 miles of the rail-
road in New Mexico instead Of an as
sessment of $1,000 per mile upon only
the taxable portion of the road in the
territory. The board ratified this
agreement which will distribute the
tax income among the three counties
instead Of giving it practically all to
Valencia county. The assessed value
of the grant of the Santa Fe-Pacific
Railroad Company amounting to 1,500,-
900 acres was fixed at 25 cents an acre.
The other assessment rates were fix
ed as follows: Pecos Valley and North
eastern railway, $4,000 per mile, side
tracks $1,000 per mile. New Mexico and
Arizona railroad $4,000 per mile; side
tracks $1,000 per mile. Atchison. Tope-
ka and Santa Fe railway, north of AL
buquerque, $1,000 per mile; south of AL
buquerque $6,500 per mile; Rincon to
Deming and from Rincon to the Texas
state line $4,000 per mile; Silver City
branch $4,5OO per mile; Whitewater
spur $500 per mile Lake Valley
branch $4,000 per mile Socorro and
Magdalena branch $3,25O per mile; La
my branch $4,000 per mile; Blossburg
branch $4,000 per mile; Hot Springs
branch $4,000 per mile; Cerrillos Coal
Railroad $4,000 per mile; all side tracks
81 900 per mile; Castaneda hotel at Las
Vegas $4,000: depot at Las Vegas
$4,000; saperintendents house at Las
Vegas $4,000; Depot hotel at Albuquer-
Que $22,5O0. Colorado and Southern
railroad $4,000 per mile; side tracks ST.
900 per mile; Catskill branch $4,000 per
mile. Southern Pacific railroad $1,000
per mile; side tracks $1,000 per mile.
Denver and Rio Grande railway $4,000
mile; side tracks $500 per mile. Tele-
graph lines s25 per mile for one wire,
and IS per mile for each additional
wire. Telephone companies $40 for
each telephone instrument up to and
including so instruments and So for
each additional telephone instrument.
Where telephone lines extend beyond
the corporate limits of a town valua-
ton of SIS is placed upon each mile of
line for one wire and IS additional per
mile for each additional wire.
The board met yesterday afternoon
with the county officials assembled In
the council room at the capitol and
agreed to sustain at the September
the following assessment
rates: Coal lands within ten miles of a
500 per acre, beyond ten miles
of a railroad $40 per acre, improvements
to be assessed separately; merchanta-
BILE timber lands within fifteen miles of
a railroad IS per acre, beyond the f1f-
teen mi1e limit $15O per acre; all
grazing lands 81 per acre; irrigable and
cultivated lands to be assessed accord
ing to local conditions, no land with
water rights to be assessed at less
than IS an acre nor more than $25 an
acre: stock horses IS head, saddle
horses SIS head, American horses $40
and over, American mules $40 and over,
Mexican mules $15 burros 50. stock cat
tie $11 south of the 35th parallel of lat
itude, $12 north Of that parallel, I'M
proved dairy and breeding stock $40
per head, improved sheep $3.50 per
head, Mexican sheep 81 per head, COM
mon goats 81 per head, improved goats
50 per head; national banking stock.
undivided profits and surplus at go per
cent of par value. All other property
on the basis of go per cent.