The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-07-15
TAX BOARD in SESSION
RAILROAD, TELEGRAPH, TELE-
PHONE AND OTHER PROPERTIES.
They WIFE he Considered During the
First Twenty Days-First Per-
sons to Appear.

The State Board of Tax Commissioners
began, yesterday, a twenty days session
for the purpose of hearing statements re-
garding the assessment of properties of
railroad. telegraph, telephone, sleeping-car
and pipeline companies. The board will
hear statements on the following schedule:
Electric street and suburban railways,
July II and 10; steam railroads, July 16, II,
1S 10, 20. q and %; sleeping-car and trans
portatiOn companies. July % and "a: pipe
line companies, July % and %; telephone
companies, July IS, % and 80; express COM
panies, July 81. The first days hearing of
statements was held yesterday in the office
of Auditor Hart.
The board organized at IL o'clock by
electing A. d. Ogborn, of New Castle. ste
nographer. Frank Martin, deputy auditor,
serves as secretary Of the board. In the
afternoon representatives of eectric-rail-
way companies appeared and, for the most
part made efforts to have last years as
sessments against properties they represent
reduced. Some of the arguments made by
counsel for the different companies were
lengthy.
For the Terre Haute Electric-railway
peared He told the commissioners that
on account of the long strike at Terre
Haute, his road had been losing money
steadily. and, while he did not ask that the
assessment for 1902 be made less than the
figure for 1901. he asked the board to look
into the matter carefully. He stated that
the Terre Haute company would be willing
to stand an increase of 81, 900 per mile, but
did not ask that that assessment be made.
H. L w. -.
way Company was assessed at $1,000 per
mile. The increase spoken of by Attorney
Beasley would make the new assessment
So 600 per mile
For the Union Traction Company of In
diana ]. A Van Osdol and w. c. Sampson
addressed the board They argued that no
increase should be made this year. The
present assessment of the property of the
company is 5000 per mile.
The Hammond, Whiting & East Chicago
Electric-railway Company was represented
by G. 5. Gather, its secretary. The as
sessment last year was $4,000 per mile
and Mr.. Gather thought that the assess
ment should be reduced to $4,000 per mile.
He presented a statement of the value of
the tangible property of the road in sup
port OF his claim.
FORT WAYNE TRACTION COMPANY
State Senator ]. NJ. Barrett represented
the Fort Wayne Traction Company. The
present assessment of $4,000 per mile is toe
| high, Mr. Barrett argued. When the COM
pany was reorganized III 1885, he said. an
issue of gold bonds of 81 O95,OO was author
ized but of that amount $4,000 was not
issued. The amount will be, he said, when
contemplated improvements are made For
| this reason he argued for a reduction of the
| assessment.
For the Indiana Railway Company, j
| M. NJ. Smith appealed to the board to re-
| duce the assessment on the property. 1t is
| much too high, he said. The road is owned
| by three men who do not stand in need OF
| its earnings, he said, and every cent that
| is made is turned back into the roads
| treasury TO pay for improvements. In con
sideration of that fact, he said, the board
| ought TO make reduction in the assess
/ ment. He compared the value of the prop
| erty with that of the Union Traction Com
pany and used the comparison as the basis
/ OF another argument for reduction.
| The last argument heard by the board
was that of ]. a. Van Osdol. for tn,
/ Marion Transit Company. A gloomy STATE
| OF affairs exists there by Mr.. Van Osdol':
! account. The transit company has never
/ declared a dividend. he said. and has never
made any money. Ii is little more, he de
/ clared, than a heap of scrap iron and Il
| would be ridiculous for the board to II,
a heavy assessment on the company.
! To-day the attorneys of the indianapolis
| Street-railway Company will appear befor,
| the board with an argument The create
! part OF this afternoon. II is expected, viii
be used up in hearing the statements of TIT
| company's representatives.
| After the present session of the boar,
| adjOurns. the secretary Will forward TO al
| persons interested statement showing tn
assessment fixed by the board at this ses
| sion. Any person dissatisfied with the as
| sessment fixed. and desiring TO appeal from
the boards action, must fiie an application
/ for re-aSsessment and a notice of appea
| with the auditor of state on or before Aus
| "A. stating explicitly the grounds upol
which the appeal is based and asking dat
| of hearing. The board will be slow TO max
changes in the assessments fixed at thi
/ session. IL states and all aDDpalS pousf n
| founded upon distinct and backgrounds,
/ reasons
The entire time of the second session o
| the board. which begins Aug T. will be de
| voted TO hearing appeals from counties
| The session viii last ifteen DAYS TIL
| third session will begin Aug. 10. and vii
/ continue for ten days. II viii be devoted L
| the nearing OF appeals from and applica
| tons for changes In the assessment mad
| by the board at it's first session and 70
| the final adjustment OF all matters COMM
| before the board.
| New pianos sl65 and I'M AT W,Isobnar,s