The Courier. (Genoa, Nev.) 1899-1904, 1902-01-31
THE WEEKLY COURIER.
FRIDAY. JANUARY sl,.~.....~1sO2.
Carson Letter.

that sounds like wall of despair, com
plain bitterly of their lack of power to
accomplish the purposes and objects
for which 1t was created: to make rail-
roads deal fairly with the public. They
express astonishment over the fact
that men who stand very high in the
communities in which they live, falsify
reports, and destroy documents to hide
their crimes, and give and accept re-
bates of fares and freights, and act in
every way like highway robbers. The
members of the Commission are evil
IDENTIFY honest men; they are certainly
too. upsophisticated for this world.
They ought not to be surprised at the
conduct of these men who stand high
in the community. This world no
longer inquiries how man has made
his money. The all-absorbing curios-
ity now is how much has he got.
However, the Commission managed
to get some facts. They ascertained
that Armour & Co., Swift & Co., and
several other wealthy firms of Chicago
were receiving rebates from the rail-
road corporations, which the general
public did not enjoy, and the gentle
men who stand high in the community
having been Caught at it." admitted
the coin, held meeting and resolved
not to do it again. No steps whatever
are being taken to punish either side
for their violation of the Interstate
Commerce Act. The Commission
complains that it has not sufficient
power. Congress has known that fact
for several years. The Supreme Court
OF RE United States has practically
taken away all the power Congress
gave the Commission. In short,
anarchy is rampant among those who
stand high in the community.
The Southern Pacific Railway Com
pany contemplates building 81 miles
of cut-offs on the line of its road from
Reno to Ogden, and contracts have
been given out for grading the same at
an estimated cost of $4,000, 900, and it
is further estimated that $1,000, 900
more will lay the rails, ties, fish plates,
culverts, etc. This will make the actual
cost $34, 800 per mile, exclusive of roll
ing stock, stations, etc. The county
of Lander sued the Central Pacific
Railroad Company for taxes several
years ago, District Judge w. d. Jones,
then District Attorney of that county,
assisted by Judge Mayenbaum, press
ing the suit At the trial several ex-
perts testified on behalf of the railroad
company that they could parallel the
road In Lander county with a new
road at Sc, 900 mile. 1t is plain from
the foregoing contracts cited that the
professional experts were mistaken, +"
to use diplomatic term for lying. Ac-
cording to the selling price of the
bonds of the company, and the interest
paid on them, and the profits of the
corporation over and above all costs,
the road is valued at over $4,000 a
mile. The corporation keeps one set
orfigures for its stockholders and an
other set for the Assessors, and differ
emit sets of lawyers and experts for its
different character of cases. When
the Nevada State Board of Assessors
valued the road at 500, 900 per mile Tor
main track, the corporation came into
Court and its experts swore the road
was not worth more than from $4,000
to $4,000 per mile, according to loca-
ton, and asked the Court to decree
hat the value of the road be left to the
conscience of the railroad Assessors
Assessors living in counties on the line
of the road. d. P. Randall of Lyon as
seesed it at $780, 900 per mile, and they
paid 1t. The other Assessors made it
$4,000 per mile and it was paid. The
railroad company had great confidence
in the "consciencen of the Assessors.
Meanwhile householders had been pay
ing on the full value of their property
and cattle and sheep owners were
raised one hundred per cent. At the
last meeting of the Board of Assessors
nothing was done, but the Assessors
living In counties traversed by the
road, with the exception of Mr.. Randall
of Lyon, met at Reno and there agreed
to value the road ct $4,000 mile.
This value is greatly disproportionate
to the value placed on other property,
and the only way to approach an
equitable valuation of other property
for purposes of taxation is to reduce
the valuation and raise the rate in
order to raise sufficient revenue. 1t is
too bad that such course has to be
pursued, but it seems to be the only
way to make men who stand high in
the community pay anything like a
fair proportion of their taxes for the
protection and benefits they enjoy
from government. advocate such a
course boldly upon the principle that