The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-02-16
RAIL ROADS TOO
LIGHTLY TAXED
County Governments Make Com
plant to State Board.
BURDEN ON PRIVATE TAXPAYER
WANT BIG CORPORATIONS TO
STAND THEIR SHARE.
BURDEN ON PRIyATETAxPAYER
THE state board of equalization is


being asked some pointed ques-
tions by various county govern
ments as to the great difference which
exists in the valuations made by the
state board. and those made by the
county assessors under rules formu-
lated by the state board All the
counties of the state are interested, but
those principally affected are the ones
through which railways are operated.
and nineteen are understood TO have
combined for the purpose of laying the
matter before the state board, with a
view to having the wrong righted
The story Of the complainants is told
in brief in the following letter from
Emery county
Moab, Utah, Feb. II, 1902.
To the Honorable State Board of
Equalization:
Gentlemen-Before you make the
assessment on railroad lines and
rolling stock for 1902 We beg leave
TO call your attention to the fact
that the assessed valuation of farm
land in this county is from 20 10
so per cent of the actual value,
while the railroad passing through
this county is assessed at from 20
to % per cent of the valuation, as
shown by the report of the inter-
state commerce commission for 1900.
II seems to this board that these
facts ought to be taken into con-
sideratiOn, that the burden Of tax
alton may fall eQuitably on the
property valuation
Complaints of Counties.
Letters have also been received from
other counties and the remainder OF
the nineteen particularly affected viii
probably be heard from at an early
date. Cache county complains that
real estate and personal property in
that county is assessed at about Il
per cent of the actual value. while
railway lines and equipment is as
sessed by the state board at 20 TO q
per cent of the actual value, and the
Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone com
pany is assessed at less than half Of
the value of its property. Summit
county complains that it's real estate
and personal property is assessed a
while the railroads are assessed by the
state board at from 20 to % per cen
Of the actual value.
There is also a showing made of tn
average tax paid by railways, as FOL
lows.
Average tax. per mie in Utahs ia g
Average tax per mile in Massa-
cnuSetJS .....-. -...,.,.s-.. ....-.. ], AZ 2
Average tax per mile in the
United states ----.s!--.--.---- 254 z
Assessment of Railroads.
There have also been figures. submit
4 IN. 81 no 10 q do
ern and Oregon Short Line are bein,
j assessed in Utah. as compared witt
/ the valuation as placed upon them b,
the interstate commerce commission
/ 1t appears from the showing that bot
roads are assessed at slG,9s3 per mile
while the interstate e5rdfnefee commits
sion values them at $50 749 per mile 70
! the Western. and SCI. $50 for the Shor
j Line. 1t is also shown that the funde
Indebtedness and outstanding stock pc
mile Of the Western aggregates S6S, 091
and that of the Oregon Short Lin
! S56.416
1 The actual value Of the Union Pa
| cific and Southern Pacific is about IN
! same as the Western. and is set fort
/ in the Weber county statement. We
/ Der county also asserts that the unio
/ depot grounds in ogden are assesse
! by the state board at about one-sixt
Of the assessment of adjoining prop
/ erty.
Emery county says its local valua
! lions are so per cent and Salt LAX
/ county adds TO its statement the stree
railway comparison as follows:
( Assessed value of Salt Lake
City company in 1901 ......... s2Ss. "a
Assessed value OF Salt Lake
/ Rapid Transit company in 1901 132. 3.
Total -.--....... .........--.S $3.50, 81
Actual market value of the
two lines, as shown by fund
/ ed Indebtedness in 1901. .... SO 900. o.
Equalization is Wanted.
1t is understood that while no dc
mand or even request is made upon tn
state board for a raise in its valuation
| something is expected in the way {
| equaliza ton. for which the state boar
vas created. In Utah county, for il
stance, it is claimed an equalizatio
would cut down the county tax rat
about l mill, as that county has til
I largest railway mileage of any count
In the state. in comparison with III
amount of other property In Webe
Salt Lake. Morgan and others the Ioc;
taxpayer would also be greatly tt
ieved and a larger share Of the burde
Of taxation would fall upon the bi
corporations.
The showing made in the figures
far presented, it is said has throw
the state board into d deep brow
study" and the overburdened privat
taxpayer is patiently awaiting the on