The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1903-08-31
Showing How Much Less Georgia
Gets, Even if Assessments
Stand.

Since conditions as TO property Ndiuoo
and taxation i'll North Carolina are, III
many respects, similar to those IN ieor-
cia. comparison of some of the results
under the operation of the franchise la "a,
law in that state and in Georgia VIII
nrove of snecial interest and value at
this time.
1t will be readily apparent from the
figures that even in the event the as
sessmcnts on franchises made by comp
troller General Wright are not reduced
bv the boards of arbitration to which
thev have been referred, Georgia Will re-
ceivc less than two-thirds of the amount
Maid as taxes to the state of North car
DINA
Take first the Atlantic Coast Line,
which, on the new basis, pays to the STATE
of North Carolina 1896 per mile. Inc
tangible property of the Coast Line III
Georgia has been assessed by Coup
troller General Wright at *S,zol4 anu us
franchise at $4.662,0o0, total Oh sl1''i''
Al. The Coast Lines mileage IN Geof-
gia is 6e7 miles With the state tax
rate at : mills. should these assessments
stand. the Coast Line will pay to the
state nearly s65, 900, or about S51 mile
The county tax will amount to ABOUT as
much more, so that the total state ana
county tax to be paid by the Coast Line
will be about 1874 per mile, as compared
with 1896 paid by this same system III
North Carolina
But 1t is by no means settled thaI
these assessments will stand. Ihey are
now in the hands of arbitrators. VINO
may reduce them considerably. Judging
by experience in other cases. Inc Sdlhe
statement is true as to the other ran
roads, figures relative to whlch VIII NC
cited. So that it is far from certain
that the state and counties VIII receive
from the Coast Line as much as sl96 per
mile,s or the amounts from other roaos
which the assessments would Indicate
Two other railroads operate a large
mileage both in North Carolina ana IN
Georgia. the Seaboard Air Line and the
Southern railway.
The mileage of the Seaboard in Geor-
gia is GA It's franchise has been assessed
by the comptroller general at sS,99' ,99l.
Its tangible property has been returned
at 81 sci 696 and this return has been ac-
cepted by the comptroller general. Inns
makes a total for both tangible ana IN
tangible property of 81 ,642. 6S7 This VIII
WELD to the state at mills something
less than 100000, or about S93 per mile
Allowing double this amount for state
and county taxes, it gives total of siS6
per mile, as compared TO $2i3 paid in
North Carolina.
The Southern railway operates 9l7 miles
in Georgia. Its physical property has
been assessed at Sl0,39 ,127, and its fran
chlse at SG5S1 ,297. making a total of $l6-
g76, 424 This will yield to the state at
mills a little less than $4,000. OF about
S92 per mile If this amount be doubled
ha a re-
paid it will make 1854 per mile, as com
pared with the 1912 paid In North Caro-
liEa.
1t should be stated that the county tax
rates average about the same as the
state tax rate, or about mills In other
words, the state and county tax rate
combined averages about l per cent.
The total taxable railroad mileage in
sregate value of this mileage according
to the returns made to the state in 1902.
was 573. That included only the
tangible property, the franchise tax law
The assessments of franchises made by
Comptroller General Wright this year
amount in total to about $25 0o0, 900 and
the increase in the ta gible property re-
turns has been very slight, 50 that IL
the comptroller generals assessments
stand. the total valuation of the railroad
mileage in Georgia. for tangible and in
tangible property, Will be a little more
than $4,000 600. or about N4,700 per mile,
81 against Sl0,1A per mile last year
Thus it will be seen that the railroads
III Georgia, even in the event no changes
are made in the assessments of the
comptroller general, which is not consid-
cred likely, all the railroads of Geor-
gia will pay an average of only sf47 per
mile state and county taxes. Last year
the average was about S107 per mile so
that the increase from the franchise tax
law TO state and county will amount to
about $40 per mile
! While Georgia received in 1902 as state
and county taxes an average of only
$l07 per mile from all her railroads, it
win be interesting to note that the aver
age for Gil the state of the country was
| $261 per mile