The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-16
NEWS OF
RAILROADS
Bill ofSNtucl Interest Introduced
lin tl1cfLcgislatt,te to- Change
Method 81 Taxation.
WORK or DoUB t TRACKING
Chesapeake and Ohio to Have Have
Duplex Track on#lts Eastern
s Division Railway Notes.

A bill has been, introduced IN The
House Of Delegates Of Virginia, IN when
K the people of Richmond, on the ono
hand, and the railway companies and
tire people OF tho various cl Ties and coun-
tics Of the Static on the other, are pc
,c,,linry Interested. II Is the proposition
made by Mir. Cation, n we'll known law
Yer member Of the 11ouse. and Mr..
.Churchmnn, a farmer, who Is chairman
OF the House Committee on Roads ana
Internal Navigation. ..)s
The bill proposes to amend tho ex-
listing law lii relation to the assessment
or local taxation Of the rolling stock
or railway corporations. SO as TO make
tho aggregate fvf.1c OF such rolling stock
8taxnble ~ IT,, various cites and coun-
ties. through which tie railway passes
In the proportion Of the tiacls;ige OF tho
4 railway in such cities and counties. Un-s
der the existing statute the rolling STOCK
ID Snll assessable for taxation by the
city. In which tho principal office Is To-
Gated legally referred 10 ns,. The. domi"
cile OF the railway company. FOR n.
stance Richmond now gets the benefit
Of local taxation on the rolling stock o.
II
II TIE proposed bill be passed and pc.
come law, this city will get but a small
portion OF such sum. Tic Constit tuition
fixes the method and place Of assessing
the value OF and paying the SUITE taxes
oil rolling stock of railways, but the
matter Of local taxation Is left TO be
decided BY statutory enactment.
ID One desirable effect that the bill. II
made statute, would have upon Rich
T.. +t,ot u,n,il1 pr0ha hlVr make
certain the retention here Of the gen
eral office of the Chesapeake and ONO
Railway, concerning which there has re-
Gently been much talk of removal. oW-
Inr partially to the heavy rate OF local
taxation. AS the counties would az get
O. slice Of the revenue derived from
railway properties. III this BILL were were, en- 9
acted. 1t would be great bene Ell ), 70
Them. Naturally, therefore, the counties
generally are expected to favor the bill.
AZ the counties and smaller towns SEND
tie majority OF the members OF both
houses and as the railways. too, are Ee-
3lieved to favor the plan, there Is some
probabi of the enactment OF the Dill.
Tho work OF double tracking OF the
eastern division OF the Chesapeake. ana
Ohio Railway from Richmond 70 new
bort News, about seventy-s!9; miles, has
already been begun, and It Is expected
that the road will be operating over
this double track for about q ln!rd 81
the entire distance BY or even r oetore
the end Of the year. t Is understood ,. {, 70
H. tie purpose OF the company to dou-
bio track the entire eastern division IN
H. course OF the next year or two
and tha work Is being done In sections ;.
with the eastern d vision double tra =, e.h',
tho railway Will have ,practl {,
douhle track line from Clifton Forge 20
Newnort News, including the lanes
River division from this city TO &Clltlon
Norge Via Gladstone and L.ynchburg ano
17,,enn vista This James River DIVISION,
formerly the Richmond and AlleShany
road IS used principally for the .rans-
portat!on Of through frelghts' ana hlso
for local passenger service. It reauces
thn grade compared with that OF INC
,,ein line and thereby increasing the
tr.nnace capacity OF trains and expedltes
ann facilitates the Transmission OF
frejrhts, not to mention the greater
safety OF travel as a result OF tile re-
5moval OF much Of the heavy lrc. IN
from the main limo to this division. Inc
double tracking of the eastern d ,'i' on
iii hermit Of even greater facility IN
freight handling to the terminal ana
,yhnrves at Newport News, Already the
c,hesapeake and Ohio Railway orerates
the fastest trains In the State over It's
eastern division to Newport News, even
with a single track. With double track