The Eureka sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1902-current, 1904-01-30
ASSESSORS TAKEN TO TASK.
Commissioner of LanderCOunty Brings
State Board from Under Cover.

State Board from Under Cover.
III. r. Lemaire of Battle Mountain.
Commissioner of Lander County, pub
fishes over his signature in the last
issue of the Central Nevadan the fol-
lowing article, relative to the action of
the State Board of Assessors at its re-
cent meeting at Carson City when the
assessed valuation of the Nevada Cen.
trail Railroad was reduced:
The State Board of Assessors at their
last meeting held at Carson reduced
the assessed valuation of the Nevada
Central Railroad Company from $3.50
to $3.50 per mile. making difference
of S21, 800 assessed valuation.
In 1900 the road was assessed at $1790
per mile and the total valuation of the
Nevada Central Railroad Company as
assessed was STA, 663 and this, during
the same year in which ]. G. Phelps
Stokes, President of the Nevada Gen.
trail Railroad Company, in his suit
against P. +. Farnsworth, in The Uni
ted States Circuit Court at Salt Lake
City for the recovery of a certain num-
Der of shares of the Nevada Central
Railroad Company, or their value ION
the 4th and 9th of April, 1900 testified:
"That the stock of the Nevada Central
Railroad Company is of the value of
ten dollars per share. There are
seventy-fve hundred shares at ten dol
lars per share, making SIS. 900, adding
thereto $75o,000 mortgage bonds would
be 1926. .000."
According to the testimony Of Presi-
dent Stokes the property when assessed
in 1900 was of the value 1926, 900, being
nearly five times the amount of the as
sessed value of STA, ,663.
Now, then, according to Mr.. Stokes
testimony. did the Nevada Central Rail-
road Company ever pay it's just proper
tion of the county's taxes?
Since then, no doubt, as matter of
compromise the valuation of the main
line was reduced to $3.50 per mile, and
even at the rate there is now suit
pending in the Courts to recover the
taxes for the year 1901. The case so far
has been decided in favor of the county.
The taxes for 1902 and 1908 have been
paid under protest.
When the Nevada Central Railroad
Company was assessed in 1908 S. L.
Pearson, agent of the Nevada Central
Railroad Company, gave in the road at
the rate of $l450 per mile. At the meet
ing of the Board of Equalization Mr..
Pearson acknowledged that the road
was in better condition than it had
been for years; that the road was doing
better business than for some years
past. The Board of Equalization re-
fused to accept the rate of $l45O per mile
as given by Mr.. Pearson and the rate
was placed at $3.50 per mile-the same
as in 1909. With these acknowledge
ments on the part of Mr.. Pearson,
could the Board have done otherwise !?
Now the Board of Assessors reduces
the rate Of the main line from $3.50 to
1880 per mile difference of $3.50 per
mile, and 800 per mile less than Mr..
Pearson gave into the Assessor.
This is a new way of raising the valua-
tion to reduce the tax rate, in conform
ity with the law passed by the last Leg
islature.
The Board of Assessors assessed the
Eureka & Palisade Railroad $1,000 per
mile. main line; side track, $1,000.
This road is narrow gauge road and
admitting that it is in better condition
than the Nevada Central Railroad. we
ask, is there a difference of $3.50 per
mile between the two roads?
In the early SOS Lander County is
sued bonds to the value of 5000, 900 for
the building of the Nevada Central
Railroad, since that time with ACQUIRING
interest, etc.. the country has paid over
$500, 200. There remains $4,000 in
bonds to be paid, with interest thereon.
In 1900 the total valuation of the Ne
vada Central Railroad as assessed was
Sl74, ,633-an amount less than that for
which the county issued bonds.
Although the present owners of this
road may not have derived any benefit
from those bonds, the taxpayers have
suffered all these years by the extra
railroad tax levied upon them, which
at one time was as high as $l.25 per
800 valuation.
The Nevada Central has been very
expensive luxury to Lander County.
Since December 1, 1908, the company
has been running two trains week
Tuesdays and Fridays, going and re-
turning the same day.
The section crews have been cut
down and other changes made. Was
this done to influence the State Board
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