The Central Nevadan. [volume] (Battle Mountain, Nev.) 1885-1907, 1904-01-21
The State Board Of Assessors
Reduce the Assessed Valu-
alton of the Main Line of
the Nevada Central
Railroad
$21,390.

tral railroad Company from sloSU to
$3.50 per mile, making a difference of
SOL 800 assessed valuation.
In 1900 the road was assessed at Sl790
per mile and the total valuation of the
Nevada Central Railroad Company as
assessed was Sl74,663 and this, during
the same year in which j. G. Phelps
Stokes, President OF the Nevada Central
Railroad Company in his suit against P.
7. F~arnsworth, in the United States
Circuit Court at Salt Lake City for the
recovery of a certain number OF shares of
the Nevada Central Railroad Company,
or their value ION the 4th and 9th OF APP
pril, 1900 testified "That the stock of
1.-THE Nevada Central Railroad Company"
"is OF the value of ten dollars per share"
There are seveuty-hve hundred shares
'at ten dollars per share, making S75,000,"
adding thereto S750,000 mortgage"
"bonds would be 1926. 00O."
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 II s174,663.
Now, then, according to Mr.. Stokes.
testimony. did the Nevada Central Rail.
road Company ever pay its just proper
ton OF the county's taxes?
Since then. no doubt, as a matter oil
compromise the valuation of the main
line was reduced to $3.50 per mile and
even at that rate there is nov a suit
pending In the Courts to recover the
taxes for the year 1901. The case so far
has been decided 10 favor OF the county.
The taxes for 1902 and 1903 have been
paid under protest.
When the Nevada Central Railroad
Company was assessed in 1903 Mr. s. I,
Pearson, agent of the Nevada Central
Railroad Company, gave in the road at
the rate OF S1450 per mile. At the meet.
ing of the Board Of Equalization Mr.
Pearson acknowledged that the road
was in better condition than 1t bad been
for years; that the road was doing a
better business than for some years past.
The Board of Equalization refused to
accept the rate OF $3.50 per mile as given
by Mr.. Pearson and the rate was placed
at $3.50 per mile-the same as in 1902
With these acknowledgements on the
part Of Mr.. Pearson, could the Board
have done otherwiseY
Now the Board OF Assessors reduces
the rate of the main line from $3.50 to
1880 per mile. a 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 valu.
alton TO reduce the tax rate, 10 conform
ity with the law passed by the last
Legislature.
The Board OF Assessors assessed the
Eureka h Palisade Railroad $500 per
mile main line; eide track, $l00O.
This road is a narrow guage road and
admitting that it is in u better condition
than the Nevada Central Railroad, We
ask, is there n difference Of $3.50 pei
mile between the two roads.
In the early SOS Lander county is
sued bonds TO the value of S2O0,O00 for
the building of the Nevada Central Rail.
road. since that time with accruing in.
terest etc the county has paid over
S50O,0O0. 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
$174, 3 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 rail.
road tax levied upon them, which at one
time was as high as sl.25 per 800 valua-
ton,
The Nevada Central has been a very
expensive luxury to Lander county.
Since December lst, lSUos the company
has been running two trains a week
Tuesdays aud Fridays, going aud return
ing the same day.
The section crews have been cut down
and other changes made. Was this done
to influence the State Board Of Assess
ors?
Did the ruse work.
Had the Board OF Assessors taken the
trouble to learn the facts in the matter,
we feel sure their action would have been
different.
Thanking you for your attention am
Respectfully yours,
II. Il. LEMAIRE.