The copper era., 1905-06-22
RAILROAD ASSESSMENTS.

The following from the Graham County Guardian will prove interest ing reading to the farmer, the stock man, and to all others who are pay ing taxes on a fair valuation of their property:
 ''The action of the territorial board of equalization demonstrates that the demand made on the legislature by the Guardian to repeal the law creat- ing the board, was correct.
 "The assessment fixed shows, to say the least, incompetency on the part of the board to transact the import ant public business imposed upon it by law. About the only redeeming feature in the whole transaction is where the board raised the Southern Pacific company MORE than $100 mile, making it total of SIPS.
 "The matter of the assessment of the G. V., G. & N. By. is little short of an outrage on the people of this county, and a breach of faith on the part of the board. This road had an exemption from taxation, granted by legislative enactment, of ten years. We have it on good authority that the road is mortgaged for Sl6,0OO per mile. They should, at least, have been assessed at one half this amount. This made an absolute saving to that company, in the ten years, of $256,- GOO. After the people generously donated this amount to encourage the construction of the road, it's agents went before the territorial board two years ago and that body generously donated a few thousand more by assessing the road at what was termed one-half value. Geo. A. Olney was member of the board at the time and vigorously protested against this action, but finally got an agreement that the road should be assessed at full value last year. When the board met last year it repeated the dose of the year previous, which caused MT. Olney to resign. This year the board graciously fixed the rate at $3128.70 per mile, an increase of few hundred dollars.
 "In this connection we wish to call the attention of the members of the board to the fact that the Gila Val ley road is not a charitable institu- tion; it is money maker on large scale, and in fixing its rate of taxa tion lower than it should be is simply compelling other taxpayers to pay out of their hard earnings for the benefit of the railroad. To be sure the railroad was damaged by the floods this year, but so was every other road, and for its damage the s. P. was raised MORE than 800 per mile Too bad
 ''Such coarse work as this is one of the factors that will force govern ment control of railroads. But this is in the future. In the meantime let the territorial board of eqaliza- tion be abolished, and place the as sessing of railroads in the hands of the different county boards, the same as other property is."
 The rates as fixed by the board will be found in another column of the ERA. Taking the Arizona and New Mexico railroad as basis for assess ment, because it is unquestionably valued at a higher rate, according to the business it is doing, and the Dstniount of rolling stock it owns, than any other road in the territory, we find the following:
 The Arizona and New Mexico is valued at S5,5O4 per mile. while the Southern Pacific is let off at $7, ,125, which includes the rolling stock of both roads. Hundreds of cars pass oyer the Southern Pacific daily, nearly all of which are owned by it. Only two trains a day pass over the Arizona and New Mexico railroad and of these only the passenger coaches are owned by the company The assessment of the rolling stock of the Southern Pacific at the price fixed by the board for the entire prop. erty would not be unreasonable ness done by the two roads it is not likely that the Arizona & New Mex ico railroad is doing ten per cent. o1 the business of the $. P. and yet there is a difference in the assess ment of only $l62l per mile. Let the farmer, who is compelled to re, turn all of his property at a fair valuation, consider these figures for a few moments, and he will soon realize why the tax rate is so high in Arizona.
 But the crowning outrage of the entire 'equalization" seems to have centered on the Gila valley, Globe x Northern, which was placed at only $3,l28 per mile, or $2,376 less per mile than the Arizona & New Mexico. The Gila Valley, Globe & Northern is doing a tremendou: business. Several freight trains a day pass over the line and yet it i: let down for almost one-half that ot the Arizona x New Mexico. It i: true that the A. x N. M. have a bet ter road bed, but it is short in rolling stock and also in business as com pared to the G. V., G. SS N. The Maricopa, Phoenix x Salt River i placed at almost 5000, and yet it business, in comparison with that O the $. P. is infintesimal.
 What this territory needs, and ha never yet been able to get, is fail and equitable assessment of its rail roads. There is absolutely no reason why railroad passing through Ari zona should be assessed at a mucl lower rate than it is in either Nev Mexico or California, but it alway has been and doubtless will continue to be under the present system where the valuation of all railroans is fiXeC by board of equalization.
 The average tax rate in Arizona i about four per cent, which looks baC to capitalist who contemplates in vesting in the territory. As a mat ter of fact the tax is not so unrea sonable, because the valuation i 11,-E To,