Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-08-12
Explains Progress Of the System
and the Good Results.
SAYS SYSTEM STARTS WELL
Already the Railroads Have Been
Increased Fifteen Per Cent.
With More to Come.


of the methods of the board of public
work in making the assessment. He
said:
sin round mum bers the railroads
will be assessed at $36, 600 600 this
yenr. as against about $50, 900. 600 last
year. OF this Sc. 600 600 of gain about
81, $500 is on account OF new rail
road property, This is the net
amount of this new property, the gross
amount is little more than that. bat
there was some decrease on account of
the abandonment of some portion OF
some roads and on account of decrease
in the assessment Of bridges. This
leaves an increase in the assessment OF
railroad property of last year of about
is per cent. The problem the board
OF public works had before it was to
increase the railroad property this
year in proportion to the increase OF
other property, OF course. there is
very little increase in the value OF real
estate this year and " hat increase
there is in real estate this ysar is due
TO improvements, such as new build
ings and the like. The increase in
personal property this year is more
than is per cent, but large portion
of this incteese comes from the asse SIS
meut of property not previously assess
ed. The problem the beard of pu lie
works had to get was. what was the
increase in the value of property this
year that was assessed last YEAR, The
tax commissioner informed us that
this was 10 to ID p cent. Hence the
assessment of railroad property that
was in existence last year was in
creased 10 per cent or more.
All property that couln be taxed
this year is assessed at It's fair cash
value. Next year, OF course, railroad
lad all other pro pertv will be assessed
at its actual value. Section IL simply
means that for 1905 property was to
be assessed at the old valuation called
the fair cash value. You will note by
reference to section 1917, of chapter IS,
of the acts of 1905, that the new
method of assessing railroads, express
companies, telegraph aud telephone
companies aud the assessment of car
lines aud pipe lines does not 90 into
effect this year, but that these proper
ties will all be assC ssed next year &C.
cording to the new Law and the new
schedule. This was done because it
was too late to do this work this year
rs the law was not in existence until
the first of March, and it did not give
the BOARD time TO take it this wear.
lyon will also note that the real
estate that is being assessed this year
at its actual value will not be taxed on
this value until next year, but the
real estate this yeer will be taxed on
the old value and according to the old
standard of the fair cash value.
IN OTHER STATES.
$50 far comparisons could be
made il is believed that West Virgin.
las railroad Assessment is as high as
that of anv other adjoining state.
For instance, in Ohio, the main track
of the kanawha q Michigan railroad
is assessed ct s., 600 per mile; it was
assessed at Sc, 600, 600 per mile in West
Virginia last year. In Ohio the sid
ings of this railroad are assessed at
O. 500 per mile in West Virginia they
are assessed at g. 500 per mile, and the
company complains Of the higher as
sesment in West Virginia, claiming
that their track in Ohio is, il any
thing, better than in West Virginia.
Other railroads make the same COM
plants. 1t must be admitted that the
assessment of railroad Droperv hereto
fore has not been satisfactory to the
members themselves. Each member is
the head of department aud busy
man. He has neither time nor facili.
ties to make Investigations aud he
has had to guess at values. Now this
is all TO be changed. The state tax
commissioned has detailed competent
man to prepare elaborate forms Of re-
ports to be made by railroads, ear
lines and other corporations and prop
erty assessable by the board of public
works the values, just as was done in
the case of the bridges. The board
will then have before il not oply the
reports of the railroads much fuller
than heretofore, but also the opinions
OF experts as to the different kinds OF
property, the financial conditions Of
the roads. their earning power, their
income. For instance, their ROLLINS
stock will be gone over by an expert
in railroad rolling stock, their tracks
BY an expert in tracks, and so on.
This will be done not only to get the
proper value, but also to do Justice e
railroads and other like proIertS
which ought to be assessed in proper