The weekly true Democrat. (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1905-1912, 1906-12-28

EOd15 II some MhnHSI dtF ifVP d7aeo@Su
high eno1gh II these are correct, who
Is to blame7"
Tallahassee True Democrat The
Fort Myers Tropical Breeze complains
that we did not give the information II
desired concerning the taxation of rail-
roads. From its language, we inferred
that IL wished TO know something about
the method Of assessment, but 1t now
appears that II was the assessed value
atoms which IL wanted These are 70
be found on pages 100 to 1855 of the re-
port Of the Comptroller for 1904, copy
of which we take pleasure in forward
ing TO our esteemed contemporary. We
also desire TO tender our apologies for
referring 90 the editor Of The Tropical
Breeze AS newcomer IL was not,
of course, used as a term Of reproach,
for some Of Floeida's best citizens were
once "neW-ct ners
We guess Il Q whole matter was a
Misunderstanding Of both Of US. Bro.
Collins, but we desire 10 thank you very
much for the copy Of the Comptroller 5
report. This report disco5es some
startling facts which should BE- made
known to every citizen and taxpayer
The railroad assessment figures may be
just and correct, 50 far as Comptroller
Groom IS knowledge Of the assessment is
concerned, but comparison of his yalua-
tious with the figures Of others does not
"show up" very hattering.
1--WE find in this report that the as
sessment of the entire railroads of
Florida, including main and branch
tracks, side-tracks, rolling stock, ETC.,
is S23, 3l0,9(0. Two years ago one of
the departments Of the National Gov
eminent placed the valuation Of the
same property at 500, ZOO, 900. Which
valuation do you think is cor. ect, the
ComptrO..er's or the Governments?
You could not buy the A. C. L., the S.
a. l.. nor the East Coast alone at the
valuation placed on the roads together
by the Comptroller.
Take the assessment Of the A. G. l..
Tor instance. The assessed va Iation of
this road by the Comptroller Is 81, 49,
743. This valuation IS too ridiculous
for comment. In Jacksonville alone
the A. C. L. has more than a million
dollars worth Of property, yet the en-
tire valuation of the A. G. l.. in the
whole State is only $7,476,S4S.
1.-THE Atlantic Coast Line is worth
according to the third vice-president,
$2Ol, 1851, 6S767. According to the A.
C. L. tune tables it has 1872 miles Of
track. About 1000 miles of this track
Is in Florida. 1t is safe to say, there
fore, that fourth of its property is in
Florida, but to make safe estimate we
will say that only an eight Of its prop
erty is in Florida. Then. according to
the Twice presidents valuation in the
Manufacturer Record, an eighth of
this property would be worth twenty
FIVE million dollars, yet it is assessed at
only a little over seven millions.
These figures bring to mind the fact
that the taxpayers Of Florida are pay
ing taxes, according to the government
valuation, on $77, 7S9. O3S worth of rail-
road property. If the government fig
ures are correct then ST., 7S9, O3S worth
Of property is exempt from taxation,
and your taxes are naturally higher to
make up for the loss to the State of
the taxes on this seventy odd millions
of dollars Of railroad property. These
figures show that the A. C.. l.. is rob-
bling the people in more ways than by
charging exhorbitant freight rates,
III these are correct there should be
another way Of assessing railroads sx-
cept through the Comptroller.
"A surplus of over nine million dol
lars il in the A. c. l.. treasury now yet
practically no improvements are being
made.
ION It's rotten tracks and dilapidated
rolling stock the people paid the A. C.L.
net profit, less interest and rentals,
Of $40, 542, 24S SO. last year.
If the people have to help to pay
the railroads taxes and the shippers
have to pay such enormous profits to
the A.C.L,. then would not the people
Of Florida be justified in asking the
next Legislature to pass laws that
would compel the railroads to keep their