The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1906-05-28

santa Fe isuroad property IN Okiahoma
is better conshccted and 81 gre9tc- val-
uo thon the same -...Sany's railroad
property In the state Of Texas, and yet
the Texas valuation IS double the Ok
iahonia valuation. notwithstanding Texas
gets an additional $4,000 90 FOR revenue
from this railroad company's earnings.
Nots. readers. Missouri and Texas are
either robhlng tho Santa Fc miitoad by
on excesaivc tax valuation or the Santa
re railroad Is robbins the taxpayers OF
Oklahoma hy being Favored with ride
ulousiy low vaiuatioa,
Remember. as abo,e quoted the law
Of oklahoma saws the board Of app-ais-
ers shall value the property az its ace
tunl cash value.
Now then let us look further Ac-
cordlng 20 the financial report Of the
santa Fe railroad Tor the year 1905. made
by that company itself and published in
poors Manual. beginning pnge fl2, the
Santa Zee company mafes q report show
ing that its system comprises $500 miles
of main line and lsanche5. that It's gross
, earnings. average per mile for last year.
ssssi3i. after paying an its cxpenses for
ihe year. including cost OF operation,
maintenance. tax payments and every
other expense deducted Il had d net
profit from The years busiaess equal TO
ssl72.ts average profit per inile. There
fore.
From the company's report made by
its own officers. II the oklahoma mileage
Is averaged with uie balance of the sys-
tom In iis earning power. with all the
other main line and branches OF that
system (aud you win find from careful
examination that it is) you have then
before you. people Of oklahoma, the in
ieresting spectacle Of "a railroad prop
city vnlued at ss.soOo0 per mile (for tax
purposea) capable Of earlHng q not profit
on such vaiuo Of IS per cont IN q single
year ln other words the Santa Re rail-
road in Oklahomn win in every one year
and four months earn IA cash ps much
as the TAX appraisement board says "a
,iie fAi cash value 81 the railroad.
query p'os other classes Of property
In Oltiahom earn 1s per cent per am
num on their tax ,alue?
But let 0s 60 further as to the value
OF the santa re railroad. Tfe public
prcsumes anything 70 be WORE what y
win ordinarily sol for on the market.
] lilN nAINl tANHftltH|r NA .AtN' N"NNAAs 49,
the usual markets for railroad property
ana a railroad property is worth IN mon
ey whatever can be realized from the
sale Of its stocks and bonds According
90 the official records. the Santa Fe rail-
road az the average market quotations
FOR the nast twelve months is worth fir
! iy-oie' thousand five hundred dollars
per mile. instead Of thirty-nine hundred
dailars per mile, as tbe Oklahoma board
OF appraisers put H.
Ia uther words tho oklahoma board OF
\ appraisers put tax valuation on th'
santa Fe rtllroad which is only eaual {
six ara two-,iirds per cent or 1oe-fif
teenth rart Of the cash value Of tha
property
Now. sader clearly t.e governor th'
sccrotars ana the auditor Of Oklahoma
territory have dis7hoyea the laws Of tina
a ifcrnofs.
4 The question as to whether on no
/ this is simply legal wrons or whetie
j II goes farther and imposes justly upol
the other taxpayers win depend upoi
what tnelr appraisements Of other prop
crty may be. Il your merchants goods
your homo In the towns. your farm AM
your live stock is appraised for texatioi
ut only one-iifteenth part Of It's marke
yume then the injustice Of this r,iiroa'
, anpnisemeni Is in Yart relieved. You
! Oklahoma readers oi, the New stat
Tribune win know better than we d
whether your property is valued for tax
alton at more than one-iifteenta part o
its market ynlpe.
! This SIS not today a political question
: neither republican purity. nor demoerau
[ party OF oklahoma Territory. as such
, are responsible for this gross vi9lntio
OF Tie law. II wrore has been don
) the peoule or oklahoma Territory. it
chafgoabe directly TO the members g
this bourd OF appraisers, They ma
D have some explanation, but from an ~
! facts az We hove them, the appraisemen
= OF lhe Santa 10 railroad ia Oklahoma
mdiculous in She extreme and what
true ia this aoalysis Of the Santa Fe ap
4 pvaiscncnt Is likewise true as 70 ever
a other railroad ia Oklahoma.