The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1907-05-09
FORD COUNTY RAILROADS.
This County Has 100000 increase
In Railroad and Telegraph
Assessmc cnts,


The total valuation Of railroad and tel
earaph property In Ford County tor as
sessment this year will be close to SlOo-
600 In excess Of the valuation as hxed oy
The state board Of assessors for 1905.
The greater per cent Of the amount ol
this Increase Il due to the raise the board
made on the rolling stock on the Santa
Fe railroad. The method used by tho
railroad companies in arriving at tine
amount Of rolling stock which should Dc
returned for assessment is what Is called
the car accounting method. That Is 70
say the railroads make actual count OF
the number OF cars on the Kansas mile
age some two or three times during the
year. They then take the average num-
Der Of cars on the lines 10 the state, which
is found by dividing the total aggregate
OF cars by car counting days BY the num-
Der Of counts the quotient Of which 10 the
average number Of cars for the year, and
which Is the number of cars returned ior
assessment. For example: The Santa
Fe Railroad Company in making Its Car
counts takes no account Of the cars which
are on other lines within the state, hence
these cars are not numerated, and as q
result these cars escape taxation. Inc
board Of railroad assessors having In
formed themselves as to the method en-
ployed rightiully concluded that thi' DID
not give the state all of this class OF prop
erty to which It is entitled, and they fixed
an arbitrary amount to cover the differ
ence between the actual number OF cars
returne and that to which the state' un'
der the theory Of taxing only visible
property, is entitled The ac'lon OF inc
board in this matter increased the rolling
stock Of the Santa Fe on Its main track
over 800 per mile, and makes the In.
crease on this item 10 the county about
s27. 900. The main track valuation was
raised from $500 to $3.50, which makes
quite material increase in the valuation
for this county.
The matter Of materials was the one
that precipitaled controversy between
Lieutenant Governor Fitzgerald and the
tax commissioner Of this line and which
disclosed the system Of depreciating and
discoun,iug the original cost Of this class
Of property below what 1t should nave
been returned at before It reached the
tax returning department where It wai
divided by three 10 order TO return what
was thought about the same proportion Of
actual value as other property is returned
Asa result Of the disclosures made the
board put very considerable increase
on material and machinery account.
In addition to the raises enumerated
the valuations on quite number OF the
buildings at Dodge City were Increased
The main line Of the Rock leland wa'
increased from 81 800 to $500 per MILE
This will mean an increase on the valua-
ton Of that line In the county OF about
ss7 900. The rolling stock Of the ROCK
island was fixed practically the same 81
last year. The material account per mile
was increased. There is also slight In
crease on rolling stock vsl'ation OF toe
BucklIn line Of the Rock Island Railroad
The valuations on the Western Union
and Postal Telegraph companies for thi'
c,unty was increased almost five thous'
aud dol ars over the valuation OF las
year.