Evening star., 1907-08-15
VIEWS OF ASSESSOR GRIFFIN
Board at District Building to Conduct
Investigation
AS TO HOLDINGS AND FIXTURES
Recommendation in Reference to
Local Street Railway Companies.
Approval by Commissioners.

When the board Of assessors Of the Dis
trict shall have completed its triennial as
sessnent valuations Of the properties Of the
various public utilities and corporations
operating here 1t is very likely. according
to Assessor Griffin, that some Of them, in
addition to the gas companies. will have
their assessed valuations increased. He is
OF the opinion that the Baltimore and Ohio
railroads trackage within the District will
be assessed at least 20 per cent higher than
at present and that the two telegraph COM
panies will have their property assessed
at an increased value.
The board Of assessors i5 actively engaged
conducting thorough, systematic investi-
cation of the holdings and fixtures Of the
various public utilities, for the purpose of
determining whether or not any alterations
in the assessed values Of the properties in
question are necessary. and. most impor-
tant of all. whether or not any fixtures"
have escaped taxation entirely, as in the
case of the service pipes and meters Of the
gas companies.
Value of Conduits and Meters.
expected in the case Of the Potomac Elec-
trio Power Company. That corporation
owns thousands Of big main conduits
but there are service conduits running from
the main conduits into private houses and
meters in the houses. which the assessor Of
the District thinks may be escaping taxa
ton. The books Of the assessors office do
not show that the company is paying tax
on any OF its meters or service conduits.
1t may be. the assessor explains. that
the ''fxtures'' are included as personal
property, or else the company does not
consider them their property, as in the case
OF the gas companies with the service
pipes and gas meters. The board Of as
SCISSORS has called on the Potomac Electric
Power Company to explain the condition,
and when that Is done. the assessors say,
they will know ':just where they stand"
Assessor Griffin announced today that he
will include a recommendation in his an
nual report to the Commissioners providing
for increasing the personal tax on the
gross earnings OF the two street railway
companies operating In the District. He
states that the present tax Of per cent
on the gross earnings Of the corporations
Is for too small for the privilege afforded
the companies. and he will recommend that
an effort be made at the next session Of
Congress to increase the tax rate to 6
per cent He considers such an increase
fair and reasonable. as well as imperative.
Tax on Gross Earnings.
According to the present laws governing
the street railways tax on the gross earn
ings eliminates any further tax on the rails
or other fixtures"
The ledgers Of the assessors office show
that the amount paid the District by the
two street railway companies at the rate Of
4 per cent on their gross earnings was
S1oS.boS. To increase the rate Of tax to g
per cent, Mr.. Griffin explains, would in
crease the revenues of the District of CO.
lumbia near $4,000. He does not consider
the contemplated increase Of tax rate for
the street railway companies unfair when
IT Is considered that the personal tax on
the gross earnings of the trust companies
operating here Is per cent of the ma
tional banks 6 per cent
When Commissioner West was asked for
his opinion Of Assessor Griffins proposed
increase of tax on the gross earnings of
the street railway companies he stated that
ne Is IN favor Of 1t. and added that the
commissioners endeavored to affect such
Increase last January
1t is understood that the two street rail-
way companies have expressed a willing
ness to agree to the increase