The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1908-11-30

the state of the annual rental of
$420,O12.
1t is a well known fact, however, that
the Western and Atlantic railroad is
the second best paying piece of railroad
property in the state, ranking next to
the Atlanta and West Point in per-
centage of mileage earnings
The question of instituting proceed
ings for the purpose of requiring the
payment of back taxes for the last Is
years on net income to the extent of
one-half of l per cent is now under
consideration. 1t is also the purpose
to endeavor to require the lessee COM
pany to pay taxes to the state on all
property necessary to present opera
lions which 1t has added to the origi-
nal property, but which it did not Sc
cure from the state.
The only property on which the
lessee company now pays taxes Is Its
branch line from Kingston to Rome,
which 1t owns outright. The question
raised promises an interesting legal
inVestiga ton.
Finances of Georgia.
The annual report Of Comptroller
General w. A. Wright, made public this
week. presents in concise and concrete
form some interesting facts relating
to the states finances which, in the
main, have already been published in
these dispatches.
The total taxable valuations in
Georgia, according to this report, are
$703 ,199,197, of which $119,00000o is
railroad and other public utility cor
poration property, and the balance real
estate and personal property appearing
on the general county digests.
While general property showed an
\ o1,,o - ffno
sS.220,49o, railroad and corporation
property fell off about $4,oo0,ooo as
compared with 1907 leaving the net
gain only about $4,200,o00. This net
gain is small in comparison to that of
1907, which was about $7P,000,0o0, and
that of SAT 100000 in 1906,
The value of the different classes of
property exclusive of railroads and
public utility corporations, as shown on
the general digests, is as follows:
Improved land, 31,2o3,449 acres,
valued at $166,267 ,311 in 1908, as COM
pared with 31,171,072 acres, valued at
S164,644,712 in 1907.
Wild lands, 4,526,2 O2 acres. valued at
s5,112,3s4 in 1908, as against 4,774.124
acres, valued at $4,72S,572 in 1907.
City and town property, $177,270,4
in 1908, as against $169.77o,647 in 1907.
Live stock, s37,4Ss,021 in 1908. as
against BS,543,149 in 1907
Farm implements, ss,919,414 in 1908,
as against $10,141,978 in 1907.
Cotton and produce for sale, $3,125,-
700 in 1908 as against 81 .0S4399 in 1907.
Manufactures, sS4.935, 100 in 1908, as
against SS4,212,055 in 1907.
Taxes on polls, $344,S56 in 1908, as
against 1887, 494 in 1907.
Total taxes due the state based on
these figures $3,317 ,4ss.76.
Southeastern Roads Congress.
The Southeastern Roads congress
which will convene in Atlanta Deem
Der 3 and 4, the date having been
changed to those days so as to prevent
any conflict with Atlantas municipal
election on December 2, will bring here
a number of road experts of wide and
national prominence. There will be dele
gates from North Carolina, South Caro-
lima, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and
Alabama, and of special interest will
be an address by Hon. L. c. Page direc-
tor of the United States roads bureau
at Washington, who has just returned
from trip abroad, where he attended
an international roads congress in
Paris, and inspected the roads in varf-
Gus progressive European countries.
The opening address of welcome will
be delivered by Governor Hoke Smith