Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-08-07

The tax commissioners ana repre-
santatives of the various railroads
having interests in the state were
given their inning, before the state
board of equalization Yesterday and
occupied the entire time during the
day.
Mr.. Sanders of the Northern Pacific
was the first to make his talk and
he started out by stating the reasons
why his request for a reduction IN
the valuation should be made ana
claimed that the raises that nave
been made during the past few years
in the valuation Of railroad property
were not in a just proportion with the
raise in the assessed valuation or
lands which are used for agricultural
purposes. - ~,
MIR. Foster then appeared for the
C. and N. w. He gave a short sched-
ule of the holdings of q the company
in. the state, saying they owned only
1870 acres of land and 14.28 miles OF
road. with one station building and
a half interest in another. He said
that the gross earnings OF the com.
pany in the state for the year OF
1908 was only $17,803 and that the
part of the road entering this state
had never paid, even the running ex-
penses, He requested that the valua-
ton for tax purposes be reduced from
SC, 1000 to $4,000 and said that the val
uation Of railroad should be based
upon it's earning capacity and the
revenues derived from its operation.
A. s. Dudley, tax commissioner, ap'
peared for the Chicago, Milwaukee
and st. Paul road. He stated that
all he asked for the road was fair
and lust consideration of their claims
and that it was necessary for them
to get a Just assessment if they were
to do business at a profit in the state
He called attention to the fact that
the Milwaukee Is not a trunk line
and that they had but a few branch
lines in the state, and none of them
were SO situated as to make record
in their earnings. He called atten'
ton to the benefit railroad is to
community and thought they should
receive some consideration from that
point. He admitted that the assess
ment Of a railroad property was a
hard proposition, but could see no
equality in the way the assessments
have been made in the past. Mr.
Dudley said that his company paid
a higher rate on their property In
this state than in any state IN the
union, the per cent on their gross
earnings in the state being about II
per cent and from this concluded that
the road was over taxed and asked
for a material reduction from the
present board. Mr.. Dudley also ap-
peared for the Puget Sound road
which is the name by which their
new continental road is known and IN
speaking of that called attention to
the conditions as they exist In AZ"
ans county. Their road has recently
built across that county and the price
of farm land as consequence mas
doubled and trebled in value in many
instances, but the returns by, the coun.
ty commissioners have only Increased
the valuation of the lands from $z.5O
to $2.51 and he holds that this IS g.
discrimination against the roads. Mr.
Dudley here gave few figures show
ing the valuations In North Dakota
and other states. The lines of the
company in South Dakota which the
tax commissioner held were better
in every respect and paid a bigger re-
turn on their investment than In this
state, are assessed at 1889 per mile
and this includes all side tracks. In
North Dakota the tax is raised on q
valuation of $500 for main lines and
$1,000 for side tracks. In Iowa the
gross earnings Of the line is $7,5SS
per mile, and the assessment Is on
a valuation Of $6,940 which is on a a
basis. The gross earnings over the
entire system was stated to be 81
957. The Illinois assessment Is maze
on a valuation of 1888 per mile ana
is made on is basis, while IN MIS-
souri, the price is $1S,6S6, which Is
on q 40 per cent basis, and IN Mon
tana the Puget Sound road is assess
ed at $500 oer mile. Mr.. Dudley also
called attention to a comparison be-
tween the counties OF Adams IN Nortn
Dakota and Cook in Illinois. He said
that in Cook county the tax was paid
on $3.50 per mile and this valuation
included all their terminal property
as wen as many miles OF double track
and large shops, while In Adams coun'
ty. North Dakota. the tax was paid on
S435 Der mile where there is only q
single track and none Of the improve
ments that are known TO be In Cook
county. In view OF the statement OF
the above conditions Mr.. Dudley Was
of the opinion that his road was en-.
titled to a material reduction on their
taxes In this state. "..o...3, :.
Col. Wilkinson here appeared IN
behalf 81 the Great Northern. ne
started out BY stating that the ran.
roads paid more than one seventh or
the taxes of the state and thought
that was an injustice. A large part OF
his time was taken up In stating the
methods that should be used IN the
fxinr the assessments of railroads
FIa stated that various methods were
r,mrsued In different states but that
IN North Dakota there was only one
way open for the board and tnat was
to 1,se the same means Of arriving az
a valuation as was used with the other
nrnnerty He claimed that lands n
the state were assessed at less than
90 ner cent OF their value, the exact
figures being 19A per cent. he also
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