The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-11-25
CORPORATIONS IN
 GIGANTIC FIGHT \
 TO AVOID TAXES
Millions Involved in Suits Against City of New York For Re-
 view of Assessments

New York. Nov 25-After all the trouble that the city has had in col
 lecting franchise taxes from the pub
 lie service and other corporations and the pains taken to adjust these tax
 bills, it seems that past compromises
 are not to bring permanent peace. ! Ofhc1al announcement is now made ! that practically all the public utility corporations of the city have gone into
 court to contest the special franchise
 taxes assessed against them for 1910. Millions of dollars are involved in these taxes.
 i It was announced today that one
 hundred and nine writs of certiorar1
 had been sued out by the big railroad, gas electric and other corporations to review the assessments levied against them this year. The same corpora tions had been contesting the special franchise taxes charged against them since 1901 and compromises for the amounts charged since that time were not reached until a few months ago. Ut was expected at that time that a basis upon which these taxes should be levied in future had been agreed upon. Such. however, appears not to be the case.
 Practically all the street railroad ! lines have sued out these certiorarf writs. The Metropolitan Street Rail- way receivers have objected to one assessment on valuation of $20,25S,- 900. = The Manhattan Railway Company has sued out a writ to review one as- sessment on a valuation of S17,012,5OO. and another against a valuation of 8, 800. 900. Several writs have also been sued out by the New York Gen. tral and Hudson River Railroad Com pany. The largest of these is for the Park avenue franchise of the Har-
 lem Railroad Company. valued at $13,-
 115, 200.
 Among the light and power company suits is one brought by the New York Edison Company to review franchise
 tax for S36. .500.00O. The Edison Elec-
 tric Illuminating Company of Brook
 lyn objects to a s12000.000 franchise valuation, and the Empire City Sub- way Company objects to a franchise valuation of s9,192, coo.
 Several suits have been begun by the Consolidated Gas Company. The larg- est is against a special franchise val
 uation of s20. .001 300. All the smaller gas companies in Manhattan, the Bronx and Brooklyn have alsoi sued out WritS.
 One of the plaintiff corporations is the Hudson and Manhattan Railroad Company, which objects to a franchise valuation in Manhattan of $10. 900. .000 The Third Avenue Railroad Company asks a review. and reduction of two franchise assessments. The properties are valued at s7,92O, 900 in each in stance. The New York and Queens County Railway Company objects to a franchise valuation of s, 2,275.O00. The Union Railway Company, which Is the big surface line in the Bronx, has pro- tested against two franchise valua- tions. The largest is for property in Manhattan valued at s4,2O0. 00O
 Objection made by the United Elec- tric Light and Power Company to a valuation of s5.100. 900 for its franchise. More than twenty other suits involv- ing franchise valuations in excess of $1, ,000. 900 are included in the list
 It was said that at the Corporation Counsel's office today that the city is powerless to prevent these suits drag gfng their way through one court af- ter another. The right of the city to collect on these special franchises was affirmed by the United States Supreme Court in some of the recent test cases. Even after that. however. practically all the suits were compromised. Whether the city will be able to col lect the full assessments now levied or will be compelled to compromise once more is a question that only the courts may determine.