The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-08
PROTEST AGAINST
NEW ASSESSMENT
Corporation Commission Com
pletes Hearing Of Attorneys
for Steam Railroads.
ELECTRIC LINES UP TO-DAY
T.1.n-.,b Ey,resa
ELECTRIC LINES UP TO-DAY
Telephone, Telegraph, Express,
Canal and Steamboat Cor
porations to Be Heard.

Concluding the tax hearings as
to steam railroads. the State Cor
poration Commission yesterday heard
similar arguments to those adduced
on Tuesday as to why the assessments
of physical properties should not be
increased Representatives, of several
railroads appeared and argued the
matter, including those OF the WASH
ington- Southern, the only road in Vir-
ginia known as STANDARD which had
not appeared the day before.
Following this the names of all
other railroads in this State were call
ed. no one answering. These are most
ly small lines, some OF them being
portions of the systems of larger
roads, which had already made their
statements The fact that the remain
ing lines were not represented does
not necessarily mean that the COM
missio ndoes not contemplate addi-
tions to their valuations, but 1t does
mean that they have had their day IN
court and cannot be heard again.
Hear Other Corporations.
To-day the commission will hear
light. heat and power companies, and
gas and water companies, all of these
being public service corporations. The
tax hearings will conclude tomorrow
with hearings for the telephone. tele-
graph. express, canal and steam
boat corporations
H. G. Morrison, Of Johnson City.
Tenn, assistant general counsel for
the Carolina, Clinchheld and Ohio
Railway, was first on the stand yes
terday morning. This is the road
built by Thomas T. Ryan. and now ex-
tends from Dante, Va. to Spartan
burg, S. C. Eventually. 1t is believed.
1t will run from Elkhorn City, KY.
10 Charleston, S. G. While 1T is one
of the important roads or the state.
it is not STANDARD" for the reason
that it Is new and is hardly IN opera
ton.
Mr.. Morrison, speaking Of the cost OF
his line, said that this should not
necessarily be taken as a criterion OF
value for taxation, as this should be
considered more from the standpoint
Of earning capacity. An affiliated
company produces the natural ton
mage which this road hopes to handle,
and this concern has not as yet DO
yeloped its coal properties in South
west Virginia The commission ask
ed a series of questions as to the cost
of the road. which Mr. Morrison was
unnrepared to answer with particu-
larity
Income Curtniled.
The Virginia and southwestern
Railway being next called. General
Manager ]. II. McCue, of Bristol, ap-
reared. He spoke of the reduction IN
the earning power of the road as
n result of an order Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission, requiring "
to haul coal from the Appalachia held
to bristol at fiat rate of 70 cents per
Ton whereas 1t formerly secured $1.lo
for domestic coal and s1.06 for steam
coal This was done because the road
was hauling coal through Bristol to
Bluff City, Tenn, to connection with
the southern, at lower rate than
the charge to Bristol The road had
increased wages paid to Its men, Mr.
McCue said He spoke or the heavy
grades, reaching 8 Ia per cent on
the mountain near Bristol. me ratio
of taxes paid by this line to Its gross
earnings amounted to per, cent"
more than the trunk lines of the state
pay.
+ AS to the Black Mountain branch
OF the road, Mr.. NIcCue thought IL
had been overassessed last year, this
being coal-carryIng spur praclcal-
aly without local business The Hols-
ton River Line, between Moccasn
,<C,ontinIad On Secon6 PareA