The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-11-01
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAKES
CAUSTlc REPLY
lcontlnned from Page

(Continued from Page
| 3. Of the Census Bulletin named He
stated furtaer, the valuation of the
railroad for the purpose Of fixing
iates was the separate physical val
nation. II was this separate valuation
4 the physical property which OBJ
tanned from the estimates Of the civif
engineers Of the Santa ne and the
Katy. Now, was right In fixing Il
value for TIE railroads as fixed for
taxation? 1t win be noted that J
stated that railroads in the state Oh
Oklahoma are assessed about on the
same basis as all other property, and
bat though all property in the
state of Oklahoma Is assessed at
about 60 to rs per cent Of its true
value. and that we assessed the San
ia Fe at about $4,000 per mile. J.
stated that | thought the Santa Fe
was worth about 100000 a mile in.
Guiding both tangible and intangible
and property of all kinds, as going
concerns. in consideration of its I'm
eonle, uses, franchises, rights anloi
contracts of all kinds whatsoever,
Its rights, franchises. terminals in
Chicago, San Francisco. shops in To
peka, Los Angeles, its wharves in
Galveston, its coal properties In Colo
RADIO, its thirty million dollars sur
Plus deposited in banks outside oil
the state of Oklahoma ought to be
considered in fixing the value of its
property for taxation, but have no
n1aoo IN fhn conufdorat;ou of tho
value of the property of the Santa
Fe used for domestic transportation
In the state of oklahoma. | did not
know of the existence of Census Bull
etin No. Il at TIE time | made the
first affidavit but | find my views as
stated In that affidavit are corroborat-
ed absolutely by the statement CON
tanned in Census Bulletin No. 81.
which contains a valuation of all the
railroads in Oklahoma, made by the
Census Bureau for the National gov
ernment In the year 1904. They find
that in that year the railroads in Ok
lahoma Territory are worth on the
average $780, per mile and in the
Indian Territory ON an average OF
S3l 400 per mile. II will be remem-
bered that the state of Oklahoma put
a valuation on railroads in the state
on the average of something a .ittlt
less than $4,000 per mile. ,h,- IS
about 60 per cent of the valIsilon
fixed by the census bureau co rc5or.
ating my statement that the entire
railroad property of this starA. rs
well as the entire public servi q ut''i-
ty property. Is valued at al GO
per cent to Is per cent of iss irl.t.
value. Evidently then. | did ict
value the property too high for tax
alton. bore in mind that Mr. +. y.
Ripley the president of the Santa
Fe, testified at Kansas City before
the interstate commerce commits sion.
al the same time that Governor
Stubbs testified, and he swore the
Santa Fe was WORTH more thal So0-
900 mile This statement ne has
repeated and in the last six uonlns
at Chicago has reiterated tsat his
road on the average wherever It runs
Is worth more than 100000 a mile.
Mr.. Nay, the auditor for the Rock
Island. has claimed an equal value
for his road. Therefore how can IL
lie said that tie state of Oklahoma
has valued the railroad at an excess
sye figure. when we consider the
question of whether In my affidavit.
! nut the value OF the railroads in
Oklahoma at too low a figure when
one bears in mind the fact that Gov
e.nor Stubhs who is o raifoad build
er stated that he would replace the
roads in Kansas for S25,0OO mile.
which testimony he repeated Just a
day or two ago in Chicago that Mr..
Nudge, when endeavoring to put a
high value for the Rock Stand, put
a figure at $4,000 for that road IN
Oklahoma. and that the civil engl-
neers of the Katy and Santa Fe, put
the valuation of their roads ir Cha-
homa at respectively about $4,000
and $4,000 mile each, and that
Prof. Adams. the great authority upon,
valuation of railroads in The Tni;cl
States, said that the physical valua-
tion OF the railroad Is the orc that
should govern In the corsiG sissipl nj
fixing railroad rates. njw can .ny
reasonable man charge ne. Wien
making an affidavit In a rate case, FOR
saying that the Santa fe ana the
Katy property In the state of Okls-
homa. when considerel for domestic
transportation In this state. sil rid
net b. figured for more than ss5.90O
a nile but that when sou ru1sider
tie sflta Fe and the Katy .a,l.oad
pfoner.y in the state. as {, pars OF
the entire systems Of the Santa F.
and the Katy, as you must do When
fixing their value for taxation, that
in that case their value would be
twice as great"