The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-09-07

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anything to say about the Norfolk
| and Western assessments. Mr.. Roberts
| represented the town of Norton, in
| Wise county The railroad owns half
| OF the principal street of the town
| HI of one side--and Is holding 1t as
| vacant property. This constitutes, ac-
| cording to affidavits presented by MIR.
4 Roberts. more than one-haif of all the
| level land in the little town. The
| entire property of fifty acres is as
| sessed at only $4,000, while the lots
on the opposite side OF the street pay
1 on a valuation of $500 each. The lat
ter. 1t was explained, are assessed
| yearly as mineral property because the
! real estate company which conveyed
| them reserved the mineral rights. Mr..
Roberts asked that the valuation be-
increased to s1O5,0oo. He said 1T was
impossible to get factory sites with
| railway facilities.
/ AS 1t appeared that the Norfolk
| and Western knew nothing or the
| proposed petition, 1t was given time
in which to present its answer in writ
ing. and Mr.. Roberts presented his
/ papers
Mr. Cooke then made his speech. He
did not think 1t was right to In
crease assessments this year merely
because OF the enhanced value of other
property. since individuals would not
be forced to pay more until 1911. Fur
Their he thought the commission ought
not to make an increase because the
roads were earning more money.
Question of Principle.
Commissioner Prentis here remarked
that this was not the reason. The
question in the mind of the commits
sion, he said, was whether or not the
assessment was high enough
Continuing, Mr.. Cooke said that x
was the understanding under the new
order of things in taxation that huc-
/ tuations dn busi---ss conditions would
be taken care of by the franchise tax
Commissioner Rhea called his at
tention to the raise made in 1907
i while Commissioner Prentis remarke ed
that the Constitutional Convention did
not attempt to fix valuations A
shadowy agreement. which would bind
4 nobody, would not make a good urgu-
lnent.
1 Mr.. Cooke insisted that the conven-
ton had intended the assessment tc
stand for ten years. Commissioner
Rhea inquired, why, then, did the
convention require the commission to
assess property every year" Com
missioner Wingfield asked il the in
crease in taxes paid woulI mean a
, net Impairment OF the surplus of the
road. and was answered In the atflr-
NATIVE
Comparison N1ndc.
AS to the fact that his road was
paying more per mile in West Vir-
ginia than in this State, Mr.. Cooke
did not think the Corporation Com.
mission would enter into a competi.
ton to see which State would get thr
most taxes. All his road in West Vir
ginia, he said. is main line, while In
They were now paying 34 per cent
of gross earnings in taxes.
He hoped the time would come wher
the railroads would pay automatically
and pay to the State alone. on the
basis of gross earnings
An inquiry from Commissioner Rhea
as to certain Mallet locomotive.
brought an admission from Mr.. Cooke
be raised. The valuation Is now 81.
$50 each Mr.. Coke thought 1t mtgh
be made 100000 but President John.
son had said this was too much. con
siderng the greatly larger cost Of op.
Grafton
When the question was asked i
any one else wished to say anything
regarding Norfolk and Western taxes
H.. Fl. Tr'ce, of Norfolk, arose and go
into the game. He said his people
the Industrial Commission, were get
ting up Information as to the valua
lions of properties owned by railwa,
and steamship companies in his city
and asked If the commission could no
go to Norfolk and look over them
Cannot Spare Time.
The commissioners decided that a.
the time was short In which to decid
being due on November i, and a grea
many other questions awaiting dispo
|. sition, 1t would not be practicable t
make the trip to Norfolk
Mr. Trtce then said that he woul
| like to present his claims to the com
mission. The city assessors had no
as yet made their report on the ney
valuations, and the agents of the In
dustrial Commission Were workin
He thought the companies should pa
on the same assessments as the prop
crty OF individuals similarly located
Mr.. Cooke said that If this were t
be the argument, the new assessment
should not go into effect until mex
| year, when all other property goes ur
der the new figures.
Argument ensued as to the poln
| made by Mr.. Cooke and as to who nj
tended meeting mentioned by NJ
| 'rrice as having been held last weel
The railroad men thought their com
| panies should have had notice OF tn
| application.
All Lawyers Talk.
| All the lawyers In sight had by thi
time come into the room, ana tn
question was argued by everybod
speaking at the same time Monda
! OF next week, then Tuesday, the
| Wednesday, We're suggested as days O
| which to further hear the Norfoi
matter, the railroads to be in h.
meantime notified Of the properties 0
Which they would be asked to pa
taxes based on increased assessment
/ Finally. the silver voice Of AleXar
der Hamilton cut the knot. In az
| cents mild but eloquent and appealin,
4 he asked Mr. Trice to withdraw hi
| petition and give the roads a suuar
deal by waiting until next year. whe
i the new valuation affects individu;
/ owners Mr. Trice, hesitated, wavere,
/ was lost. The commission promise
i him to take the question up next Yea
i In ample time to get line on whs
was wanted, and on the part OF II