The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1911-09-22
OF Property, Especially Farm.
er And Home Owners
Very Marked Discrepancies
On The Old Valuations
Between Cleveland And Gin.
cinnati Traction Properties

Columbus, Ohio, Sept 21.-The tax
able values of street, suburban and
interurban railways have been in
creased $85, ,099, 800, and the individual
property owner, especially the farmer
and home owner, will profit by the in
creased amount of taxes these corpor-
atoms will pay under the high and
proper valuation.
In 1910, all Ohio street, suburban
and interurban railroad property was
appraised for $3O,3S2,9 1927; in 1911 the
total value was placed at $115, ,4S2 ,2S7
or nearly four times as much
The report of the state tax commits
sion discloses that even the street
railway companies did not deal under
the old system of appraising property
for taxation, although all were IA
vored, some to a greater extent than
others, and paid less taxes in proper
ton to their proportion to their prop.
erty than others.
In 1910 the property of the Cincin-
natl Traction company was appraised
at $2,SS3, 900, while the Cleveland Rail
way company was placed on the tax
duplicate for $7,984,S0O. These fig
ures, had they represented the true
value Of the property, would indicate
that the property of the Cleveland
Railway company was worth nearly
four times that of the Cincinnati Trac-
tion company. In 1911 the property OF
the Cincinnatin Traction company was
appraised at $18 ,123,416, while that OF
the Cleveland Railway company was
placed on the tax duplicate for $751;
465,140.
The state tax commission, after a
thorough investigation by experts.
learned that the two properties were
land, the big public service corpora
tions have not for many years domin-
ated the municipal government. There
IS no George B. Cox there, and, as a
result, Cleveland taxing officers placed
the Cleveland Railway property on
the duplicate at a reasonable high fig
ure-reasonable considering the old
way of appraising property.
But things were different down in
Cincinnati. There the amount of tax
es corporation paid largely was reg
ulated by the size of its campaign
contribution. The manipulation of
the taxing power has long been resort
ed to by political bosses to strengthen
thmeslves, and, IT. is evident, from the
1910 and 1911 values of Cleveland and
Cincinnati railway properties that the
Cox machine members do not need
any lessons in the art of using the tax
ing power to further machine inter
ests.
The following figures represent the
appraisements of some of the big
roads in 1910 and 1911:
1910. 1911.
City Railway
Co., Dayton...$ 622,550 2,342,9
Cleve. Paines-
vile & East
ern Ry. 49,. 267,174 1,47S,525
Cleve. South
western & Co
lumbus 49,. s75,o2s a,4s2,5sa
Columbus, Della
ware & Marion 321,465 1,255,027
Columbus Ry. &
Light Co. (Col.
Ry. & Coils.
Traction Co.. 2,671,540 7,S21,97s
East Liverpool
Trac. G Light
Co. ......... SOs,11o 1,5s5,s7s
Lake Shore &
Elec. Ry -. 972,504 1880, 1861
Mahoning Val.
Ry. Co. ...... 464,955 2,663,6S:
Northern Ohio
Trac. & Light 1,496,7S2 9,617,7Ol
Ohio Elec. Ry.
Ry. Co. 49,. 9.Sss,s76 12,57O,O9.
Peoples Ry. Co.,
Dayton, ". o4o,ozV l,oof,oS'
The Ohio State Journal (Republic
am says:
"The ruling out by Attorney Gener
al Hogan of the printing of 5000 man
uals. devoted expressly to Legislative
personalities and phizes will create |
broad smile all over the state. To thu