Licking Valley courier. [volume] (West Liberty, Ky.) 19??-current, 1912-11-21
a franchise valuation of only

lOQnu lHelt 1917 dSSeSSluenI 5houlu pS .
S14,746,857. The L. G N. II. r. In 1901 |
paid taxes On g franchise valuation Of
only $6,504,S79 and in 1911 on yalua-
ton Of only $11,899, 200, whereas, the
board found their 1912 assessment
should be $45,428,O74.
Fight Must Be to a Finish.
"a want to tell you gentlemen, that
that assessment is fair and just, and
. II we get justice in the courts we will
win. But, no less man than the Hon.
William j. Bryan, the great champion
of toe people, has stated that courts
do not always do justice to the peo-
Pile; and that other great champion Of
the people, Hon. Theodore Roosevelt,
said the same thing, and recently
.charged that some Of the judges he
put on the bench proved dishonest.
Gentlemen, | want you to 90 into this
fight, with an ardent heart and with
loyal lawyers, and fight to finish and
to death, II necessary. Now, ! want to
say to you am no corporation hater.
| am a business man. know we have
to have corporations, and big ones,
but we don't have to have them to the
disadvantage of the people. ! want
them to have dividends. But do not
want them to reap them at the expense
Of the people and the other taxpayers.
Let them pay what the other taxpayers
pay. Equality is all ! want.
4 without exception all these COM
panies and the two others now suing
wanted the same assessment for 1912
that they had in 1911. The Board Of
Valuation and Assessment based their
1912 assessments on convincing proof
of values placed before them, and the
assessments are uniformly Just and
fair, and Of the more than four hun
dred corporations assessed by the
board this year, only eight have pro-
tested in the court, and these are
among those that have always pro-
portiouately paid the least.
State Robbed of Millions.
"ln the last twelve years, since the
death Of William Goebel, the State,
counties and cities have been robbed
(and the word robbed is the only word
that fits the easel of more than ten
million dollars Ia taxes.
"a am going to prove It.
1 "ln the years from 1902 to 1911, In
! elusive, a period of ten years, there
has been an average increase in the
; franchise assessments of the four
largestrailroads in the State Of only
III per cent yearly
4 "Thnk Of It! and this almost un-
belieyable record of astonlshingly
small increases was made in the ten
best years for earnings that the. rail.
roads o. this country ever saw. ...s
Inadequate Taxation Of Railroads.
"The picture here presented Of the
previous inadequate franchise assess
ments is astounding, but when one
examines into the situation regarding
the tangible assessments made by rail-
road commissions Of the properties Of
, four of the corporations now suing
the State, the word astounding is in
adequate aud here must be supplanted
by the word dumbfounding' to state
more correctly what the tangible as
sessment picture actually presents.
! Take the case Of the c. & o. X. X.
and the records show that the tangible
property of this company in 1892, 20
years ago, was assessed at sS,019,577.
. Notwithstanding the much added mile.
, age ofroad, double tracking OF vast
system, acquiring much new real es.
tate, probably more than doubling the
equipment OF engines and cars, and
meantime increasing by earnings the
= value OF its stock $50 per cent, this
company's tangible property was az
. sessed in 1911 at only S6,270.270, or
PIX per cent less than ih, 1892. 20
!. years ago. Further comment to show
that our State has been robbed is un.
1 necessary.
: THE other railroads have been sim.
q ilarly inadequately assessed on their
b tangible property for many years.
d Corporations Prevent Honest valua
8 tlons.
In fact, Nntil this year the Board OF
g Valuation and Assessment has been
1t controlled in the interest OF the
Z wealthy corporations by some hook oil
crook, either friendship, political favor
y rendered or to be rendered bribery ol
u intimidation. but never before has tn,
} State, counties or cities been glveI
q What they were rightfully entitled to
X "Another of the many examples o.
Fragrant abuse of public trust.
d. al wish | could leave out Of m,
= 'sgemarks what lam about to say, bu
y that is impossible under present cir
eums,anees. Until now, | have sal,
= very little about the L. & N. Railroad
; Some may say that ! have 40 old ami
D mostly to the L. q N. Railroad Com
Is pany, beea1se Of the assassination o
y my brother. say, gentlemen, that 4
mlotalSe. lusny. state Of health am
II at my se, 4 have nothlnp but low
II Ser MY felteoasred, whether-th they adcs
r with me or not. Next to the last word
ir thbt my dear brother spoke wsr
these; They do not understand.
forgive them There may be some VIII
u new 90 not understand me, epntls
e men, the men elected to office did no
Il do their duty, hate to say so, but
0 am here TO speak the truth, and all
. have fought for In the past seve
10 months is Justice and fairness for tn
D people.
Another OF the many examples Q
ID fragrant abuse of public trust b TO b
Iy found in the records Of our %atc PEI
N tanning TO the franchise assessment
ID by the Board OF Valuation and Assess
lt ment Of the H. & N, n, II, In 1901 thl
y companys franchise assessment wa
u SCHOLASTIC. In 1902 the assessment wa