The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-24
CITIES MAY LOSE
FURTHER TAXES
lhrocklnorton Now Wants Roll
ing Stock Revenue in
Henrico County.
DEFINITION OF STREET CAR
Language OF Agreed Senate
Amendment May Not Include
All Electric Lines.

Further loss 10 Richmond from di-
/. version OF rolling stock taxes Is now
threatened as the result OF an effort
which Will he made by c. w. Throck-
morton. OF Henr!co. 10 secure for his
county portion of the tax now col
lected from the Virginia Railway and
Power Company. The matter Will
come up IN tho House of Delegates to-
day. provided the lime grinding bill
Is disposed of before the chair is va
Gated at o'clock. The rolling stock
Bill. on the House calendar with Sem
ate amendments, was passed by yes
terday because of this new conplica-
ton.
Is n street railway such when It
runs in the country? This In the ques-
ton involved. and which caused Judge
Martin Williams. the patron OF the
rolling stock bill. to spend the greater
part OF last night searching diction-
aries and legal authorities
In the Senate the bill was amended
so that 1t would not include street
railways 1t may have been intended
20 embrace all electric railways. but
such Is not the wording OF tho amend
ment The effect Is that tho citica
which have tho home Offices OF street
railways" would continue to receive
all OF the tax on their rolling stock.
Wants Tax for County.
Now. Nr Throckmcrton views with
his minds eye the twenty-five miles
OF electric line In Henrico county ran
ming out from Richmond, the property
OF thu Virginia Railway ana Power
Company and the Richmond ana Ches-
apeake Bay Hallway Company. This
includes tho Ashland, Seven Pines,
Westhanpton and Lakeside lines.
They have rolling stock OF consider
able value, and the tax or this. while
not OF an enormous amount, would
still be an item In the exchcquer OF
the county of Henrico. Mr., rhrock-
morton wants that share, when would
go to II on the basis of distribution
proposed IN the Holt-Williams bill, TO
be applied to steam railroads-25 pei
cent. to the home cities and IS per
cent. to the other localities through
which a railroad runs.
II he wins his point, not alone will
Richmond and Henrico county be af-
fected. but the same division would
result In Elizabeth city, Chesterfield
(Which would get the taxes on the
Richmond Petersburg line). Dinwiddio.
Norfolk, Roanoke. CAMPBELL and other
counties which have electric railroads
running out from cities
Claim Brcuch of Agreement.
Now. tina representatives OF the
cities, which have a9en bombarded
heavily by the present Legislature. are
very sore over this further attempt
10 divide the revenue, in view OF the
agreement which was made between
all sides that the Sanate amendments
would stand IN the House. They claim
that it was distinctly understood that
electric lines should not be affected,
ana that the use Of the word street
railways" was mere inndvertence.
The matter was pat up 70 Judge
Williams after several conferences In
the House yesterday afternoon. He is
not affected in his representative ca =
pacity by the issue, but wants to stand
by the agreement. However he woull
like to find out what street railways"
means.
SO he applied himself to the prob
lem. When q street car crosses the
line OF city. IS 1t still a street car?
Is II q street car when II runs on a
street In n county or SUBURBAN town ?
II so. is II still street car when 1t
leaves all atreets and runs on county
roads or over county fields? If 1t Is.
the cities Fet tho tax. II 1t Is not.
the counties get It. That If. unless the
bill Is further amended
What Judge Williams says about II
Will go n long way. as he has boc,
the loader in this legislation.
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c. s. Circuit Court Of Appeals
The United states Circuit Court a: APP