Bisbee daily review., 1913-06-04


 cousent and approval or the public.
 In Arizona therE. P. & s. w. com psRy controls 45S.Ss miles of track. This includes the main line. running through Douglas and Bisbee to Encscn. also branches 10 Coqrtland and Tombstone. The indebtedness On the Arizona holdings averages s4t .e0C a mile In New Mexico the mileage is 4z0.44 and the indebted. ncss only s40,000 a mile. Altogeth CT. the company controls Sss B. miles of track.
 The request for a physical exami- nation, it is stated in the application. is. in order that ;he public may know just what the system is worth and ian return on its investment.
 In New Mexico the same requests have been made of the state corpora ton commission.
 Some months ago, when the rail roads began to fight the threecent fare and full crew laws, the F P. S s. w filed with the tax commis. sion, corporation commission. attor. ney general and federal court a state ment showing just what it would ] cost to reproduce the system in this state The figure was in the neigh borhood of s1O.000. 900.
 With this reproduction cost, how. ever, many things that have no hear ing on the actual physical value of the road were figured in. For in stance. in many tlaces the road has been straightened. and in others new track has been put down The cost of both tracks is included in the i statement, though were the railroad iouplicaed only one track would be laid The CoHrtlsnd and Tombstone branches. both of which are operated at loss beca1se trey penetrate sec lions in which almost no business originates. are also included The company would not be willing 10 pay taxes on what those branches cost ! 10 construct
 { All these matters are being takeI ! into consideration by the tax e mmis sicR. which is meeting tO assess the railroads
 ! The r1ads have till tonight to filt , statements with the commission ! Neither the Southern Pacific nor tht Santa Fe has filed a statement up to this afternoon All companies have I reen asked to state just what theil ' lines and equipment are worth.
 In fixing the assessment of any road the reproduction value state ment og the F. P & s. w will bl cutie useful. Data is contained il lkat statement that the commission | could have obtained in no other way l But 1t is also reported that tht Sana Fe is to file the same kind ot a statement.
 A number of Santa Fe officials. in l cluding Assistant General Freigh l hgent Paul p. Hastings, are in Phoe nix today preparing the figures tha tarc 10 be submitted to the tax com 1 mission. These officials have no 1 confirmed the rumor that they, lik' ] the E. P. k $. W. people, have de |, cided to come tout open and above { board and Iet theeommission, alst f the people, kneE the details of thei ] affairs.
 \ officials of the Fl Paso & South ' western have stated privately on seV N eraI occasions lately that hereafte \ he tax commission is to be trusted | to fix the valuation. of that system |. for taxation purposes. and that ever | possible scrap of information tha | could possibly be of use in arriyini at a just valuation will be furnished
 Likewise the corporation commis sion is going to ba furnished witI whatever information il may requir for the fixing of equitable rates.
 In short. the E. P. e s. W. people have decided to trust the officials aDt the people Of Arizona to permit then +l 10 make a fair profit, instead o K maintaining legislative lobbies, fight ing tho tax assessments in the court and Keeping the public in ignoranc' oi the true state of their affairs"