Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1913-12-10
RULING DECLARED
TO Be INVALID
Corporation C 0 m m i S sion
And Attorney-Genera
Not Of Same Mind.
STOCK LAW INVALID.
Under Ruling Alexandria Will Col
lect Four Thousand Dollars From
the Railroads.

Richmond. Dec. l0.--The State Co.
grafton Commission. in an opinion
landed down yesterday by Conin,is.
sioner Prentiss and concurred in (u.-
ly by Commissioner Rhea, declares
unconstitutional the rolling stp:k
till, dividing the tax from railroad
rclling stock between the headuuaT-
ter cities and the counties traversei
- the roads.
Commissioner Wingfeld di:sants
.u1on the jurisdiction question.
The rolling stock bill, so-ca I'D,
was passed by the general assembly
Of 1914. Martin Williams, of Gle,
was the author. The bill divided The
o.oss amount of taxes on the ro'!irg
stock of the railways between tn -,
cities and counties on the basis 2t
twenty-five per cent to the counties.
cities or towns. in which the prin'
mi Offices Of the railroads are Irra-
ID, nd the remaining seventy I'VE
Ter cent of such taxes, "among ali
;hc several counties and towns an
school districts in this state. in or
Through which such railroads, o. any
nart thereof, are located Or pass.
heretofore all such taxes had 0"en
:" llected by the cities in which ia
principal Offices of the railroad COM
palies were located, and the new Ill;
rf allowed to become operative, world
nave taken several thousand io!'ar,
from Il number Of cities in the St;.c,
aid increased the income of Tarv
g the counties. The city OF Peters
O2rg, in which are the headquarters
If the Seahoard Air Line and Atr.n-
tic Coast Line. was one of the crtl:s
which would lose most heavily, and
o. through its city attorney, Ga1.: g
Mason. filed petition with the "tatc
corporation Commission asking i TO
assess the rolling stock under the !0w
pf 1912. claiming that the W;i.iArS
all was unconstitutional.
1t was this petition which W., "a
i'.wed yester| ay in the decision n.rr1-
cl down. The order Of the com''iS-
sion is as follows:
The commission having matufr,y
considered TIE evidence and the ar
ument of counsel, and for the rsa-
sons stated in writing and filed w.,t
the record, is of the opinion ana dJth
therefore decide that the prayers ii;
the petitioner be, and are. lr;ty
granted. and the clerk of the con:n.!,-
sion is directed to proceed to furnish
the council of the city Of Petersburg
certified copies of the assessments Of
the rolling stock of the SeaboarG .tir
Line Railway Company, which have
been made by this commission for
State taxation for the year 1913, def
nitely showing the character of
such property, its value and loo catioA
Ewithin the corporate limits of the
,!city. of Petersburg, for purposes o:
taxation by said city, so that its cit,
and school levies may be laid upon
the same for the exclusive beaeiy Of
the city of Petersburg, according to
law
IN orjer to enable the defendants
to appeal from this order it is Or
c;ared that execution thereof be sus-
pended for thirty days from this date.
All other questions are reserved.
By the decision the city of Alex
andria will retain about $4,000 per
annum which il collects as the taxes
J Oh the rolling stock of railroad COM
panies with offices in that city