The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-12-01
ROLLING STOCK TAX
FIGHT IN EARNEST
SIX RAILROADS WITH HOME Of
FICE IN RICHMOND CITED
B1 CITY.
----
HEARING JANUARY )
CITY or RICHMOND CONTENDS ACT
BECOMING LAW WITHOUT Gov
ERNoRs APPROVAL IN
CONSTITUTIONAL.
HEARING JANUARY

That the city of Richmond is dead
in earnest in its fight against the loss
OF more than s14soo0 in it's revenue
annually, which the action OF the
rolling stock tax law means, was
shown Yesterday morning when Colo
mel George Wayne Anderson. assistant
city attorney, appeared before the
State Corporation Commission and
presented the petition of the city OF
Richmond. bearing the signatures of
Mayor George Ainslie and City Attor-
ney III. r. Pollard. The action of the
city L. against the six railroads having
their principal office In Richmond, and
against the counties cities, towns and
school districts through which the
lines of these railways run and among
which the rolling stock tax, under the
act. is 10 be distributed.
The hearing will take place before
the commission on January 5. at
which time the similar protests of the
cities Of Roanoke and Petersburg will
be heard. The railroads named in the
petition Of the city Of Richmond, and
cited to appear to show cause why
the petition should not be granted
are: The Chesa peake and Ohio: the
Southern. the r., F. and P; the Fir-
ginia Railway and Power Company;
the Richmond ard Rappahannock
River Railway. and the Richmond and
Chesa pesAe Bay Company. Named
also to appear are the boards cf SUI
pervisore OF the counties, the SER
geants OF the cities and towns. and
treasurers Of the school districts,
through whose territory the lines or
the railways are operated.
Railroads Make Reply.
oTt,- ~ p4chmnu5 ra>AnffE fH =
stituted action In the City Circuit
Court. the Law and Equity Court and
the Chancery Court Of Richmond de-
signed to en5oin the railways from
paying the rolling stock tax. as pro-
vided in the act Of the recent Legisla-
lures The answers of three OF the
railroads were filed yesterday in the
Law and Equity Court and each de-
posted a certified check for the
amount of taxes spportioned Rich
mond under the new rolling stock
law. as follows: C. and o. s103,-
1850: r.. f. and r. s3,314.2f. and
Southern, &45,157.ss.
The cities of Roanoke and Peters
burg have begun similar actions IN
their respective courts to test the
validity of the law. and those cities
also have petitions before the State
Corporation Commission
Richmond in its complaint, charges
that each OF the railroads named has
it's domiciie and principal office IN the
city of Richmond. claims that the
rolling stock of these roads is the
personal property of the roads. and
contends that the proper locality for
the taxation OF personal property Is
the domicile of the owner.
Under Unconstitutional Act.
The city complains that the paper
certified October IS by the State Cor
poration Commission to the city OF
Richmond apportions the assessed
value OF the rolling stock in such a
manner as to I=prise complainant
OF more than $4,000, 200 in assessed
value and to diminish Its tax revenues
from this source by more than slas'-
o. ."ually.
Ynl city alleges that the action OF
the state Corporation Commission IN
so distributing the rolling STOCK TAX
/