The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-11-21
CITY WILL ASK MORE
TAX FROM RAILROADS
Suits WIN Be Entered 10 Increase As
sessments For City to Same as
Assessed For State.

Assessed For Std1G.
In an effort to have the assessments
! made by the State Corporation Com
mission on common carriers in the
city increased TO agree with those
made by the State, and which would
bring $4,000 more revenue to the
city. City Attorney H. r. Pollard will
in a few days file suit in the City Cir
cult Court All papers IN the case
are now being completed. assessments
checked and tangible properties gone
over, and the legal battle will be
started before tho end Of the week.
1t is estimated by the city that the
assessments placed on the tangibles
of the railroads by the Corporation
Commission are about 100000 short
OF the assessments made by the State
in 1918 CITY officials believe that
when the commission recently made
their assessments they overlooked
many items Of taxable value or which
the city should receive q revenue. To
arrive at the exact amount. engineer
age Of the roads In the city, and the
financial department Is checking the
assessments Of the roads to see what
was omitted by the commission.
Time limit Out Monday.
The State Corporation Com mission
completed their assessments on &C.
tober a.. and under the law the city
has thirty days IN which to appeal
from these figures. This limit will ex-
pire next Monday. before which time
the papers in the case will be before
Quit Court
This action would have been taken
last year. but the State assessments
were not received until some time
after the report Of the commission
was made, too late for suit to be
instituted before the expiration Of
the time limit OF thirty DAYS allowed
by the Law.
That the railroads will strenuously
oppose any attempt made by the city
to increase the basis on which they
pay taxes to the city and State Is ex-
pected by the city officials, and prepa-
ration 10 bsing made to meet the
strong opposition. When the assess
ments were made by the Corporation
Commission about two months ago,
mono Of the railroads appeared before
that body, as under the law they are
permitted to do. TO voice an objection
to any Increase in the assessments
that might be made. The commission.
however, raised the taxable values on
the tangible properties OF the common
carriers. bringing about 100000 ad-
ditioEal revenue TO the State Their
increase IN the assessments, neverthe-
less, were not considered sufficient by
the city.
The roads against which the city
Is preparing action are the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railway, Atlantic Coast Line
Railroad. Richmond. Fredericksburg
and Potomac, Seaboard Air Line and
the Virginia Railway and Power Com
- y -.
age has been laid IN the city by these
inss erected and other properties ac-
CURED. on which the present assess
ments are grossly inadequate
It IL declared BY the city that they
only expect the railroads TO pay taxes
on the same basis az the individuals
have TO pay They do not want 10
make the assessments unreasonahly
high or below the figure they should
be. But the assessments as made by
the Cooperation Commission are not
sufficient to cover the holdings OF the
railroads IN the city II is said
Since all taxes paid TO the city by
the railroads have been on basis Of
the assessments made by the commits
sion, much revenue has been lost by
Richmond IN years past due to the
inadequate figures eaid to have been
made by the commission. The law
gave the city the right TO appeal from
these assessments. but due to the fact
that the railroad properties have never
been assessed by the State to use as
= check Against those Of tins commits
sion, the city has never been in posi-
tion 70 take action.
In 1918 the ctsy yeali1ed that when
the State assessofs handled the prop
! - ~
porattons they should also assess the
tangtbies OF tho railroads. and this
was done in 1slk. but the report was
received too late for suit within thirty
days after the report of the Corpor-
alton Comm iesion.