The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1918-06-30
State Rail,Day Assessors
Complete Their Work

property of the state, one of the rep
| resentatives citing several instances
| where real and personal properties
| were assessed at not more than Is to
20 per cent of their value, whereas
the railroad properties are now as
sessed at fully so per cent OF their
value He further asserted he was
| prepared TO furnish numbers of cases
| other than those mentioned where
other property is assessed at not more
than 10 to 20 FER cent of the value,
| producing a small book which he said
| contained many such cases that he had
| investigated and verified. the names
| Of the owners and scriptions OF the
properties he would furnish If neces-
| sary.
Messrs. Burke and Patterson OF the
| tax commission also appeared before
| the board and made the request that
4 the valuations OF the railroad proper
| ty, on the main lines, be materially in
creased, and that the valuation on
some OF the small lines be reduced and
| equalized Herewith, filing statement
| suggesting that the railroads be taxed
upon their supposed income per mile.
| capitalized at per cent, submitting
figures in support of their contention,
| covering practically all the railroads
| of the state.
Mr.. Jones, tax agent of the L. & n.
asked leave to reply to the tax com
mission and submitted facts and fig
ures In connection with his road which
he stated were taken from the books
! OF his company. showing that the
! figures given by the tax commission
\ were grossly erroneous and entirely
| too large. The board recessed until
! June to give the railroad companies,
4 the tax commission and any other per-
| SON interested, an opportunity 10 pres
| ent further information touching the
| point raised by the tax commits sion.
| as the theory was entirely out of line
| with the plan heretofore followed in
| computing the valuation of railroad
properties in this state.
Mr.. Jones again appeared before the
board on the 18th instant making
| exhaustive reply to the figures sub
I mitted by the tax commission, show
| ing that If the L. & y. company's prop
| erty was assessed by the rule present
| ed by the tax commission. there would
| be material reduction of the valua-
| ton placed by the board against his
property. The board has been in SEES
| sion from day to day since the 18th.
| giving consideration to the returns OF
| the railroad companies and making
| the assessment for this year.
It must be remembered that section
46 of chapter 1896 requires the rail-
road companies TO make return of all
| their property in this state as Of Janu-
I airy 1. under oath TO the comptroller on
| or before March LIST. that the comp
| troller, IL satisfied with these returns.
| may accept them, but If not satisfied
| with them he shall call into consulta-
1 ton the encouragement and trea-
| surer Of the state, which board shall
| proceed to make up the assessment of
| the railroad property. The comptroller
1 not being satisfied with the returns
made by the railroad companies in
| creased valuation of the railroad prop
| erty in this state to the amount at
| which the properties were assessed
last year as a tentative assessment,
| and called into consultation the other
two members of the board as above
| stated. and while slight increases We're
made in certain properties, in the main
| the board affirmed the tentative as
| sessment made by the comptroller,
having in mind in this action, request
OF Mr.. McAdoo. the director general
Of the railroads. feeling that in this
great crisis of the nation II is no
time to increase the burdens of the
general government which, owing TO
Il
railroads during the period of the
war, realizing that when the govern
ment pays the taxes that the whole
people pay II, as all revenues OF the
government must ultimately come
from taxation, direct or indirect.
This question OF taxation is a vexed
question, which has puzzled officials
| and legislatures for ages. 1t will, no
| doubt. be OF interest to learn that the
report OF the comptroller for the year
| 1917 shows that the total valuation OF
| real estate was s214,771,6s9; total
valuation of personal property, $50
| 264,012; total valuation of all real and
| personal property assessed for year
| 1917, s274, o35. 701; total assessed value
of railroads and telegraphs for same
| period, $4s.1so.371.
The records in the office of the
! state treasurer show that there was
fire insurance in full force upon prop
| erty in this state. on December 81.
1917 to the amount of s310,072. 214.
almost all OF this insurance being upon
three-fourths valuation, which would
show that there was property in this
! state pom which there was fire insur-
| ance of at least $500 600. 900, or s125-
| s64.29 more property covered by fire
| insurance in this state during the year
1917 than was taxed as real ana per-
sonal property combined.
| The reports of the comptroller OF
| the currency show that there was on
! deposit in national banks in this state
on January l. 1917, s51.6e4 900. The
report OF the state comptroller for the
same period shows that there was de-
| posted in state banks the sum Of
| s4429 ,45o. making a total OF deposit
| in the national and state banks on that
date Se5. 955, 450. all of which is per-
sonal property This amount added
to the amount of insurance in force.
reported above, shows a property value