Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1921-09-07
ROADS PROTEST INCREASE
IN RAIL PROPERTIES TAX
Declare Securities Are AS.
sessed Out of All Proportion
to Their True Valuation.
wICKHAM PRESENTS e. 4 o. cAs,:
Cites Court Records 10 Prove Land
Assessments Are Far Beiow Real
Sales Values. and Railroads Are
OvcraSscs>cd.

'VirSinia's reasscssmcnt OF real
estate in 1920 actually resulted in "A
smaller per ccntaEe OF tax value to
real value than before, asserted the
railroads OF the State in the annual
tax hearings before the state Cor
poration G om M SIS on yesterday
Claiming that the railroads are now
assessed at a much higher average
OF taxable to actual value than is
private property, they asked for :
reduction rather than an increase.
There is systematic underasscss-
mcnt OF property for taxation in Vir-
ginia, asserted Henry 7. Wickham.
who occupied the entire morning in
his address for the Chesapeake and
Ohio Railway before the commission.
at times showing considerable feel
ing. other railroads had their in
nings during the afternoon, the hear
ing closing at a late hour.
Assessments md Sales Value.
Although the Auditor OF Public Ac-
counts has announced an increase OF
about 40 per cent in land values un-
der the new assessment Of ,?20. Mr..
Wickham declared that the assess
mcnt now represents less OF the ac-
tual value than before. In 1916, In
seventy-scven of the counties Of the
state. the assessed value of privately
owned property under tho assessment
of 1915 amounted to 81 per cent Of
the actual sales value rs shown by
transfers on record that year. while
the rcasscssmcnt OF 1920 is only ~
per cent OF actual sales value ae
shown by transfers taking place dnr-
ing tho FIRST half of 1921. The figures
were from court records, and sworn
to by clerks OF courts.
On the other hand. the railroads
presented figures to show that their
property is assessed at from 30 per
cent to GO per cent Of it's investment
value. ana in some cases higher.
eliminating At - per cent with the
Scabcard Air Line.
Railroads Heavily Assessed.
Virginia railroads are assessed At
one eighth Of all the taxable values
in the state, according 10 Mr. Wick
ham. Docs anybody believe one
eighth OF the states entire wealth Is
in railroads." he inquired Tho steam
roads. by his figures. pay onc-third
as much taxes as all other sources
of revenue. including real and per
sonal property banks insurance com
panies and merchants licenses. Nir-
rinia railroads, he said. pay largely
more than the national average per
mile.
AS showing the large relative
amounts paid ny railroads, Mr.
wickham assorted that the Chcsa
peakc and Ohio Railway pays to Flu
wanna County on It's line of road
almost as much as is paid by all
other property IN the county COM
bined. In Goochand nearly the same
situation prevails. our canny rural
FIJI h.. "a a i,,.r
ing their real estate valuation last
year, arranged so that the relation
Of taxable value TO real value was
lower even than before. With much
feeling he referred to the faults Of
his own County Of Hanover in this
respect.
y. "a W. Assessed - FER Cent.
l.ucicn II Cooke. for the Norfolk
and Western Railway. produced fig
ures to shcr that in the counties
through wh IA that road runs pri-
va:c properly is assessed at =, per
cent Of its actual sales Saluc. as
shown by this years transfers. and
in the citic. ~ per cent The aver
age for the whole is rs per cent.
while ne claimed tina; his line is
2 already assessed at 81 per cent OF
book value
The commissiSH' toof the whole
matter under ..rdv.scmSnt. Today il
will hear car-loauinT- companies and
other car companies,
Among those who addressed III"
commission yesterday on the subject
Of railway valuation were Lucian II.
Cooke, Horace O. Buchanan and Jo-
scph W. Coke. for the Norfolk and
Western Snator Henry 4. Wickham,
Henry Taylor Ir.. and Garrett H.
Wall. for the Chcsapca kc and ohio.
F.. Randolph Williams and Frank ".
Duke. for tn" Richmond. Frcdcricks-
burg and Potomac; Wiliiah l.. Nc
IIwainc. for the Atlantic Coast Line;
Judge Thomas IL WILCOX, for the
New York Philadelphia and Norfolk;
w. II. T Loyal. for the N!rc inian
Railway: Major william y stuart,
for the Louisville and Nashville, and
Walter l.. stanley, for The ScaboIrd
Ar Line. The city OF Norfolk was
represented by CITY Manager Ash.
burner on = local assessment item
against the Norfolk Southern Rail-
road. and the town OF horton by
John Roberts as To property there
~ the Norfolk and Western and
Louisville and Nashville