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Show If :" " . GOVERNOR SPRY AND STATE TAXES flit Sh In a public address at Morgan, GovernorWilliam Spry, of Utah, made the following state ML ment as printed in the Herald-Republican, of which he is an owner: i 5flr Replying to the charge made by William Glassman of Ogden, that the railroads IK . are not taxed sufficiently, the Governor said: IB - "Of all the states surrounding Utah there is not one where the rate of taxation Hf per mile of track is as high as in Utah." W That statement of the governor shows that he either wilfully misrepresents the matter or is Ik fgnorant of the fact. In either event, he disqualifies himself to be governor of Utah. Let us see, SR what are the facts: J The official proceedings of the State Board of Equalization, State of Washington, 1911, show( the assessment for main track railroad in the state of Washington for the Great Northern railroad ML to be $96,000 per mile. The official proceedings of the Commissioners of tax in the State of Oregon, 1911, show the mm equalization value of the Oregon Short Line railway, main line track, to be assessed at $76,000 per S mile. Sff The official proceedings of the state board of assessors, 1911, of the State of Nevada show M that the Central Pacific railway is assessed at $31,5000 per mile in the State of Nevada. i ; A letter following this article, from the state auditor of the State of Idaho, shows that the ' Oregon Short Line main track is assessed at $50,000 and $60,000 per mile in Idaho. Another letter following this article, from the secretary of state of Wyoming, shows that the If Jnion Pacific railway is assessed in that state at $50,000 per mile, and that the Oregon Short Line, I from Granger to Pocatello, is assessed at $40,000 per mile. How the Governor, in the face of these facts, can deliberately say that railroads are taxed more in Utah than in any adjoining state is something the governor alone can explain. The average aver-age assessment in Utah is as follows: On main lines: D. & R. G., 13,000 per mile; San Pedro Ry., from Salt Lake south, $12,000 per mile; Oregon Short Line, $22,000 per mile; Central Pacific Ry., $19,000 per mile; Western Pacific Ry., $10,300 per mile; and the Union Pacific $21,200 per mile. All the foregoing includes all the property of the railways. The sidetrack, real estate, rolling roll-ing stock, tools and-all improvements of the railways are thrown in and the total divided by the number of miles of main track. See Utah report of state board of equalization for 1910. No later report is printed, though it is claimed there has been a small increase in the last report. Some main line tracks in Weber and Salt Lake county are assessed as high as $16,500, while the Lucin cut-off traJc and roadbed is assessed at $22,500 per mile. In Utah the main line is assessed at different values in each county, while in Wyoming and Idaho the figures for the main line of each railway are the same throughout the state. If the six railroads named were assessed in Utah the same as in Idaho, $60,000 per mile, the total assessed value in Utah would be over one hundred million dollars, instead of twenty-six million mill-ion dollars, the 1910 assessed valuation. This shows that both Idaho and Wyoming tax the railroads three to four times as much as does Utah and the Utah people must pay the taxes, that the railroads rail-roads should pay, thus making the burden extraordinarily heavy on the small tax-payers. Here are the two letters from Idaho and Wyoming which explain themselves: Boise, Idaho, Oct. 23, 1911. 1 Hon. William Glasmann, Ogden, Utah. i Dear Sir: Your favor of October 25th addressed to the Secretary of State, has been referred to me. In reply will say, that the following schedule will give you the information desired de-sired in regard to the assessed price per mile of the railroads, which operate through'the State of Idaho. v Oregon Short Line Railroad running East and West is assessed at $60,00jQJpei; u. . Oregon Short Line Railroad running North and South is assessed at $50,000 per mile. Very truly yours, ;V'"-- S. D. TAYLOR, State Auditor. "; ' By GEORGE W. LEWIS, Deputy Auditor. -J:. Cheyenne, Wyo., Oct. 27, 1-911 - Mr. William Glasmann, Ogden Utah. ' ., Dear Sir: As per your request of October 25th, I am enclosing herewith a list oijC the amounts of assessed railroads per mile in this state. "T ,, A Union Pacific Railroad Company Main Line is assessed at $50,000 per mile. ' i -jL Oregon Short Line Railroad Company Main Line is assessed at $40,000 per mile.5' , ,r Verjruly. yours, & FRANK L. HAUX, SECRETARY OF STATE' ' m . . so go "C o Sj o S- ,. 5oo o-g- a - E" 3, x-oSe oo3 -.. . - . --ww 2. m 's oj cs -i "&&-, . . . w s-s -i s s I AH sis . --NAME ,OF -RA-l!LWAYS."--.v -. s E I I SI3I 1 2 o 2 w S r.s o sP s- 1-3 gy? 5-g.s. Denver and Rio Grande Railvay . . ., $6)241,498l$3,230,lll737l$l,000l$16500$!3,000j$ 75,606 San Pedro & Los Angeles Railway c 3,944,708 l,218,535l481 4,0001 12,500) 1 1,000 66J30 m Oregon Short Line Railway 2,028,7701 1 ?854,705178l 5,000 16,500 22,000 71408 jl Central Pacific Railway I 3,460,3951 l,219,328252l 7,000 22,500 19,000,1 142,503 M Western Pacific Railway 1 962,650 278,56111211 7,500 12,500 10,300 Reported 1 Union Pacific Railway I 1,011,246) 573,085) 75 8,000 16,500) 21,200) 159,607 1 The foregoing table is taken from the 1910 report of the Utah State Board of Equalization M except the last column which is taken from the twenty-second annual report of the Interstate Com- R merce Commission of the United States "Statistics of Railways." The last column shows the total m capital per mile of bonds and stock of the railroads and the people must pay freight and passenger ff - rates sufficient to pay the interest on the bonds and dividends on the stock. It will be seen by the ' second last column that the railroads to pay taxes to support the state is worth only one-sixth or less fir of what it. is worth to tax the people on. Excepting only the Oregon Short Line which is assessed $ at about one-third of its capitalized value. The over capitalization of the Union Pacific however W, partly accounts for the small capital on the Short Line as the U. P. runs the Short Line. Sure the v above conditions are known by our Governor. He submitted the figures to the state legislature. Just as long as the Governor of Utah proclaims that railway taxes are high enough just that long will the common people of Utah bear the great burden of the state. Vote the Progressive ticket and get a square deal. |