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Show " THE TAX ON UTAH RAILROADS. H ' B J The election is virtually over and what the Standard says to- HHjLr night will have no great boaring on the results, but wo desire at this B 1 late hour to reiterate what has been said during the entire campaign. B that the railroads in Utah never have been called on by the stata H " ' board of equalization to stand their share of the burden of taxa- H . tion and that they are assessed in this state at a figure ridiculously H f I low as compared with the assessment of the same roads in neighbor Hi ing states. UlJ The Salt Lake Tribune of Sunday contained the following state- H ment: Hf Under Governor Spry's approbation, the actual valuation on Jackling's V railway between Garfield and Bingham was reduced for purposes of tax- H B-n by Republican officials from $4,539,506.24 to $536,990.00 on the as- H -? cessment rolls. Did any one else over receive such consideration? j Under Governor Spry's policy of corporate partiality the railroads Bf i of this state are assessed as follows: Pf Per Mile. -j D. & R. G $13,000 I 1 San Pedro Railway -12,000 Hn Oregon Short Line Railway 22.00U m 'I Western Pacific Railway 10,300 H 2 Union Pacific Railway 21,200 H : All property, real estate, rolllns stock, tools, and all improvements H ; divided by number of mile of track. M How do these figures compare with assessed valuations of railway f property in neighboring coast states? Let this comparison forever fix the H r Btatus of Governor Spry in relation to the railway corporations. Read V J this list as a comparison between the assessed valuation of railroad c -'- property in Utah and neighboring states: Hl' Per Mile. m , Washington $9G,000 K Oregon 76,000 K t Nevada 31i500 m Idaho 00,000 K; i If railways were assessed In Utah as they are in Idaho their total m p. Msessed value would be $100,000,00 0, Instead of $26,000,000, now as- ' sessed. A K i Thc forgomg fi&ures re a confirmation of wliat the Standard H. W repeatedly said during the campaign. B. 1" The highest valuation placed on any part of the Denver & Eio H 1 Grande railroad in Utah is $16,500 per mile and yit the "board of E K equalization had the nerve to claim that the road is assessed at an m 1 average of $33,000 per mile in thjs state. Vj I Tdaho assesses the Oregon Short Line at $60,000 a mile, and Utah B I vlues the same road at only $22,000 pr mile. H f A disinterc-sted committee of citizens should be named to follow H Sup this tax question after election and probe the issue to the bottom, H j bo that the people may fully realize to what extent they have been! H j imposed upon by those who have the power of fixing the tax on H '.railroads. |