The Valuation of Public Service Corporation Property: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers,; vol. LXXII, June, 1911, ASCE 1190Riggs, Henry Earle
General
The Valuation of Public Service Corporation Property: Transactions of the American Society of Civil Engineers,; vol. LXXII, June, 1911, ASCE 1190
(4) Administration,
(5) General expense.
(1) Organization.—This includes the cost of the original organization of
the company, the cost of securing the charter and franchises, arranging
the financial plan, and securing the funds for construction.
The latter item is intended to include all salaries and expenses of
officials in soliciting and negotiating for funds, the services of
trustees, and all other proper expenses which are usual and unavoidable
in the process of exploiting a projected enterprise and interesting
capital therein. Discount on bonds is not included, and any allowances
for "premium," or "bonus," or other cash payment to any party for
services in securing funds, which are in excess of legitimate expenses,
should receive scant consideration at the hands of appraisers.
(2) Legal Expense.—This is for attorneys and all legal expenses, costs,
and fees in the organization and during the construction of the
property.
(3) Engineering.—This includes reconnaissance, preliminary and location
surveys, supervision of construction, and design and superintendence of
special structures. The cost of engineering on some of the more
difficult properties becomes a very large sum; on certain small lines it
may be comparatively small; and in some cases no engineers have been
employed at all; but the items of cost covered by this charge have in
every case been expended, even if done under the direction of some
superintendent.
(4) Administration.—This comprises the cost of the management during
construction—the direction of the enterprise.
(5) General Expense.—This is the cost of the general office organization
during the construction period, also numerous minor expenses, not
distributable.
It is not possible to build any public service plant without incurring
all these expenses to a greater or less degree. They are essential
elements of cost, and must go into the value of the plant when
completed. It can hardly be argued that cost, which in a large property
runs into thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars, has no value at
the commencement of operation, nor does it appear that the value is
subject to depreciation as long as the property is an operating plant.
The writer holds the view that the line between physical and
non-physical elements of value should be drawn as follows:
Any value which attaches to the property by reason of any money expended
during the construction is part of the physical property values; while
any value due to the operation of the property which is in excess of the
physical value is a non-physical or intangible element. If the
correctness of this position be conceded, then all the foregoing items
are charges against the physical property, and, as long as it is an
operating property, these items of value remain part of the physical
property, and the writer contends that they should not be considered as
affected by depreciation, as long as the property is a going concern.
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