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
CHARLES H. HIGGINS, ASSOC. M. AM. SOC. C. E.—Mr. Riggs' able and timely
paper is of great interest and worth to all concerned with the matter of
values, whether of public service corporation property, or other
property; and what engineer is not concerned with values?
One cannot but wish that an index accompanied the paper, as its
usefulness would be thereby greatly increased, particularly as, by its
arrangement, such subjects as depreciation, non-physical values, etc.,
are treated of in many different portions of the paper.
_The Wisdom of Having a Physical Valuation._—It is hard to understand
how any thoughtful person can now doubt this, for we are in a period of
regulation and taxation of public service corporations, and the only
question is whether they shall be regulated and taxed with a full
understanding of the investment involved, or by arbitrary methods, such
as the 2 cents per mile passenger rate, which has been so popular in
many States, under widely different conditions and irrespective of the
cost of the service.
The time would seem to have arrived when the thoughtful public service
corporation manager would welcome a fair valuation of the company's
property, as protection against legislation conceived in ignorance of
the capital invested.
_Relation Between Railroads and Other Properties._—The relation between
appraisals of railroad and of water, gas, and traction companies is very
close, and the same general principles apply. In the former, however, it
is complicated more often by the fact that the lines of a railroad
extend through many States, with terminals in one or two, and, further,
that the railroads have many subsidiary, controlled, or dependent
companies, such as coal, lighterage, terminal, car, warehouse,
contracting, elevator, stock yard, and supply companies, often owned,
wholly or in part, by men in the railroad management. Agreements with
these companies may greatly affect the non-physical values, as
determined by the methods advocated in this paper, which may otherwise
be sound.
_Valuation of All Properties._—The author says that the valuation of all
railroad properties in the country "would be of interest." It would be
more; it would be of value infinitely greater than the cost. The mere
presence of light prevents many vices, and this is as true in
corporation practices as in the streets. It is in accord with Dr.
Woodrow Wilson's "pitiless publicity"; and, which is, perhaps, more
important, it is the basis, or should be, of all legislation concerning
the regulation of these great highways.
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