Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1846-11-27

ness men Of all professions and all p'iit'cat cFecas-
WHO wANr CUSTOMERS.
To CoRRrspoNpENrs-We are very much
pleased with the letter of our friend of Lenoir,
containing the communication OF Y. We
hope our friend will induce others to commu- |
nicate on the same subject with the Journal.
1szvWe don't know when we have been
more pleased than with the letter OF w. w. S.
from Duplin. We assure our friend that we
will always be happy to wait upon him:
THE GOVERNORS MESSAGE.
In to-day's paper we publish entire the long
message of the Hon. VIM. A. Graham, to the
Legislature of North Carolina And we are
free to confess, that the document as pro-
duction of the pen, barring its extreme LENGTH
is well enough in its way. Gov. Graham is
a man of talents, and the document now be-
fore us has been evidently prepared with more
than ordinary care and labor. But although
we are willing to concede its merits IN style
and manner, there is much Of it's matter to
which we have many serious objections. We
will endeavorto point out those passages in the
message with which, as a citizen OF North
Carolina and public journalist, we cannot
concur. There are, also, some of the recon-
mendations Of His Excellency, in the policy
and expediency of which, we candidly con-
Tess, we fully agree and these, also, we deem
il our duty, on the same principle, to point out
n
exhibits more than ordinary acquaintance
with the financial affairs of the State. That
portion of his message which relates TO the
mode of collecting the State taxes on real es-
tate and on polls, we think is well-timed and
judicious We have, oursef, during the last
four or five years, heard many complaints "a
gainst the manner in which real estate is at
present assessed. Since 1886, the relative
value of lands in North Carolina has huctua-
ted very much, and an assessment then made
must afford but very poor criterion of the
value of the lands of the State in 1916. Take
the example of Turpentne lands. Many OF
those which were assessed as being worth on
ly twenty-five cents an acre in 1886, are now
worth from two to three dollars an acre
whilst there are other lands which have de-
preciated in an equal ratio. We, therefore
think that there ought to be fair and accu-
rate valuation made of the lands OF the State
at least once in every five years, as well as
some new and better mode adopted for the as
certainment of the number of taxable polls
We trust that the present Legislature will take
the matter into their serious consideration.
TAX ON GOLD WATCHES, &c.
To meet the deficit in the revenue Of thu
State, which her liabilities for rotten corpora
tons will create, the Governor recommend
tax upon Gold Watches. Pleasure Carriages
&c. This same species of tax was proposet
in the session of 1923, by Michael Francis
of Haywood, we think, and voted down. w
were opposed to it then, and we are now
And in order to exculpate ourselves from tn
suspicion of interested motives In this OPPOSE
ton, we will take occasion to state that tn
tax couldn't hurt us, as there is no one in G
abouti the Journal Office who owns either 4 Col
Watch or Pleasure Carriage, unless, indeed
an old sulky be considered as belonging to tn
latter species. Our opposition to the tax
based on thefoliowing reasons: We hold tia
taxes should be imposed SO as TO bear equal
upon all parts of the State. In this all WI
agree with us, we suppose. Well, now, eve
~ body at all acquainted with North Carolina
knows that, in proportion to population an
wealth, there are at least two Gold. Watcht
and Pleasure Carriages owned and used in tt
Eastern part of the State to every one while
is used and owned in the West. Would it |
fair and equitable then, to impose tax c
these articles? We think not. If increase
taxes must be levied, let them be so impose
as to bear equally upon all sections. This
our doctrine
THE STATE DEBTs-THE RALEIGH AND CASTE
RAIL ROAD.
The Raleigh and Castor Rail Road has bee
and is, an awful incubus to the State It is
mill stone hung around her neck. She h
been paying out interestand principal for Il
Company during the last four or five yea
and she has yet to pay the interest semi-ann
ally on upwards of 100000, and the prin,
pal. Of course, at some future day. To
AesnRify her against all this vast outlay, t
State has oaly the Road itself and the bon
of individuals. The worth of the former
these securities may be estimated by TAXI
into consideration the fact that at it's sale thu
was literally no bidder for it, except the &c
ernor, who gave S36ss eco for it. being, as G
cry body at the time well knew, far more tn
It's real worth 1t is kae that since the St
has had the management of the Road its
ports would seem to exhibita more prosperc
state of its affairs The Governor. howey
had given large price for the Road. ant
glowing report was necessary to bring him
of the scrape, and we all know how these
ports can be made 10 shew on paper whel
points to be gained. We conscientiously
lieve, FROM what we know of the operati,
OF that Road, that it cannot do more than
ownansas az that IN ncinf IF fact the "A