Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1852-03-12
For th- Gazette.
Important Bill.

Important Bill
A bill has been for some time before the le-
gislature of this State, which provides that
abatement OF the State tax Of mills per ton
per mile shall be made on all local freight pass
ing over the Pennsy ylyania and Lancaster Rail
roads, provided the companies running these
roads shall make corresponding reduction, and
shall send their freight by the way of Columbia
over the whole extent Of the Philadelphia and
Columbia Railroad.
That bill so greatly conducive to the inter
ests of the State, advantageous to the resi-
dents along the valley Of the JuDiata, and so i'm
portant as a financial measure tending to in
crease the revenue of the commonwealth, should
be opposed by members of the legislature under
the impression that it will effect the revenue of
the State injuriously, is most singular, and furn-
shes lamentable illustration Of that want Of
practical information and clear discrimination
on certain questions which are sometimes
eyinced in the course of gentlemen possessed Of
even more than ordinary intelligence on other
subjects.
The tax was imposed upon the tonnage of the
Pennsylvania Railroad in the belief that the
construction Of this road would injure the busi-
ness of the main line by the diversion of trade.
Whether this view is in general correct, or lot,
we do not now propose to consider; certain 1t IS
that ii Is grossly erroneous when applied to the
local freight of the Juniata. For example,
boat load of 10000 lbs. of grain, carried a dis
tance Of 90 miles on the canal, which is more
than a full average between Columbia and Hol-
lidaysburg, would pay to the State, at the rates
which obtained last year, s2S, ,S0 whereas, the
same freight carried in cars on the Columbia
Railroad, would pay to the State SOB SO, or an
actual gain to the state, except some increase
in cost of motive power, of $50, rs, or l22 per
cent As none of the local freight from the Ju-
niata is transhiPped at Columbia 10 the railroad
but passes TO Philadelphia over the Tide Water
mi he At tl,n
would allow a large premium 10 encourage its
transportation In cars rather than by boats. Yet
far is tins from the fact, that tax IS laid on
this freight for the purpose Of preventing its
transportation by railroad. That course 50 su-
icidai 10 the interests OF the State, should be
sanctioned by intelligent Legislators, is most
surprising. We are happy 10 learn, however
that majority of the board of Canal Commis-
siOIers have taken more liberal and enlighten-
ed view of the subject, and approve Of the pas
sage of the bill 4 measure calculated to i'll
crease the revenue Of the State
But this is not all The PENNSYLVANIA Railroad
Company are permitted by their charter and are
required 10 self defence, TO add the whole Of the
tax to their rate of toll and it IS therefore paid
by the residents along the line of road, thus de-
pTying them to a considerable extent of the use
Of this improvement, and retarding greatly the
development of the natural resources of the
country and the consequent increase Of wealth
and population. The distance from Dilersvile
to Hollidaysburg is l75 miles-the tax per ton
for this distance Is 523 cents. Can any one sup
pose for instant that coal or the inferior kinds
of lumber can bear this tax on transportation3
Certainly not and IN proof Of the fact, 1t appears
that neither coal nor lumber have ever been car
ried over the Pennsylvania Railroad as a regu-
lar business, and cannot be until this restriction
is removed. The Railroad Company is not the
principal sufferer by this i'll advised poIicy-the
Of tt,,i fha
by it to a tenfold degree.
1t cannot be alleged that the canal gains what
the railroad loses by this policy for the effort is
to crush the earliest developments OF business
that might become important source Of reve-
nue.. Immense forests lie within few miles Of
the railroad near Tyrone, which cannot by any
possibility be made TO yield their products to the
canal. Vast fields of coal lie in the same local
ity which are too remote from the canal to per-
nit even the thought OF connection with it by
means of wagon transportation. How ruinous
then must be that policy which condemns the one
to rot in the soil which produced it, and forbids
the application Of the other to the arts of life
By the provision that all the Pennsy yiyana
Railroad freight shall pass the whole ex-
tent Of the Columbia Railroad, the State would
receive tolls the whole Of this business for
ii miles more of road, or an increase Of lG per
cent on that which is now received by way Of
DIlersvle.
we learn mat the pennsylvania lNalIroac CON-
panv are Indifferent TO the fate of this bill, and
make no effort either TO favor or oppose it. 1t
is, in fact, of much less Importance to the COM
panv than to the State. All that the company
can gain is an increased business from a rcduc-
tion of tolls, while the State secures the benefit
of the same increase, and in addition the large
revenue arising from the difference between
railroad and canal rates of toll, and the COM
paratively small expense at which an increased
business on railroad can be accommodated, as
well as the pro, i,iop thst IL miles more Of the
Columbia Railroad spalI be used in its transport
alton
TAXPAYER.