The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-07-07
From. the Keuskone.
FTona Ute heystoae.
Repeal Of the State Tx on the Pennsylvania
Rail Road

Rail Road.
AS a general rule we have little sympathy with
for corporations. We admit their utility and
necessity We know that without a combination
of individual effort under chartered protection,
many Of the most important interests of the
State would never have been called into exist.
ence; ard OF all others. we regard the Pennsyl-
vania railroad as the most essential to the well
fare OF she whole community of any private en-
terPrise in which our citizens are engaged
AT The same time we are in favor of confining
all corporations to the exercise of the legitimate
powers and privileges conferred upon them by
their charters, and of exacting from them a
strict compliance with each and every obliga-
ton 1t is not, therefore, through any particu-
lar friendship for the Pennsylvania railroad com
pany. nor any wish to increase the diydt ads of
the stockholders, that we advocate the repeal of
the State tax of three mills per ton per mile,
which is now imposed on all freight of every de-
scription transported over the road We do it
from settled conviction of its impolicy and in
justice. We do it from wish 10 promote the
prosperity of the State and encourage those
great Industrial interests upon which that pros.
perity essentially depends and we do it from a
deep-rooted aversion to every system of taxation
which imposes unequal burdens upon our own
citizens.
When the charter was granted for the Penn
sylvania railroad company, the New York rail-
roads between Buffalo and New York were SUBJ
jected 10 tax for the protection of the canal
interests. 1t was supposed that the Pennsylva-
MIA railroad would divert business from the State
improvements, and that tax was necessary for
their protection. Since that time all taxes upon
the New York roads have been repealed They
have been placed in position to compete for
the western trade without restriction of any
kind, and boast of their ability to control all the
business of the country north of the Ohio and
west o7 s'ittsburg. The operations Of the Penn
sylvan;a railroad, far from iDjuring, have
largely increased the business and revenues of
the State. The reasons which formerly lei TO
the imposition Of the tax, now no longer exist,
and the protection of our own trade imperative
ly requires that no restrictions should be impo-
sed upon the Pennsylvania railroad, from which
its great competitors are exempt.
But there are other considerations upon which
our citizens and legislators should reflect The
greatness of Pennsylvania is due to her exhaust
less mineral treasures, her extensive forests of
valuable timber, her prolific soil, and her une-
qualled manufacturing facilities. Aprohibitory
tax upon mining, numbering and manufacturing
operations would be justly considered the very
climax of folly. Yet such is the effect of the
present tax on tonnage. The distance from Har-
risburg to Pittsburg is $50 miles, and the three
mill tax amounts therefore to seventy-fve cents
per ton. From Harrisburg to Dillerville is thir-
ty-six miles, and upon this portion of the line
the tax is five mills per mile, sixteen cents
per ton, making the whole tax on every species
of freight between Pittsburg and Lancaster or
Philadelphia ninety-one cents per ton. On o
ton of coal of 2240 lbs, the tax would be 81 .02,
even the half of which would be prohibitory. So
also with lumber, upon which, if not perfectly |
dry, the tax would be so per thousand feet. !
and the lower the value of this articles tine high
er the tax.
We cannot afford time or space to point out /
all the inconsistencies of this law-their name |
is legion. 1t would be equally difficult to show !
that it possesses single feature consistent witt
equity, propriety, or Justice For example: |
the man who lives nearest to a market, and has |
least expense in sending his produce to place !
of sale, has the largest profits, and could afforo
to pay the highest tax. But the present Law /
exempts from taxation those who transport foi |
short distances, and imposes the whole burden |
upon those who transport for greater distances
Again: as competition must govern the rates
charged on freights to and from the western
States. it is clear that the company cannot collect
any tax on this business, and must therefore in
crease the charges on local freight and travel to
enable them to pay it. Thus the operation OF
the Law is to tax our own citizens with the bur-
den imposed upon the through business. The
whole thing is wrong, unjust and unreasonable
to those who imposed the tax,
and should have foreseen its efects-but much
more SO to those who, seeing these effects, yet
suffer them TO continue.
Our position in reference to taxation IS briefly
as follows: We have heavy debt, contracted
chiefly by expenditures for public Improvement
and increased by mismanagement and fraud IN
the subsequent operations of these improve
ments by the State. The sale of the public
works would reduce the State debt and correct
host of abuses. The balance of the debt must
be iquidated from the resources OF the State.
Every interest or occupation which is profitable
to those engaged in it, should assist IN proper
ton to its value, in sustaining the burden OF the
public debt. We say, if railroads are profitable,