Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-06-03

facts as are here presented, what security have
the people already oppressed by taxation to
the utmost limit Of endurance that the ton
mage upon this line will not be as seriously af-
fected by the competitor of the WilliamSport
and Elmira Railroad for the coal trade north
ward and also by the competition of the Della
ware, I4ackawanna and Western, which car
red 490, 023 tons in 1857, to the New York
markets Thus you see that our own favOrite
improvement is already surrounded by COM
peting railroads for the coal trade northward,
before it is in successful operation and | am
satisfied in my own mind that railroad will
be buit in the valley of the upper North
Branch at no distant day.
propose to show that the treasury will be
largely benefited at the end of the year 1888
after a sale of all her public works, In 1851
the gross receipts of the treasury was $4,G9O,-
5ST 81, taking from this amount the amount
received from the public works, will leave the
nett revenues for 1858 S3,353,685 62
Deduct payments for ordinary purpose,
apart from interest. Sl,l4I,l3l ~
,553 G4
Interest on the funded debt of the State.
$50, ,7O6.592 81, $I,9S6,S4O AZ
Balance in Treasury s2I9,7I3 %
Ada interest the bends of the Penn'a
Central and the Sanbury and Erie II.
r. Comps at ) per ct Sll 900 600. s5jn,OOO 90
debt, "'r'' $7G9,7l3 %
If the ordinary receipts into the treasury are in
1853 what they were in 1857, Independent of
the public works, the interest on the State
debt can be paid, the ordinary expenses of the
government promptly met, and over three
fourths of million of your State debt paid.
Within the last thirteen years the tax-pay-
crs of this Commonwealth have under the
operation of the law imposing the three mill
tax, paid into the treasury over EIGHTEEN MIL
LIONS OF DOLLARS and yet the State debt is
no less than it was when this tax was imposed
Here then is the startling fact, that our State
debt is not diminished Why is this Where
have gone all the gatherings of the last Mir-
trcn gears, from your richest fields ? Why is
it that no reduction of consequence has been
effected on your enormous debt, nOtwithstand-
ing this unparalleled taxation The answer
is found in your public improvement system
there, has been forever sunk the millions on mil
lions of dollars that have been drawn from the
pockets of our people, which if honesty, pru-
dence and economy, had been a part of our
canal system, would gone to liquidate our
State debt and to-day, it should have been
reduced at least $40, 600 600, Notwithstanding
all the new Improvements that have been made.
How long will the people be willing to pay
their taxes, without prospect or hope of
reduction of the State debt ? Surely in Mir-
fecn years, had the revenues from your canals
been what they have been represented to be,
with the EIGHTEEN MILLIONS drawn from the
pockets of the people by direct taxation. we
would see its effect in large reduction of the
State debt Yet there it stands undiminiSh-
cd the load is upon your backs a mort
gage upon your farms !; the same crushing
weight upon your enterprise the same tax
upon your industry and from this tax there
was no relief except in the final cOnsumma-
tion of the peoples wishes in an entire and
complete separation of the State from all par
ticipation in anything like public works. That
long wishcd-for day has arrived the canals
have passed into other hands, and thousand
channels of fraud and peculation upon the
treasury have been stopped the boards of
plundercrs that have swarmed upon your lines
of improvements, will hereafter earn their lv-
ing by honest industry, or fatten at other
cribs than a Pennsylvania treasury.
L. REED MYER
hycrsburg, May %, 1853.