Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-02-07
The Application of the. Pennsylvania
Railroad Company.

that will engage the attention of our State
Legislature, during the present session. is
that which relates to the repeal of the ton
mage tax imposed by existing laws upon
the freight transported over the Pennsyl-
yania Railroad.
The measure referred to is warmly advo-
Gated by those who represent that corpo-
ration, as well as by the people residing in
sections which have heavy pecuniary
stake in its prosperity, or which would be
directly benefited by decrease in its
freight tariffs, while many taxpayers, in
different quarters of the Commonwealth,
are bitterly opposed to it because they be-
lieve it will increase their personal burdens,
and virtually compel them to contribute a
certain amount of revenue to the Golfers of
the State, for which the Pennsylvania Rail
road Company is now supposed to be le-
gally liable.
Among the arguments urged in support
of the application, the justice of any ton
mage tax at all is questioned; and if such
an imposition is proper in any one instance,
it is asked why it should not be universally
applied We have hundreds of railroads,
canals, turnpikes, plank roads and common
roads in Pennsylvania but on only two of
them, the Pennsylvania Central and one
other road, is any special tax imposed. 1t
would be almost impossible for the Legis-
lature to adopt any more unpopular and
odious measure of increasing our revenues,
than to pass law declaring that tax,
! however small in amount, should be exact
ed for the benefit of the State upon all the
! freight passing over all these roads be-
cause the natural sense of justice aud pro-
priety of one people would quickly revolt
against such an imposition, if the expert
ment was made on an extensive scale Yet
if it is strictly just and proper to obtain
revenue in this manner, why should it not
be universally resorted to? In answer to
this idea, however, it is contended that the
tonnage tax was originally imposed upon
the Pennsylvania Central Road because it
necessarily came in competition with the
western portion of the main line of the
public works then belonging to the State,
and as it diminished their value the Com
monwealth was equitably entitled to COM
pensation for this damage. 1t must be
confessed that there is considerable force in
this suggestion. But it certainly has been
greatly weakened by the fact that the COM
pany has since itself become the purchaser
of the whole interest thus involved, and
that, too, under such terms and conditions
as 90 far to compensate for the real value
of those Improvements. \ ears ago, when
our population was comparatively small,
and our resources limited, our Legislature
was willing and eager to undertake great
internal Improvements at the expense OF
the State, and to involve in it what was
then an enormous debt, for the sake of hav-
ing convenient avenues of communication
opened. These avenues, including turn
pixies agd canals, undoubtedly enhanced
the value Of lands, increased the price Of
produce to farmers and others, and created
| improvements which a hundred years Of
ordinary settlement would not have efec-
ted. The State is also annually deriving a
large increase of revenue from these sour
ces by taxation, and hence the company
ask not to be singled out for heavy taxa
ton. They do not, however, ask that they
shall be unconditionally relieved from this
burden. On the contrary, they request
rather communication than repeal of the
tonnage tax They offer, as considera-
ton, the following inducements:
| |. They will loan to certain lateral OF
| connecting roads which traverse the counties
of Allegheny, Washington, Fayette, West
moreland, Indiana, Armstrong, Butler, Cam
! bria, Bedford, Huntingdon Blair, Clearfeld,
! Miflin and Centre, the amount of tax that
has accrued since August /, 1857, in ex-
/ change LOT Oohos, ""u lhAS iiu ~ tne cphi-
pletion of all these roads and in the develop
/ Irnent Of the districts they will pass through.
2. They agree to pay taxes to the State
upon all their property, in such manner as
now, or may hereafter be, required by any
general law
8. They agree to reduce the rates Of local
freioht by deducting theretrom the amolta ,posg
cAarqeabie for tonnage ta1, and thus give to
shippers and consumers, of our State, of the
articles carried over their road, the full bene.
fit of the abatement allowed by the Common,
| wealth
4. By the terms of purchase of the old
main line, the company is obliged to pay only
| S1OO 600 annually of the principal of it's