The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-12-29
GtreQ3tslEiaearer
Tho Maryland Tax ON the WaanI nIngton
Branch Railroad

Tho Maryland Tax ON the Washington
Branch Railroad.
Some Interesting facts have recently
come to light touching the Washington
branch Railroad and the tRE levied by
Maryland on passengers visiting the
National Capital. Maryland has al
ways required the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad to pay into the State treas.
nry one.fflh Of the receipts on
the Branch for carrying passen-
gers. This was added to the leRlt. .
Innate fare, Of course, and amount.
ed to specific tax per capita on the
public travelling on the road. A year
or so ago the Supreme Court OF the
United States decided this tax on pas
sengers unconstitutional; and accord~
ingly the company has declined TO pay
the required nth Of Its passenger re-
ceipts for the last year, on the ground
OF this decision. No such payment has
been made since the 9th OF November,
lSGS. Gov. Bowie on the 4th OF last
November addressed letter 10 PresI-
dent Garrett, requesting compliance
with the Maryland statute requiring
the payment on the lst Of January and
July, declaring that "the condition OF
the State Treasury Ia such that this
money OF the State is absolutely needA
ed To provide for Its expenses" Cons
menting on this the Washington Star
remarks:
In other words, Gov. B. makes the
ltdtve admission that the Stale OF Mary.
land Is In so impecunlous cond ItiOu
that II has 10 resort to the highway, a
Ia Dick Turpln. and levy tribute upon
hapless passengers caught In Its terri.
tory, TO enable 1t to meet current ex-
penses. This, too, after the Supreme
Court has decided such tax 10 be lille.
gal! Truly, "My Maryland" must be
In distressed condition, financially,
when 1t has to resort TO such OK pedlents
10 make both ends meet!
Mr.. Johns Hopkins, Of Baltimore, the
largest stockholder Of the Baltimore 4
Ohio Company, has addressed 10 Gov.
Bowie a lengthy statement showing
among other things that the half mil
lion stock taken by the State In the
Branch road has been immensely pro.
tltable and that there never was any
need TO exact a tax on passengers, 10 In.
demnify II against loss. In addition to
the decision against the Constitution ma
lily Of such Il tax, Mr.. John urges
that the charterlng Of competing line
without Imposing any tax on passen.
gers Is a reason for obIecting TO paying
over the required fifth OF passenger
receipts. .....
eproduces the following figures TO
show how much the half million stock
taken by Maryland has yielded:
The State Of Maryland has made,
upon Its whole investment In the Wash.
ington Branch Road, up TO October 1G,
1863, net profit of SS,BG5, ,4O5 O3, viz:
Par value OF stock $50 0O
Received nom dividends. ........,...., 9B5,250 %
Received from dlvldends.......,..... 867,bOO 10
Received lram One-tifth tax........ l, 1,765,65O W
Received from one.flfth tRx......, lt25O,827 II
4,S8S,727 81
Less bonds and lnterest.....-...... l,2IS, ,832 80
3.685, ,405 OS
The present income on the original
investment the Washington Chronicle
says is go per cent. II would appear
therefore that the legitimate gains OF
the State OIL its stock ought TO be suf-
fcient without levying sort OF highs
waynan's tax on the travelling public.
or course under the decision Of the
coutt the Company Is right In refusing
ITO pay over. But the fact Ia, the Com
pany goes on collecting the tax and
putting 1t into It's own pocket. The
Washington papers very properly de.
mHnd that It shall cease to do this and
reduce the fare TO Its legitimate pro-
portions. Il Is not the city OF WASH
ington alone that has an Interest In
stopping this swlndle; but every body
who visits the Capital is made VIC
tim. There will be no remedy I'LL Con-
gress, charters a competing line, and
that Will not be done TIL we get Con.
Gress OF which Mr.. Garrett does not
carry the keys.