The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1871-12-19
GhtG4tdlti5gesr1lls ID
The d. y o. Railroad COmpany-.Its
Release from Taxation.

Release from Taxation.
To the Editors of the Intelligencer.
According to the official statement tn
assets Of the b. l. D. Railroad COMPANY
were SO, 00O, 900 last June. These asset
are distributed through Maryland, Yves
Virginia, Ohio and District OF Columbia
These large assets represent the motive
capital of this gigantic corporation, anC
the influence Of their power is urged anC
employed everywhere and at all times
and under all circumstances to shield this
Company from paying its share OF the
taxes levied by the States through which
the road and It's branches run. 81.
The action oil the Board Of Supervisors
OF Ohio county and the City Council In
releasing the Company from taxation in
the past, present and future, we think, Is
an outrage on every person paying taxes,
and desiring justice 70 al. Every rolling
mill and manufacturing Corporation in the
county and city, according To this princi.
pie, have the right land they should de-
uand it Of these official bodies) to beck.
empled from taxation OF every kind, for
they can give better reasons for such ex.
cmption than those offered by the
b. Il .. Railroad Company. N0l0 for
their reasons and their S0phistiy /;
In consideration oil these grants beng
conceded to the company, large additions
will DO made to the machinery depart
ment OF the CompRny's shops at this point
One hundred thousand dollars (sometime
III the remote fQtpTe) will be expended
here in the construction of these additions.
Upon how large q scale do you suppose,
Nr. Unexempted Taxpayer, that that
sum would enlarge the working capacity
Of the CompanyH The company Is badly
in want of . blacksmith shop, a machine
shop, and larger round house now, The
building Of these can't be deferred much
longer, If the company keeps up any kind
Of u shop at oil at this point These In,
disensable buildings viii be embraced in
these RetO additions 10 our city, and will
come out Of the pitjuR sum OF 800, 900 to
be laid out in increasing the expenses Of
the company at Wheeling, which expen.
SEES, 1t is said, will DO shared mutually by
our Citizens-that Is, these expenses are
to he our business profits in the transaction.
The company now employ about 100
persons all told, at the Wheeling shops.
Il is stated that the properly liable TO tax
alton in the city and county 10 about $780,
NO. Weknow II should be much more. A
little enlargement upon this Abatement,
will let the tax payers SEQ how email in
deed will be the additions made by the.
Company Itwhli $3.50 900, they employ
but 100 Hands; and ahaYe such miserable
old shanty shops, as are now TO DO seen
on the grounds, the question naturally
presents itself 10 the minds Of any one,
how can the promised improvements mi
buildings, and 300 additional men be
made, and added to the present property,
with the small sum OF $i00O00.
II does not require any abstruBe calcu,
htions to figure these things out They
arc perfectly threadbare. We venture
the assertion, that II the Company expends
but 100000 In the proposed improve
ments, that not over 80 men will DO added
to the present force. See how near we
will come 10 the truth In our conjecture,
We have had five years railroad expe-
renee, and we know, that 100000 does
not go very far about large railroad shops.
Ilsnothing more than drop In the Ocean.
Tho people Of Ohio county, and Of the
city Of Wheeling, have been sold again by
their official servants, and John w.
(iarret Is again master Of the situa,
ton. But what Of tho principlc2
If the principle established by this pre-
Cedcnt be u Just and correct one, and these
large amounts of property arc TO be ex-
empted from their share In the response.
bilities Of government, who will and who
can and should sustain the political sys-
tens under which we live and enjoy our
Iiberties2 The man who carries his head
on his shoulders, Is taxed for that head;
the poor laboring man who tolls day and
night In the company's shops, and In our
rolling mills, and other places Of hard
labor, must pay his taxes, or suffer the
Sheriff to make public vendue Of his
property; but II massive corporation
worth $7O000O00 prays for exemption
from such taxes,it Is Immediately grant
ed. Whore Is your justicG In all this tre-
nendOus exercise Of doubtful power? A
company that pays TO lis stockholders 10
and Is Der cent dividends annually, ought |
to and should DO compelled to pay its |
equitable share Of taxes. lfyOu tax the
laboring men Of our county aud city, why
not tax the $3.50 900, vested in property
here by the .. & .. r. II. Company Z
We think dov, Stahton's views on the
question are the correct ones, and would
be sustained by . large majority Of our
citizens. A TAXPAYER.