The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-02-06
The Boom Bill,

|
port. BY different acts Of assembly the
special privileges conferred upon the
corporators of this monopoly have beer
increased from time to time, until few
'men have been put in position which
enables them to collect su enormous tax
levied upon one of the most i'm p6rts OF
industries of the commonwealth II
there were some existing reason
grounded on public necessity, by which
such legislation could be justified, tn,
owners Of the bosm would have an ex
cuse for their exhorbitant exactions. II
they have been induced to expend large
sums OF money without being repaid fol-
their outlay, they might have some
show of right when they appeared be-
fore the legislature to resist such legisla-
tion as is calculated to lift burther
from capital and labor. But the exor
bitant charges OF this monopoly can moi
be justified upon any other plea than
that which is embraced iu
.'The good old rule, the simple plan,
That he may get who has the power,
| And he may keep who can"
Under false representations, and, as
is generally believed, by the use of i'm.
proper agencies, the charges which the
corporators of this boom company we're
authorized to make have been increased
from fift5 cents to one dollar and d
quarter upon every thousand feet Of
lumber passed through and delivered to
the mills at Williamsport. That this
large increase was not necessary is
shown by the fact that the whole cost
of The enterprise could have been very
easily paid and large annual profit de-
rived from the charge Of fifty cents per
thousand feet, which was the limit set
when the charter was granted,
Last year the tax levied aud collected
by this monopoly amounted to the e1-
horbitant sum of $4,000; and this
burtheu is laid upon the shoulders of
the many for the bebeft Of the few,
Every man who wields an axe in the
pine forests upon the head waters of the
Susquehanua feels the effect of this ex-
action in reduction Of his wages;
every carpenter who shoves'a plane has
20 pay tribute to this monopoly; every
person who uses lumber fluids the meas
ure which he receives 70: given sum
Of money shortened, in order that the
revenue unjustly exacted by few mo
nopolists, at the city of WiIliamsport,
may be increased.
1t seems strange that any legislature
should hesitate for moment xhen
ill is offered which will relieve the pro-
ducers and the consumers of a great
staple from an unjust and iniquitious
burthen. One would naturally suppose
that every member of the Legislature
would make haste to record his vote for
the repeal of such special privileges as
he corporators of this Boom company
have unaighteously been permitted to
possess themselves Of.
Such would no doubt be the case, but
for the fact that the most potent means
Of corruption will be freely used to pre-,
vent justice from being done. Last
winter the owners of mill at Williams
port went before the Legislature with a
statement showing most clearly how
they were being robbed, and how all
engaged in the production and con-
sunption Of lumber were be-
ing heavily taxed for the benefit OF a
handful vf mercenary mopopolists. The
facts set forth were clear and convincing;
the bill presented proposed to loan the
corporators of the boom company
large profit--all that was demanded was
such a reasonable deduction as would
give a proper degree of relief to an
overburdeued industry. Correct prin-
ciples of political economy, public JUS
uce, proper respect for the rights Of
producers and consumers, all united in
demanding reduction Of the exborbit-
ant boom charges; but to every consid.
Grafton that could be urged majority Of
the members turned deaf ear. In
vain was the justice of the measure
urged; in vain were members appealed
to in behalf Of the constituents who
were interested in the cheapeoing of
lumber. a parsonage named Peter
Herdic, one of the men chiefly inter
ested in keeping the boom charges up
to the highest figure, visited Harris
burg, and he managed somehow to con-
troll the votes Of majority of the mem
bers OF the Lower House, Rumor says
that special ring was formed Tor the
occasion, aud that each member of the
ring received so much money tor voting
directly against the interests of his con-
stituents. We say this was u rumor--
but it was a rumor SO well substantiated
that no one who possessed the means
necessary for making up an opinion had
any doubt about its truth.
And, now, the same struggle has be-
gun again. The lnmbermep are present
at Harrisburg, with perfectly fair and
just bill, They propose. to leave to the
owners Of boom very large profit,
aud they only ask that the producers
and the consumers Of one of the staple
productions of Pennsylvania shall be
relieved from improper burdens, If the
members of the legislature vote as right
and justice would dictate, they will sup
port the bill, which the lumbermen have
introduced. If they regard the interest
of their constituents they will do so.
They can have no good reason for stand
ing with the monopolists. Every man