Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1873-03-19
THE BOO.M.
THE BOOM BILL.

sumed tho second reading Of Senat,
bill No. 130, entitled an act relating
TO legal proceedings against boon
companies In the county Of Lycoming
The pending question was on ID.
amendment OF Mr.. Mcclure.
Mr.. WALLACE. Mr.. Speaker, wan,
O vote upon these amendments, and h
the Senate will indulge me for a fow
minutes 1 will cndeavor TO put thi,
matter before them In rs plain light
rs / can, in order that they may no,
be misled as to the effect OF their votes
II will be seen from the amendment
of the Senator from Philadelphia (Mr
M'Clure) that . proviso is to be in
serted in the bill which authorizes an
increase Of the tolls and boomage tc
the full amount, nay, to ten cents
moro upon one class of lumber thar
this corporation now gets. Not only
that, but 1t provides that the right "a
charge one dollar and ten cents pei
thousand, board measure, shall DO q
vested right. This would be infinitely
worse than no action at all, and in be-.
half of the operators In lumber / pro
test against such an amendment
The people ask for bread ; this is xiv.
ing them q stone. 1t fastens upon the
nocks Of the lumbermen for all time
TO come this extravagant ratio Of boom
ago. ,s
To briefly show tho legislation upon
this question let me call attention to
the statutes. The charter Of this
monopoly authorized a charge of fifty
cents boomage and reasonable sum
for warps and wedges, as it is called,
for rafting out. That was in 1886
In 1916 this was re-enacted, with
other privileges, allowing fifty cents
per thousand feet for boomage and a
reasonable sum for finding warps and
wedges. Under these laws for twenty.
two years, up TO 1866, there was
charged forty cents per thousand feet
as reasonable sum for finding warps
and wedges. That made tho boom
age ninety cents.
In order to build their dam they
came to the Legislature in 1866 and
asked the additional amount Of boom
age. That was allowed, and in lieu
OF the fifty cents named in the act OF
incorporation, and they wero permit
ted TO charge oigbty-fve cents for
that purpose. They have charged
these eighty.fve cents, and the forty
cents in addition, since 1866, making
one dollar and twenty-five cents per
thousand feet, board measure. There
is bill in equity filed in Lycoming
county, to settle what is q rea-
sonable amount for finding warps
and wedges, and l assert that that
amount, will be fixed by the court Ut
twenty-five cents, and not at forty
cents, A bond in any amount desired
by tho court, conditioned for doing
this work for twenty-five cents, will
be filed in the court imme ediately upon
the order being made.
If that decree be made, and that
amount fixed as q reasonable amount,
you deduct the fifteen cents from the
forty cents, and it leaves precisely
what this amendment fixes, that is to
say, one dollar and ten cents per
thousand. What these people com.
plain Of is that the thirty. i've cents
allowed in 1866 is fastened upon them
by this amendment forever, and that
IL Is u most outrageous proposition in
itself ! pray those who are willing
TO do justice about this matter not TO
give this vested right to this corpora.
ton. 1t would be simply an outrage
TO do so.
i do not desire to detain the Senate,
but l wish TO call their attention TO
the animus Of this section. II ia On
infamous amendment, and do not
hesitate to so characterize it upon the
ioor Of tho Senate. 1t is a gross
wrong upon the people who pass their
lumber through this boom. | do not
caro- who 1t comes from--it is an in
fanny attempted to be perpetrated up
on tho people l represent, that shall
last for all time to come. do not
care who inspired or dictated II,
whether individuals, corporations,
boom companies, railroad or cana
companies; characterize IL as q gross
outrage upon the people ! represent,
and upon the lumber operators upon
the Susquehanna river, and trust tho
Senate will not impose upon them, for
oil time TO come, this exhorbitant tax.
1t gives them vested right to charge
one dollar and twenty-five cents when
their charter entities them to charge
but ninety cents, and that can be re.
duced by law.
If the matter be tested in the courts,
under the bill now filed, it will oe 70,
duced to ninety cents. NY amend
ment is offered as compromise, and
not because Of the justice of their
claim. Three hundred millions of feet
OF logs pass through that boom every
year. That, at one dollar per thous.
and, is 100000. / ask the Senators
whether this is not an enormous tax
upon the producers, operators and
consumers of lumber. Do you SUP.
pose that 5000, 900 can be spent annu.
ally in keeping up this dam! The
proposition is so startling that il ought
to convince any one that it is not cor
rect. tl
These princely revenues, for tfg
benefit of few individuals, arc to bo
fastened upon tho nccks of those poo
pie for all lime to come. / speak with
feeling, because regard it as wrong,
fragrant and plain. l pray tho Sen
ate, II they will not give us this com.
promise, to give US the right to 20 in
10 tho courts and test the question.
"has this dam been paid for!? OUGHT
this to bc rcjectedg A just tribunni,
q calm inquiry, the settlement OF this
single question, is all we ask. Why
shall this bo denied usY What hidden
power sustains the wrong and op.
presses the righti
What harm or injustice is there IN
the original propositioni 1t simply
permits tho court to inquire whether
this thirty-five cepta per thousand
feet has compensated this monopoly
for fha contamination Of tho,. H. ~