Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-02-04
FOURTH EDITION.
The psnch Growers Conference.

PRESIDENT HISoKLEy IN OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES IN
TERCHANaE OF OPINION IN RELATION TO TAXA
TIoS.
Special Correspondence qfthe Commercial
DOVER, Feb. 4.
The II all Of the House and lobby were crowd
cd last night by peach-growers, the Legislative
Committee, the Presidents Of the two principal
Railroads in the State, and many others drawn
there to hear what was to be said and done with
Railroad taxation. Mr.. Ray. chairman OF the
Joint committee OF the Legislature, presided at
the meeting, and j. Thomas Budd acted AZ
Secretary.
Mr. Townsend SAID proposition had beon
made by the Peach-growers to get the LeSisla-
ture to pass an act, 10 tax the L. W. " II. II. H.
Company in bulk 100000 in lien OF all other
taxes, and tor which tho railroad would abolish
the special tax OF $3.50 per ear load of peaches
now charged.
Il. II. Cummina, IL; considerable length, fav-
orcd the proposition, and showed how un-
Justly tho system worked against the Peach
growers, the. hailroad Company having
paid last year about s5l.SO0 in taxes
which was again levied and collected in 'ircghts
from the shippers. In years tho Railroad
Company had collected about $4,000 from the
peach-growers The tax was unjust on the
growers, Tut while the Legislature taxed the
company 30 heavily they (the peech.growers)
had not the face to so to the Railroad Company
and ask reduction
MIR. Hinckley then spoke about three-quarters
Of an honr, showing how nnjustly such tax
worked against the shippers ON tho limo Of. the
road. The company had no way to pay these
taxes imposed by the State except by lcvying
and collecting it from the shippers. Tho
correct principle was to levy n tax ON tho gross
receipts, then shippers from beyond tho state
would bear their share Of the taxation. The taX
OF 50 per car in seasons when the crop was picn-
ty and 81 80 when the crop was short was not
.t..J ati In Iau ftf
the State. The Company had in years collected
about S93, 900 part of which would bo paid back
to the Peach-growers as soon rs certain lltiga-
tons were settled definitely.
Mr. II. thon went into Il comparison to show
how the railroad was taxed moro than other in
terosts, and that every thing in the State was
taxed in the same ratio. A revenue of u, 800 600
would be raised, and other roads in the State
only paid !lG0i.
lii Pennsylvania, where most of the property
was, the whole tax in year was but !l2,00U,
while in Maryland with tho bridge across the
Susuuehanna Which cost 81, 500, 900, and with
the most Of the mileage of the road, the whole
tax for State, County and Poor purposes was i'll
years but !33, Sic, while tho tax in Delaware
i'll one year il 100000.
Mr. ii. stated that Tor years lie had fought of
the Pennsylvania railroad company from increaa-
lug their freights to correspond with the 375O
per car that the p, w. ~ H. Il. II. was receiving.
Next summer that company would also increase
the freight charges enough to make the extra
tax sis per car. This would he done unless the
Legislature reduced the tax on the road to go,
600
Mr. FELTON, thon spoke at some length taking
the same views as Mr. lIincley.
Many questions were asked and answered by
Ncssrs. ii. and T., while Mr.. Dean spoke at
great length and gave a history Of the arrogance
of the Railroad company and how it was brought
to torms--by the tax bill put through while lie
DEAN was chairman of tho Committee on Ways
and Means in 1869. He now, however, compli-
way in which they came and hoped their desires
would be granted.
e.. Hon. Benjamin T. Biggs then closed the meet
ing in an appropriate speech, urging a reduction
of tax.