The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1875-10-29

Real Estate pays ........ $50 800 900"
In the face of this statement can any man
affirm that real estate pays no taxes2 Why,
gentlemen, our County has paid into the
State Treasury Sl5, ,44S since the passage of
that act exclusive of licenses, &c.
! And now another point On the Sd Of
| Feb'y, 1873, Mr.. Mackey appeared before an
open ting of the Committee of Wavs and
Means of the House of Representatives, and
proposed that we should pass a bill repeal.
| ing some of the taxes, as The STATE lad q suy-
| plus rerenue. | have his statement made
at the time. His report showed that on the
30th of November, the close of the fiscal
year, he had a balance on hand of 81 ,S2j.-
600 and he has had an average balance Of
| $2,200,000 lying in the Treasury ostensibly,
but really scattered amongst banks and liz
dividuals of the State, from which he receiv-
ed about $4,000 year interest, besides po-
litical support from the borrowers. In short
it was a general corruption fund. which, had
it been applied to its legitimate object would
have saved the State 100000 year. Some
100000 of this money was and is in the Al
legheny National Bank, of which he is CASH
ier. a larger amount is in Kemble's bank.
Some Sll 900 was in the broken banks of
Venango and Erie, $1,000 with Il broken
Towanda firm, and $4,000 with the impe-
cunious Ridgway. Well the bill was drawn,
and the preamble set forth that"the revenue
raised by taxing the capital or the industry
of the State ought not to exceed the amount
necessary to meet the ordinary expenses of
government and reduce the debt at a reason
able rate"
The measure passed and repealed the
tax on gross receipts, amounting to $500, 900,
which had been paid by corporations. An
other section repealed the tax on net earn
fn ,Vh btl oil
been paid by corporations | then insisted
that this simply relieved capital, and that
the tax on horses, mules and cattle should
be repealed, which amounted to 100000.
This was unwillingly assented to.
The following year, to my surprise, Mr..
Mackey came before the Commtte and de-
manded additional taxation although he then
had a surplus of 81 100000 in the Treasury.
An obedient egislature-Republcan Of
course, fastened to pass the bill which put q
tax on stocks of SS50,000, and on Goa! of
100000. But the same bill relieved cor
porations by taking the tax off on loans,
S6SS,000, and tonnage, $3.50 ,000,-a total of
Sl,OT30OO BY this means, whilst railroads
and other corporations have been relieved.
the people pay the State 100000 on their
coal, or three cents per ton. As coal is as
much a necessity as wheat or corn, it would
have been entirely as Just to have taxed the
latter.
And now another point as to the manage
ment of our Treasury, aud to show how peo-
pie and legislators are hoodwinked. Kemble
in his report for 1866 truly said "The reve-
that n very close estimate can be mnde Of
from sources that are growing,and must CON
tinuc to increase SO long as the State in
creases in population and general produce
tions." Now, the revenue being certain
and increasing, how has Mackey made his
estimates? | assert that they have been
purposely underestimated for the double
purpose of influencing legislation, and to
enable him to keep q large balance in the
Treasury. For instance on Feb. 8, 1874 he
estimated the revenue at $5,00O,0OO. The
artudt revenue for 1874 according to his own
Report was 1857 900, So in this case he
made an underestimate OF $S7l 900. At the
same time he estimated the expenditures at
$G0OOUO0, and by his own report they
actually were $6,642,OO0 or $G42 200 more
than his estimate,-the two errors together
making One anil u haT million Of dollars!
The following table will show further how
the thing is and take it from his own re-