Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-02-05
THE COAL LICENSE TAX.
Public Meetings in Fr0stburg and
L0MacOning.

joining the German Lutheran Church on
Monday last The occasion brought out a
large attendance of miners and other work
ingmen from Frostburg, Eckhart, Pompey
Smash, Allegany, Borden Mines and Shaft,
Ocean and Midland Mines, who, notwith-
standing the bracing air, very patiently list
encd to the proceedings.
The object of the meeting was stated by
Philip ORourke, Esq, chairman of the
Committee organized by the previous meet
ing at Eckhart, viz:
1, To submit to the Maryland Legislature
an earnest but respectful protest against the
imposition of the proposed license tax up
ON the coal product of this region, and
2, To s''licit such legislation as will Sc
cure to the miners of Maryland the needful
ventilation of the mines for the safety of
the health and lives of the MINERS
The following named gentlemen were
elected officers of the meeting:
President-Philip O'Rourke.
Vice Presidents-L. G. Stevens of the
Cumberland AUtganian and z. Laney of the
Cumberland Meas, and John G. Wcis, Esq
iSecrttary-J. B. Oder
DR.. C. III. Gctzcndanner of Frostburg was
the first speaker. He sympathizcd heartily
with the movement, both on account of the
common interest held with regard to the
tax upon our great industry, and because
he had in his professional duties encounter
ed suffering and disease occasioned by de-
fcctive ventilation The doctors brief adj
dress was well received.
The president introduced Hon. Alfred
Spates of Cumberland. The gentleman be-
gan his address with some references to the
preamble of the Coal License Bill. He said
the principal cause assigned for the pro-
posed tax was asserted to be that it was
feared our mines would become exhausted
before the State would realize its due from
the investmcn' made in the public works.
erected principally fer coal carriage mean
ing the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. Mr.
Spates successfully met this by elaborate
citations of historical facts showing the
Canal as conceived and projected as a great
highway between the east and west: that
coal development and carriage were the
incidents and not the objects of its constitute
ton. AS early as 1i14 Gen. Washington
addressed a letter to Gov. Jefferson Of Nlr
rinia pointing out Tie feasibility and urg-
ing the building OF a canal from George
town to the mouth of Savage river The
project, however, was not consummated I'M
til 1898 The work began !hcn and was
finished late in 1850 Since the last named
year the vicissitudCs of coal trade infancy,
the war and growing debt, had each and
I'LL so impressed the stockholdcrs-thc con
trolling interest being vested by purchas"
of majority of the capital stock in the
statc-that this great work had been
thrown upon the markets of G. cat Britain
at price less than one fourth its cost.
Failing in this, the Constitution of 1864
provided for its sale to the four counties of
Montgomery, Frederick, Washington and
Allegany, and although three sessions of
the legislature interviewed before the adop-
ton of the Constitution of 1867, these coun-
Aics did not avail themselves of the offer
This review of Canal history conclusiycly
showed i'll what estimation the State held
its interest then. Since 1869, however the
tonnage has grown annually, augmcnting
the revenue to partial liquidation of inter,
est due the preferred bondholders. With
this growth the States appreciation in
creased until it bias reached a point when
its fears of coal exhaustion before it real
ICES revenue for its investment are aroused
The miners are thus developing the coal too
fast, AND relief is sought to repress and Grip
pie the trade by taxing the development, to
say nothing of the bad faith he:cin shown
the preferred bondholder by stepping in
before him to realize revenue in violation
of the compact.
But, really, is Western Maryland in any
wise indebted to the State on account of
the erection of the t'anal? Mr. Spates be-
gan with the assessment of 1850. In Ale
gany it was then $G000,O0O; now $50 ,OOO,-
GEO. Gncluding Garrc;t) In Washington,
along the canal, $2,000,0O0; now SIC ,O0O,-
900. Frederick an increase of $4,000, 900
and in Montgomery, an increase of 81, OO0,-
O00-total increase, $31 100000. On this
growing assessment the State has annually
reaped its taxes-indirectly the absolute re-
turn from its canal investment And, of
the States appropriations, how much is re-
turned to Allegany? Taking the Comp
.trOllers last report as authority, not one
dollar of the quarter million given mainly
for specific agricultural and educational
purposes. And yet eastern Maryland in
terests come back upon us with PROPOSE
ton to further tax our mining product.
This interesting branch of Mr. Spates' ar
gument was further illustrated by citation
from the Comp,roller's Report explaining
that this tax was sought to be levied to
compensate the failure of the State to col
lect taxes from certain corporate bodies
The long list was read ; two only, If we re.
member rightly, exist in Allegany county
while ninc-tenths are rcporte from Balti
more end the eastern shore
During the argument Mr. Spates alluded
with much force TO the constitutional OBJ