The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1878-03-30
TIIXATIOS AND UNJUST DISCEiMiNA-
IIDS.

| According to the report OF the Board OF
| Equalization tor 1872 the amount of stock and
debts and paid up stock and debts TO railroads
was S2jt,9l2 5G3I5. For 49, ".a entire
amount Of value for capital ,roc. .. uiiroads
| is $133 49G,j22. The capital stock Of telegraph
companies sizes, 1914, also $4,000 assessed
against the Great Western Telegraph Com
pany The capital stock Of railroads, equal
wed for the year 1873, amounted to $22 ,Gl9,22
and for the year 1876, $40 and for the
year 1871, no capital stock is assessed against
railroads by the Board of Equalization. There
was J,101 miles OF railroad track in the state as
assessed by the board for the year 1913, and tor
the year 1877, GjO2 miles, an increase Of l9OJ
miles of railroad track and a decrease OF K. X.
capital stock assessed of 1854 9l2 ,jG34j. We
find by auditors report of Dec. 81, 1873, that
45 counties, PIP townships, II cities and - IN
corporatcd towns have issued bonds to the
capital stock of railroads, to which should be
added from a quarter to half a million in indi-
vidual subscriptions. There have been bonds
redeemed and cancelled S417,0S3, while the
people and counties, etc, have paid interest on
the notes and bonds. The railroads neither
pay interest or assessment on either capital
stock or on the notes or bonds. This rcduc-
ton amounts to protective tariff for K X.
property and u tariff on all other taxable
property. Now, has not the Board of Equali
cation become more ornamental than useful
by such unjust determinations in favor of
railroad property and against all other poper
ty, thereby beating the laws against unjust dis
ordinations? The courts, the railroad and
warehouse commissioners, and the people gen
orally, by. mot assessing railroad property, are
thereby cXcmpting it from bearing its just
Of taxation. Why not try the
Pennsylvania plan of taxation as recommend
ed by II committee of the senate of February,
1877, by Senator VI. b. Castle, chairman, there.
by doing away with the board Of equalization?
We must have "a change or the increase Of
taxes and the decrease of taxable property will
work the COniiscation OF our property. THE
December LIST, 1874, was Scli.sus-
tanning and needed no appropriations, having
excess of earnings over expenses OF SjG2lS.I.
| nder the present system and proper manage.
ment, the pcnitentiary never will be burden
to the state, &c" May 1877 we find an APP
for the penitcntiary of SOS OOO9S,
also, for new penitentiary, 100000 total
S29S 09O9S. There was an election, Nov 1876.
There were appropriations by the last legis-
ature for the years of 1877 and 1873 amount
ing to S6,0l4 ZAP, so that the prospect of high
lakes is good for another year. Senator Davis's
which is making an examination of
the system Of keeping the books Of the |. :.
treasury, has secured a statement of the pre-
miums paid expenses of national loans, and
he cost of rcfunding the debt For premiums
$50, TBS 1871 73 and $32 45S, 1920 were paid for
national bank loans; and S30S1 ,S0996 for re-
undlng the public debt. The total debt at the |
lose of the year 1877 amounted to S2,3Uj, 3Ol,
i92 10, showing IA net increase during the year /
If 1877 of $2i 906,3 2495. Therefore we would |
recommend the election Of representatives, to |
congress who would favor making laws to
prohibit the issue of government bonds except |
or the security of small dcpositors through |
he pOst-oificc department to supply the place
# savings bank swindles Then when the |
government paid bonds the money would have |
o 90 into farms, business, &c, and would be |
ubjcct TO taxation, and as the general govern |
ncnt should exercise the only power to create !
money it should not unjustly discriminate
ganst any description of money of its own
rcation. Gold, silver, postal fractional cur
ency copper and nickle should be received at |
he stamped value and the government should |
Wind up the 2,0S9 national banks rs banks of
,suc and replace their circulation with full |
ngal tender grcenback currency and put a
lritf on incomes rs well as tariff on poverty. |
man can not be so poor that he is exempt
rom paying tariff on part Of what he eats,
Kinks and wears.
Sheridan, La Sale Co, March, 1873.
john ). ARMSTRONG.