The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-06-19


country and then build railroad to It.
In view Of the fact that non resident cap
ital its reaping enormous profits by its tenn,
porary sojourn in this State, and In view
Of the further fact that our natural wealth
furnishes basis Of credit that should pro.
cure ample means to. develop the country,
Is It not practicable to devise method by
which this basis Of credit may be utilized
BY our own people, and the profits, now
being reaped by the strangers, gathered by
those who choose 10 live within our borders
and who are permanently identified with
the fortunes Of the State? 3tgs#r.
i5' RAILROAD, ESCAPING TAXATION.
Very few persons have an idea Of the
amount OF taxes now unpaid which (it Is
believed) would have been collected long
since II the laws touching the taxation Of
railroad properly had been enforced as dill.
iSsntly as are the laws respecting the taxes
due by individuals. One Of the Commie.
sion has attempted, with the limited re-.
sources now at his command, to estimate
the amount which Is unpaid and ought to
be collected, and he places 1t at not far
short OF 100000. ''.lT. 7,.' =
It may be eaid that these taxes were not
collected because the companies obtained
njunctions, and although the decisions Of
the Courts are against them, they employ
lawyers OF such superior skill that they are
able to thwart the law; but the point is, II
this money had been due from an indi.
vidual, would 1t have remained thus long
unsettled? 1fthis were q debt due by one
individual to another, would not the cred.
itor find some lawyer competent to termi.
nate the litigation by final decision2
WHERE is sATToRNEYaINRRAL WATTS ?
"Since 1860 the law has required all rail.
road taxes to be paid directly into the
State Treasury before the 2lst Of January
in each year. II not paid before that day,
the Auditor is required TO certify the
amount Of tax on the railroad properly in
each county to the Sheriff, who Is directed
to collect the amount certified to him. IA
We are informed that certain railroad
companies have never obeyed this law;
their taxes have never been paid into the
Treasury as itrqaires, and we are further
informed that never In single instance
has Sheriff collected the full amount of
the railroad tax which was certified to him
by the Auditor. IS -,
These being the facts, well may it be
asked, d,-"Why is 1t, that the laws are thus
strangely at fault whenever railroad tax
Is to be collected?" sEt a. Tg
It will surprise the taxpayers Of this
State to learn that SlS5, ,322 o. OF the rail-
road taxes which accrued between 1877
and 1882 were not paid, as required by
law, into the Treasury; and this is e1clu.
sive Of (about) Sl67, 500 due by the Chess.
peake and Ohio Railroad, and also txclu.
sive Of some S25, 900 in taxes which, owing
to .he neglect OF certain local officers, we're
not assessed.
"The question will be asked, ,"What part
OF this Sl35. 800 02 has been collected?" Our
answer is that there is nothing on record
anywhere in this State to show what part
Of this money (thus certified to the Sher.
ifs) has been collected" e 8
TURN THE RAsCAIs oUT,n ~ - 2, ~,
It will be remembered that these unpaid
taxes are estimated at (about 100000; it
will be remembered that this money is
owing by non.residents, and the question
is, whether the citizsns Of this State pro-
pose to lose the money ? II not, they must
put in office men who are willing and com.
petent ITO make matters right"
The present Legislature increased the
tax rate 25 percent to pay debt incurred
to meet the annual expenses Of our State
government, and yet lowing to the fact that
no one was specially responsible for this
matter,) nothing was done and not one
word WIS said about collecting these un.
| paid taxes. Comment is unnecessary. &!
1t shocks common sense to suggest that
there is no remedy ior this condition Of
thing; somebody is to blame. If dill.
gent counsel cannot prevent, in the State
Courts, such delay az that which has oc.
Cured about collecting these taxes, the
remedy is for the Legislature to change the
statutes regulating the methods OF judicial
procedure; il this delay has occurred in the
Federal Courts, tine remedy is for Congress
to change the statute under which these
Courts interfere with the local and domes-
tic affairs OF State, and il this delay has
occurred because opr State has not been
effectively represented in the Courts, the
remedy Is to employ lawyers who are able
to bring about more speedy results."
THE SCHOOL FuSD-sTATR RAILROADS,
The report recommends that the irreduc-
ible school fund be expended in building
a System Of narrow guage railroads, GOO
miles OF which are suggested at cost Of
S5. .0OO. .O00.: The following interesting tables
are appended; &;Sis, ,;s;li.4 ll9;l.-
Total taxation tstate county and d!s.ric) in sey.
erAI States, taken at rAndem :agg It}G9t' q. ..