Daily Republican., 1886-03-29
The Tax ON Coal.

Com mercisl Advertiser contains more
read with interest by the business men,
manufactures and toiling masses who
are Obliged TO pay this new tax or do
without fuel:
As Is we'll known, practically all the
anthracite coal used in the United
States comes from q few contiguous
counties In Pennsylvania. IL 10 distri-
butod and its production Is controlled
by six railroad operations, who met on
Monday night and decided how much
coal the United States should consume
during the next twelve months and
during next mouth, and what the Price
should be. And 1t IL almost unneces.
sary to add that they voted that the
present price should be advanced. The
Increase IL fixed At Is cents q ton,
which at the ruling retail rate of coal is
about per cent. added 10 the cost. In
other words, every manufacturer,
every business N an, every housekeeper,
and every man, woman or child who
cooks food or keeps warm Is hence.
forth to pay An Internal revenue tax
OF o per cent. to combination Of ak
RAILROAD corporations.
The companies estimate that the
revenue from this new tax will amount
to s. 375, 600. Hence the GOAL tax will
compare very respectfully with any
single item in the tariff or internal
revenue list. Only six groups Of im-
ported articles pay more into the Trea-
sury, and Of these only three-sugar,
wool and silk-pay very much more.
Now here are eleven men who meet
In conference and lay per cent. tax,
amounting 10 nearly $40, 000. 600, on the
United States. The meeting was secret.
The public was not heard. The act was
essentially taxation without represen.
tation, The magnates had, of course,
to consider how much the people would
bear; that enters into tho calculations
| of every sagacious despot. But that Ia
not what we mean by liberty.
To all intents aud purposes the action
Of the coal magnates was legislative.
They might ~ we'll have sat in the
Ways and Means COMMITTEES room,
framed their tax bill, passed II In
secret session, looked 1t over again, sit
ting as the Senate in executive session,
and then signed IL as President. For 1t
Is now the law that coal shall bear .
tax of % cents . ton. Each freight car
might have q stamp pasted 90 the
buffer, just as each keg of liquor has n
stamp at the bung, or each box of
cigars q stamp on the cover.
Il We have tried 10 state clearly and
fairly the character of the step taken
famine the reasons, real or assigned
which actuate the combination. /,
does not follow, necessarily. because
the action was arbitrary that 1t was
bad. There are many advantages TO q
Tyranny. Sidney South defined th'
b ideal government as IAN angel from
, heaven and despotism." And 30 Glib
i bon describes the reiHns Of the two
81 Antonies, which were tyrannica
I enough, as models Of Just and enlight
ened government. II is very possible
!. therefore, that this new coal tax of tel
.lmillions was laid, without the publ,
\ Iconsent to be sure, but still In the pub
l. lie interest
70 Ifwhat the magnates say 10 true
70 certainly Was. For they claim that th
N advance Ia made because the presen
rates of mining and transportation G
as coal ought TO be higher, for 1t 10 q
Mt axiom that society is not benefited i
ID the long run by business done at los,
n The railroad Presidents and Manager
"A affirm that an advance In the price wa
necessary 70 enable them TO continu
u mining and hauling coal. Said one
%, them on Friday: "At present broke
ag coal, even with the advance, sells
d, less than cost" Said another: "Prlc
.lof coal, which have been unduly d,
heI pressed, will be gradually advanced
m o fair rate" Mr.. Sloan says that q
ort object OF the conference was TO 'cheC
u the destructive downward tendency
=. the price Of anthracite GOAL. There Wi
to increase the price
T. coal 30 that 1t would be oppressive
al burdeusome to consumers" 9th
he magnates who took part In the oonfs
he ence express similar views.
wsE II these statements are truthful al
Icandid the consumer ought not TO col
ira Iplain. Bnt, thus far, we have little
~ which to base belief that the coal m
" are acting in good faith beyond thu
lown interested statements. Will t
laAded ten millions be distribut
" lequita6ly among the wage-workers
Iss the mines, the employees of the ros
Tx and the holders of the companies sec
erel rifles, go that all concerned shall hav
m fair return for their labor or capita
sre AS the World to day remarks, all
he two of the anthracite companies %
ev dividends as IL 10. Are these dividen
orc to be increased while the wages
nc miners and employ es remain statioDal
- or, perhaps, are cut down? We sh
81 y, be interested to see how the futU
!th answers these test questions. Mes
he while we shall pay the new tax on 70
In aud fuel with the meekness that
lcomes good citizens.