The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-04-04
CAPITAL OF THE STATE.
WALTER JOHNSON CONFIDENT OF
ARNOLD's APPOINTMENT.

Convention of the Farmers Alliance
Delegates-Incrsased Rewards Await
the Csptors of the Walker County
White Caps-senator Halls Amend
| rnent to the State Tax Act
ATLANTA, GA, April 3.-The latest ar
rival here from Washington is Walter
| johnson Of Columbus, who expressed con-
fidence in tie appointment of DIR. Arnold of
| Albany as collector Of Internal revenue.
Mr.. johnson got out Of the way for DIR.
| Arnold. and denies the rumor that he had
renewed his candidacy. An appointment
is not likely before May, on account of the
condition of the business in the collectors
office
ALLIANCE MEN IN FORCE.
Alliance men are here tonight in great
numbers for their meeting tomorrow. The
committee on credentials has been in session
all day on business relating to the status Of
the delegates. Over 200 delegates are ex-
pected. The great fight of the Georgia
farmers against the bagging trust will be
opened tomorrow.
WALKERS WHITE CAPS.
The executive rewards for the Walker
county White Caps were enlarged to-day
so that $3.50 will be paid for the arrest of
the first with proof TO convict. and $50 for
each of the others.
The verdict of the coroner's jury in the
Stone mountain tragedy to-day fixed the
murder on REVERE.
A new militia district was created in
Wilcox county to-day, which will be No.
!, A2
GEoRGIA's TAX ACT.
1t is predicted by those who have investi-
gated the question, that the amendments
incorporated by Senator Hall in the tax
act, under which it is proposed to raise the
states revenues for the current year, will
be the occasion of more than one great
legal fight 1t is already apparent that the
railroads will resist the mileage tax on the
sleeping cars Of foreign corporations
hauled over the roads of this STATE. This
tax will be resisted, as already threatened
by officials of some of the leading roads on
two grounds. One that the sleeping ars
of nonresident corporations are en-
gagged wholly and entirely in inter
state commerce, and therefore not liable
The other, that the tax is not imposed on
home companies, and is therefore an uncon-
stituuonal discrimination against the
corporations, or citizens of other states. 1t
is shrewdlv suggested by an admirer of
Judge Hall. that the real i1wardness of the
legislation Law in the hope that the injustice
of it would cause the railroads to turn on
them TO pay these tax bills
THE SITUATION NOW,
The law referred to requires the road TO
make returns TO the comptroller general by
April of the mileage over which il hauls
the sleeping cars of nonresident corpora
tons. The tax on 100 miles Of road or less
is 800. On over 100 and not more than $50
miles, $3.50; over that mileage and not ex-
ceeding 20 miles, 500, and not exceeding
$50 miles, $3.50. Where the mileage exceeds
80 miles the tax is $500.
THE CENTRAL's RETURNS.
The NEWS recently published the fact
that General Manager Belknap refused to
make the return for the Central, claiming
the tax unconstitutional on the interstate
commerce idea.
The comptroller general informed him
that the Central might at the proper time
resist the collection of the tax, but the law
required that the return must be made, aud
if there was failure it would be assessed
By the state. Mr.. Belknap has since
made the return, explaining that his re-
fusal was based on Misrepresentation, The
Central returned 2SS miles Of which 200
were from Atlanta to Albany, and 20 from
Albany to Montgomery. Elsewhere the
Central use its own sic spers.
The Atlanta and West Point returns
20 81 mile
The Georgia returns no mileage cOntem-
plated by the law.
The same return is made by the South
Carolina, the Georgia Midland and Gulf,
and the Gainesville, Jefferson and Southern
roads.
OTHER ROADS ASSESSED.
The other roads operated in the state hav-
ing failed or refused to make tie returns
within the time prescribed by the act,
Comptroller General Wright to-day
"wednesday assessed each of the delinquent
roads, on the basis Of The number of miles
operated by them in this state.
The Savannah, Florida aud Western was
assessed on ASP miles.
The Richmond and Danville on 100 miles
The East Tennessee, Virginia and Georgia
on AT miles
The Chattanooga, Rome and Columbus
on 133 miles
The Georgia Pacific on 50 miles.
QUEER DISAPPEARANCE OF TAXABLE PROP
ERTY.
The tax collector of Fulton county and
the tax gatherer Of the city OF Atlanta are
on still hunt after the assets of the Geor-
gia Improvement Company, which have
nysteriously and utterly disappeared This
IS the construction company which some
time ago contracted TO build the Atlanta
in hand last fall $400, 900, and re-
turned that amount TO the city, state and
county. They have failed to pay any part
Of the tax, and the tax officials have made
dIliRent search for property belonging to the
company upon which to levy, but 50 far have
found none. The relations existing between
this construction company and the Atlanta
and Florida are peculiarly intimate and
are now undergoing investigation with