The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1897-07-15
J ~nscn roc HAD IN. ro~.a TO Max.

~KfcH roc HAD rHs rouaa TO nAxs
II 10 certain shst a,embess Who vot.
Cd aSAios& these bills have ssssmosed
% testify their course to their coess IL a.
eoss ae home By the aiiee.iioa that
shey expected fully that 700 would
yourselves make the redoetiyss.
III IS 100000 will replace the prop
erty, that 10 the value Of the plant: ADD
an enormous addition fos she valuaiioo
Of franchise can only be made on tn.
basis that the excessive rlies and prof
It's make the property worth that much
more than Il could be built for. think
the valuation should be pisoed II what.
ever the plant 10 really and truly worth,
and that fares and freiGh:s should be
reduced. taking the prev .ous years fx-
ures - . basis, 20 that I Der cent. 90
that valuation, above taxes and all ex
penses Of every kind will be the nesi
earnings. To swell the valuation BY
Al estimate Of s3s oo0. 900. ~ one Of
your number has proposed. for the
value OF the franchise, 10 simply an
admission Of grossly excessive rates Of
fares and freiEhts. II would merely
put into the Treasury . tax which can
NOS exceed two-thirds Of one per ceat.
Oh that sun: while letting the corpora
lions put their fares and freighis high
enough to earn
9, 10 Or Is PER CENT. OK THIS tss Co.,
coo or "wIHD"
IL the Treasury prefers il - Q meth
Cd OF taxation, the rates might be fixed
to yield per cent on SIC ,OOO, OOOt above
property tax and all other expenses).
and then tax could be laid BY the
Legislature on the gross earnings sNf-
ncient to reduce the net amount 10 per
cent. This 10 resorted to in some States.
This method would give much Of the
desired reduction OF freights and fares
and at the same time would add con.
siderably to the tax receipts. In Mas
sachusetts the railroads pay IS $50 600
taxes in addition to the property tax
This is about 8 per cent. on their gross
earnings from passengers. In lllinois
the Central Railroad pays the State
per cent. on gross earnings. In many
other States similar tax is levied. In
New York the railroads, in one way or
anot her, pay over 100000 taxes Al
nnally. Wisconsin, which has our pop
ulati0n, collects over 81 ,2OO,0O0 taxes
from railr0ads. Indiana gets 81 $780,
600 railroad taxes and even in Penn.
sylvania where the railroads openly
own the government they pay the State
81, soc. 600 taxes. In Minnesota the to <
on railroad gross carriage is over one
million dollars, and the railroads in the
little State Of New Jersey pay over q
million dollars taxes. In North Caro-
lima all the railroads combined pay the
State
A LITTLE OVER 100000 OF THEIR $780,
100000 OF PROPERTY,
and not one cent on their nearly &c.,
600 600 Of annual gross earnings or on
their 81, PSI, 600 Of net earnings. The
three great railroads of the State earn
IL per cent. usury on their investment
and pay the State back less than $780,
600 in taxes.
But should your Honorable Commits
sion think it wise to increase the val.
uation for taxation by some millions
for the franchise, as has been suggest.
ed, I earnestly ask you, in justice to the
public, not to overlook the fact that in
fixing rates they
SHOULD NOT BE HIGH ENOUGH
to give railroads 4 or 6 per cent. on the
franchise valuation. They are only
entitled to 4 or 6 per cent. Gas you MAY
grant) on the value of the plant, i.e., or
then the nett earnings should be cal
culated on that. The franchise valua
ton is simply the "wind," the "water'
added BY means of the excessive prof
its, and this wind" having cos
them nothing, to allow them
net earning on that would be tn
very matter agaist which our people
have most earnestly protested.
Our people have no hostility to rail
roads. That charge is an old device o
their officials whenever justice is de
manded in regard to them. There i
hostility against the methods of som
Of their managers and against the fire
pass system, which in many instance
Is "A THIN VEIL FOR CORRUPTION;
, and against the enormous sums in ex
! cess Of reasonable net earnings whic
are exacted by the present high rate
being sent out of the State never t
, return, to the. permanent impoverish
! ment of this commonwealth. 1t j
, these abuses, not the proper use, o
7 railroads which are repugnant to US.
You are North Carolinians entruste
with
> A GREAT AND SACRED RESPONSIBILITY
You have it in your power to rende
. long delayed justice to q long suffer
! ing people. You can tighten the loa
! which . blind and exacting avaric
,, has bound on their shoulders an,
.. makes heavier and heavier with tn
! passing years; for money is still en-
!. HANGING in value and hence the rate
! for freight and passenger il increasing
in effect, though not in nomins
!, amount each year, and almost eac
fmonth. l pray you grant the peopl
that Justice and that relief In the con
fdent hope of which your Commiesio
j., was created. In your wisdom 20
: have thought proper to defer it til
!, now. Six years is
+ LONG TINE FOR WHOLE PEOPLE r
SUFFER.
. The facts and figures l have laid be
fore you are taken from your own re
|. ports. They tell q sad tale of insati
= able avarice on the one hand and q
! patient endurance on the other.
1 thank you for the compliment {
, asking me to present the cause Of th
= people in this matter. Nothing
nearer to my heart than their welfar
Nothing will be . higher honor tina
to be able to secure at your hands SON
}, alienation of the burdens so unspal
= ingly laid upon them. would that
4 possessed eloquence that might pr,
. sent their cause with the fort
= its Justice and ito importance demand
~ As}plainly and rs clearly As 1 coul'
in my humble way, I have called tn
= matter to your attention. In the nan
, of 300, O0O voters in North Carolina,
: ask that you hearken to their caus
= However arrogant, however d0minee
= INF, however omnip0tent in our 60
= ternment the railroad kings seem to b
Is AROUSE THEN0ELvHe,
- Are the patient burden bearers. Il