The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-05-25
ITIDcR wALTER CLARK.
He Says hatWe CanEasiIy Educate OUT
People When We Make the Railroads
po.r Their Inst Share of Taxation

81 SSPG%
Bear Their Just Share of Taxation.
News and Observer
Mr.. Walter 81. Pages plea for the
education Of the masses in yesterdays
issue was a strong and just presenta-
tion Of the necessity of higher taxation
for that purpose and the benefit that
would result. He said nothing as to
the ad justment of the burdens of taxa
ton, which are heavy, not because of
their great aggregate amount, but be-
u the taxes are placed almost en-
tirely on that element of our people
who are least able to bear them, like a
load ill adjusted upon a horse. The
wealth of this State pays very little of
its taxes. The burden lies upon the
toilers and producers. In the Northern
States, which have the fine educational
systems of which Mr. Page speaks, the
wealth is made to bear some proportion
of the taxation. In New York they
have recently adopted a graduated in
heritance tax, ranging from 1 per cent.
on S., 900 to 10 per cent. on inheritances
of 81. 600, 900 and upwards. Then the
gross receipts of railroads, gas con-
panies, telegraph, telephone and ex-
press companies are made to pay a fair
taxation. But yesterday in Michigan
the Legislature fixed the taxation on
railroad gross receipts at q per cent,
where the gross receipts were not over
50, 600 per mile, and at 4 per cent. where
the earnings we're over g 900 and less
than 6 $4,000 per mile, at 6 per cent.
where the receipts were owe 81. 900
aud less than Sc. 600, and 10 per cent,
wherever the receipts were over $4,000
per mile. It is estimated that this bill
will raise the taxes paid by the rail
roads in that State to 81. 500, OOO.. They
have heretofore been paying only $780,
900. In Wisconsin, whose area and
population is about the same as in North
Carolina, the annual railroad tax is
81, $50, 900. In Indiana q much smaller
State in area than North Carolina, the
railroad taxes are 81, $50, coo. With
such revenues paid in by the railroads,
and with proportionate taxes paid by
telegraph. telephone, gas and express
accompanies, North Carolina could have
the same magnificent school system.
But compared with the above, look at
the pitiful 800, 600 paid by the rail
roads in North Carolina. In Wisconsin,
Michigan and many other States the
legislatures began long ago fixing the
railroad fares at Q cents per mile and
reducing freight rates. The result was
not only q vast benefit to the public,
but increased revenues to the railroads.
Both the railroads and the people are
therefore better able to stand the taxes
which give those States such magnI6-
cent schools, with public libraries, and
universities with free tuitioD) number
ing 5000 students each, as portrayed
by Mr.. Page.
But in North Carolina, with high
passenger aud freight rates, REFRESHING
enterprise, the vast income Of the rail
roads escapes altogether, and all the
railroads in the State combined pay
only q property tax into the State
Treasury of sos, 900, which is swelled
by the school tax to something ove
800, 900. No railroad in this State pays
aLy tax on it's gross receipts. Their
great revenues are carried out of the
State almost untouched by the tax col
lector to London and New York, to
swell the overgroWn revenues Of J.
Pierpont Morgan, Rothschild and the
like, and to furnish enormous salaries
to the managers Of the property here
and to procure lawyers, editors and
lobbyists to keep down public senti
ment from any assertion Of an indie
pendent attitude. There is one cor
poration operating in this State which,
it is said pays one official alone more
than three and q half times the entire
amount of public tax it pays into the
State Treasury.
What we need first of all is to edu-
cate u people into sending a legisla-
ture here whose majority will vote for
proper taxation of IL se incomes and
who cannot be cajoled, deceived,
wheedled or frightened into letting the
railroads continue to run the State for
their own benefit. With an independ-
ent, intelligent legislature, we cannot
only cut down freight and passenge
rates, but we can like the Northern
States, levy a tax upon the gross re-
ceipts of these great corporations which
will give. a public school system such
as those States have. What North
Carolina needs is a legislature that
mill 1900 ~. -a~-Io RS~l- - s-S--