The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-07-17
UNPATRloTIc CORPORATIONS.

! \ cious evasion of the war tax by the Wells
Fargo Express Company. While that concern
Is guilty OF deying the statute, OF withholding sup
port from the Government which protects it, and Of
imposing upon the patrons from whom it draws div-
dends, it is not alone in its lack Of patriotism. There
are other corporations pursuing equally
grateful and despicable
The management of the Telephone Company an
nounces with air OF virtue that it will pay the
war tax; actually pay the tax specifically i'm
posed upon it by Congress. Here's an instance OF
gracious condescension, to be sure There was
nothing else for it to do 1t has struck the pose
OF philanthropst, but it is merely obeying the law
To demonstrate this the part of the act governing
given in full:
1t shall be the duty of every person, firm Or
poration owning operating any telephone line
lilies to make, within the first fifteen days of each
month, sworn statement to the collector OF in
ternal each of their respective districts
stating the number OF messages or conversations
transmitted their respective lines during the pre-
eedng month, for which charge of IS cents
was imposed, and for each OF such messages or
versations the said person, firm corporation shall
pay tax of I cent"
OF course there is mild triumph IN forcing cor
poraon to obey the law but that it does so after it
| has endeavored to play Wells Fargo confidence
game and found that it couldn't, gives it no excuse
Tor being pulled with pride. There is absolutely no
warrant for the scheme the company devised of max
ing customers pay the tax all messages bearing
tolls of less than so cents itself pay the The
message costing than half dollar to transmit
is comparative rarity. The corporation was en-
deavorng to let its treasury down easy and the
luton to lead better life came very late The Call
has bills from the Telephone Company, bearing date
CT July 10, 1885, wherein charges made for the
war revenue taxes for messages sent from this Of
ice There seems to be conflict between this fact
and the talk of the management. Frankly the COM
pany has been making its patrons pay that which it
should have paid, and finding that the patrons would
not submit that the law meant what 1t said has de-
c'ded, it declares with conscious air of good
ness that it will conduct its affairs in lawful way
Its bills do not yet substantiae this Let the COM
pany refund what it has illegally exacted If it shall
not do so, the cloud of suspicion now over its char
acter will remain.
The Western Union Telegraph Company is worse
1t pretends to believe the law exempts it, that it
stands a different plane from another company
engaged in the transmission of messages 1t does
not pay the tax, and declares it will not pay The
Western Union has been the gamer by the to the
extent of thousands of dollars daily 1t enjoys pro-
lection and special privileges under the Government
to whose support it now meanly declines to
tribute. 1t has secured construction of the law
by which it is declared not bound to pay the tax
That Congress intended to bind it, and that it is
morally bound there be question. In all
probability it will find itself legally bound also
Meantime it will fitch from the people who patronze
it, and force these people to pay the tax of pay
of which it sneaks in fashion most contempt
Die. 1t should be brought to its-senses with sud-
denness, and made to refund well conduct its
business Congress has instructed And when this
has happened, the Western Union need not go to
A. ~ 4of~
either.
A United States Commissioner in Iowa has ruled
that express companies must pay tax. The
telephone people say they will, although they haven't;
but the Western Union. richest of ALL profting most
Of all from the war; asserts that it doesn't have to-
and won't We confess to lack of admiration for
such greed.