The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-01
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for want of shipping England and Ger
many have taken exports that might just
as easily have been ours. There are not
ships enough sailing fro.ss our Pacific
coast 10 accommodate the amount OF
Asiatic business offered. The fact Is
there are no American ships IN the trade;
| mean no modern ships capable Of carry
Ing al cost TO the shippers sufficiently
low TO establish our foreign commerce on
a solid basis and meet TIE competition OF
other nations
Every farmer and every merchan.
throughout the entire country west Of
the Rocky mountains is more directly
concerned in this question than in any
other that affects his moneyed interests
Transportation In the commercial world
is like the blood in animal life. Step
the circulation and the body Is dead"
Any Equitable Tax Is Fair.
Mr.. Hi gave his views on the tax
measures now before congress, and on
taxes in general. as follows:
Some of the tax measures now before
congress for the purpose of increasing
the war revenue are altogether right.
Others are not. Any efforts 10 obtain
necessary revenue BY levying a tax based
on a fair and sound foundation, that
makes the tax reasonable ana equal to
all. VIII, l think, meet with the approve.
OF all. But any attempt to oyerburden
one interest for the benefit of another Will
be distasteful to the people and doubtless
meet with more or less resistance 1t
seems just now that there is more or ef-
Tort In congress in this direction than OF
measure. In many and various ways the
problem has been considered. with the
evident desire on the part Of the men,
bers to agree upon some feasible and wel.-
defined plan. But as yet there seems
TO have little come of It,
You must always bear N mind this,
that any large sum TO be raised by taxa
ton must and will be borne by all the
people In proportion to the ngures they
individually cut. For instance, when =
special tax is laid upon a corporation
that tax Is borne by the people who use
the product Of that corporations labor
A corporation Is only piece or paper
with the seal Of the state attached, and or
itseis can pay no money. II earns ii or
borrows 1t. The tax Is levied and must
be paid. 1t would scarcely be paying
business for the corporation TO borrow
money to pay it. Its only method IS to
Increase the price OF the product OF Its
labor. or. In other words draw on the
people who use that product to pay the
tax SO, You see, corporation, when
ii comes to taxes. Is merely a distrbut-
ing agent. If It cannot collect It's taxes
must go unpaid and the corporation goes
into the hands OF a receiver, or sonnet ning
else equally as bad results.
Railroad corporations pay a tax on
every pound OF freight, human or mer-
camille, they carry. Perhaps you will
be surprised when I tell you that the
Great Northern pays out in taxes more
than 1000 each day. an amount equal to
more than one-haff the entire dividends of
the road. 1t pays TO the several states
through which 1t passes more than one
half as much as is earned by all the
stockholders or their investments That
constitutes a very large proportion of the
total expenses OF the road. and is equal
to u per cent. of all the wages paid 10
its employees. We have Only two sources
fron: which to draw our money: We
must either sell transportation or borrow
When we have a given amour. 10 pay
IL would be poor business II we had TO
borrow to conduct our transportation,
consequently We must sell at such prices
as viii cover taxes and all other expenses
incident to the business. besides paying
proper return on investment. So. yoa
see, that anything that adds TO the tax
on a corporation adds SO much to the
burden of the people. AS said, we are
merely distributing agency: we pay hts
taxes and charge 1t 10 him through che
mediums OF an individual product, which
is transportation"
Mr.. H:ll started East yesterday after
noon on a tour of inspection or the road.
his private car being attached to the
overland train which left Seattle at
p. m.