Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-10-17
GROSS INEQUALITY.

The annual meeting of the s,oekhold-
err Of the Pullman Palace Car company
took place at Chicago on Thurrday
evening iss;. and ycry gratifying
meeting II muis have been 10 them. IL
was then and there disclosed that there
was a surplus on hand " little mat
ter u lis.O0o. 900. and theroupln a mo-
tlon 4hat this baEa,elle be divided
among the holders Of aharea carried
without opposition. 50 II was done.
The press Of the country seom T. have
but little 70 say regarding the trans
action. probably looking upon u as TOO
tnviai matter TO be entitled 90 much
consideration. but among shc papers
which comment long and strong IL tho
Denver Post. u portion Of whose aFii-
Gle is herewith reproduced;
As there was an additional 1900 900
net earnings Of the year 10 he divided
among the atockholdCra u IL 20 be- pre-
aumod that they Aro IN lar better
spirits than tho tax payers OF Colorado
who Will have % diE down deep Into
their pockets In order 10 make up the
dlnernce In revenues caused by tho
state board o. equalization reducing
the assessment o. she Pullman COM
pany In this state. The company. 10
was represented 10 the state board. was
barely making expenses on account u
the many annual and trip passes u
was compelled 20 issue 10 onlclais and
politicians. und Il should therefore not
be asked TO pay its proportion %
taxes The state board odncldod with
the Wow, and tho taxes OF the Pulls
man company were corfesP'ndlngly
reduced. che difference 70 be made up
by the taxpayers Of Colorado"
The Post, proceeding IN the line Of
faeetlouHnoss, concludes that II IL not
20 be expected that another attomps
will be made In the legislature % ra.
ducc the rates on Pullman cars mas
much a. by doing ~ the Pullman COM
pany viii be forced 30 greatly Increase
thc issue N passes. thereby ncccaHai-
ting a further reduction % taxes 10 or
der to even up, "our state board OF
equalization" q says. must feel high
ly dated over this showing Of the poor
Pullman oompanyW as slight tes-
timonial 70 the gullelcsrness manifest
ed should present each member Of tho
board properly inscribed icl,hor
medal"
The dlapropor,lonatc amounts Of
revenue which invested capital
often ylelda should noy. one
would think. be further aug
mcn,ed by tho favorable action u the
iaw-mahlnE power or those who exor-
else is delegated authority. To most
minds Il would seem the par, o. equity
and Justice 10 cultivate tho welfare Of
the great body of the people by lncrenh-
ing rather than diminishing taxation
whore the pronis OF an enterprise arc ~
enormous ns IN the ease cited. and IN
agenerel way 20 bring al kinds Of pub
he convenlcncca nearer 10 Instead u
taking them further from tho masses.
II argues lack 81 true statesmanshlp
TO foster a condition OF things which m
the long run can only mean the over
throw Of cu,r1nched oppression by IN.
lawful means; for Il Is we'll assured
that where such wholly dlspr1p1riIln-
ate gains are acquired. other industries
and noarly an people must be- eurtallcd
In soinc way 20 make up tho vast bur
dena u profit which are not only per-
mitied bu. made By law to EraWtate 10
the few. This kind OF thing canno, last
always, There must be. eventually,
something approaching an equalization
which equallzea; and law-mlkera who
stand IN the way Of such better conll-
lions being reached by peaceful. proper
agencies are assur'dy sowing dragons
teeth. The dimes are sufficiently out
Of Joint without, making thcm worse IN
the manner Indicated.