Evening journal., 1900-09-26
DOVer'S Wizard Of Finance
in New Role
POET, As WELL As FINANCIER
Makes Dirty Attack on Levi G. Bird
and Other Railroad Men
in Delaware
Special to the Evening Journal

Special to the Evening Journal
Dover. Sept. 2G.-Walter Morris
cashier Of the Farmers Bank, has now
in press and will distribute In a few
days a little booklet Of twenty-odd
pages devoted to the financial affairs
Of the state. and adressed ITO the can
didates for the General Assembly q
the State OF Delaware in particular.
and the citizens OF the state i'm gener-
al" Three thousand copies are to be
printed at once for gratuitous distribu-
ton
After explaining his object to be a
ventilation OF the financial condition
OF tho state. Mr. Morris quotes from the
state treasurer's report OF 1S97-9S, eI'
planning that though on It's face the
statement shows liabilities OF 3S44,-
$50 against assets OF s394,0O0, the
real indebtedness OF the state is $780,
600. as q bond for the benefit OF the
school fund OF Sl65,75O, and a certin-
cate OF indebtedness TO Delaware Col
lege of $50. 600 are not for money bor-
rowed but collateral to supply revenue
TO the school fund and 10 Delaware
College
TalSing the S360O0O actual Indebted
ness Mr. Morris wishes to show how it
can and shall be paid on, the school
fund enlarged at the same time aRd
also money placed in reserve for i'm
provements He first technically ex-
plains how certain bonds can be can-
celled into cash on hand. and then
comes to the second matter which no
doubt the citizens will find interesting
reading as he uses plain language. In
part as follows:
"The second matter that l bring 20
your attention is the present revenue
received by the state from railroads.
It is as follows --latest State Treasur-
or's Reports
Philadelphia, Wilmington &
Baltimore r.. r. Co.'s 10000 90
Baltimore & Philadelphia r.
X. Co ..... 49,. ......... zo,UO0 %
Delaware Railroad Coz. 5000 %
Delaware, Maryland & Vir-
glnla Railroad Co .. 450 90
Delaware and Chesapeake
Railroad Co.. ...... ..... 2O3 80
Total ....... &C.. -, ...S 6S,b53 so
"My argument is, that the tax from
railroads should be as follows, and
shall try to prove it:
Philadelphia, Wilmington &
Baltimore r. r. Co.'s 10000 90
Baltimore & Philadelphia r.
X. Co ........ ... 80. see. 36'OO0 10
Delaware Railroad Com
pany's division .... ...... 10000 90
Total ...... &C.. .$ll6,000 90
"This would increase the annual reve-
nue. OF the State Of Delaware about
s4S0O0 We first refer to the tax
OF $4,000 paid by the Philadelphia,
Wilmington and Baltimore railroad.
He then quotes Chapter 36S, Volume
IA, 1866. explaining how the Philadel-
phia, Wilmington and Baltimore Rail-
road Company was originally taxed
ten cents per passenger carried and
how at the cOmpany's request a lump
sum OF $4,000 per annum was received
in lieu Of the per capita. In 1873 this
amount was increased to $4,000 per
annum where it yet stands, as Mr..
Norris claims. despite the fact that the
business Of the road has Increased
threefold.
The Delaware and Western is then
taken up. The writer notes that II was
merged into the Baltimore and Phila-
delphia Railroad Company (the Balti-
more and Ohio. During the years
lSSG-7-S this road paid $4,000 annual
tax into the state treasury. But dur
ing every year since that time, only
SIS ,000 has been collected from this
company. William Herbert took the
company into court as it cOntended it's
mileage was not sufficient to warrant
the tax imposed, and he won the suit
for the state the late Chief Justice
Comegys delivering the decision.
"As soon as he was beaten in court +"
Mr. Morris continues, Levi c. Bird
went to the Legislature and had an
act passed (Chapter 76l. Volume 1S)
authorizing the state treasurer to re-
ceive $4,000 from the b. & o in lieu
OF all taxes. Poverty and business de-
preston We're the plea offered. The act
particularly specified that the deal was
to hold good for two years only. or
until April 1891. When 1891 arrived,
however, Mr.. Bird had the act re-
moved for two years and "at every
succeeding Legislature the same thing
has been done
The writer continues:
"Whathave been the arguments used