The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-06-29
A DAY OF KEEN PLEASURE
Surf Bathing, Sailing, Fishing, and a
Brilliant Ball.
A GREAT MEETING SAYS Mr. STEDMAN
The Feature of the Last Session Mr.. James
Pou's Great Speechpn Taxation and
The Justice and Extent Ct
Special Taxes.
Especial to News and Observer }


Especial to News and Observer.)
Wilmington, N. c., June 2S.-All the
business of the third annual session of
the North Carolina State Bar Association
was finished this morning. The meeting
was opened with an address by Mr.. James
II. Pou after which the following officers
Were elected for the ensuing term.
President, Chas. NJ Busbee, Raleigh;
Vice-P Presidents, A. o. Gaylord, Plymouth;
w. A. Dunn, Scotland Neck; d. L. Ward,
Newbcrn; Donald Gillian, Tarhoro; Geo.
Rountree, Wilmington; f. A. Daniels,
Goldsboro; H. McB. Robinson, Fayette-
vile; Jno. d. Shaw, Rockingham; A. B.
Hicks, Oxford 2. vi Walser Lexington;
II. II. Stodd, ReidsviF1e; A. G. Mangum,
Gastonia w. c. Newland, Lenoir; S. Cal
lert, authorizations Geo. e. Shuford,
Ashevlle; Chas. Nj. Moody, Waynesyille.
Secretary and Treasurer, j. Crawford
Biggs, Durhark
Executive Committee: ]. D. Murphy,
Asheville, and r. A. woodward, Wilson.
The remainder of the day was devoted
to surf bathing, fishing, sailing and other
pleasures.
Lawyers Of the association say they
arr enjoying every moment of their stay
at the scashore. President Stedman says
The meeting has been the most success
ful yet held.
A brilliant german, led by Mr.. Clayton
Giles, Jr., of this city, in the bail room
of the Seashore Hotel tonight served as
a fitting finale for this occasion. The
ball was an elegant affair and was at
tended by members of the Bar Association
f., 81 nd infN
people of Wilmington.
Mr.. PoU's SPEECH.
The event of the day was the address by
Mr.. Pou. His subject was Taxation"
dealing especially with the manner of
taxing private corporations ard the JUS
tice and extent Of special taxes
lie began eby declaring that the de-
velopment of the State depends hardly
upon any one agency as much as upon it's
private corporations and in the discus
sion Of his subject he laid down three
propositions:
First. North Cardinals future great
ness will be an industrial one.
Second 1t viii be worked out 2rinci-
pally By means Of private corporations.
Third. That greatness will be promoted
or retarded in proportion as the State
deals kindly or harshly with private cor
porations.
1t was not his purpose. the speaker
went on to say, to defend public corpora
tions, such as railroads, nor municipal cor
porations. such as street cars and water
works; they exercise the power OF emil
nent domain and perform some of the
functions Of government; they have re-
ceived something OF benefit from the
State and occupy a position different from
the private corporation. But Mr.. Pou
thought he had recently seen a tendency
TO discriminate against private corpora
tlcns, and he desired to speak a word
against that discrimination
Il shall speak of the corporations which
receive nothing from the State except
charter, granting them the privilege to
do, in corporate capacity, such acts as
any citizen may perform without charter
This class of corporations neither exer-
cises any franchise, nor does their bust
ness give them a legal or practical
monopoly / submit that, being the means
of effecting much good for the State, and
being capable Of working no mischief,
enjoying no exclusive privilege and exer-
cising no right any citizen cannot exer-
else, there is no justification for taxing
its property by any other rule than that
by which the property Of the citizen is
taxed, except the charter tax and
reasonable tax to cover the cost OF super
vision, etc.
"A franchise tex upon railroads may be
defended upon two grounds. Cd They
have the right Of eminent domain, and ~
When once built, they become, within the
territory Of their influence practical
monopolies By franchise tax. do not
mean gross income tax This latter
probably cannot be constitutionally levied
in this State
Street car, light and water companies
may be taxed upon their franchises upon
the same principle. Ferries may be
taxed likewise, because they are pro-
tected by law, within certain distances.
from all competition.
But there is no ground upon which
tax upon the property of the private cor
poration, different from tax upon proper
ty Of a citizen, except as aforesaid. can be
justified But within the last few years
a plain disposition has appeared in this
State to discriminate against these cor
porations, both in the number of taxes
imposed upon them and in the manner of
assessing their property. At this time,
those additional taxes have not been ex-
cessiye and the determinations in assess