Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-02-07


Board Of Trades committee on indus.
trial Delaware was given hearing by
the General Assembly, yesterday after.
noon, on the House bill to encourage
manufacturing interests in this State
by abolishinR the tax on manufaot.
urers. The House chsmber in which
the audience was given, was thronged.
The meeting began at 1.30 o'clock,
and lasted an hour and half. Repre-
sentative Moore, chairman of the cum
mittee on rev enue and taxation, pre-
sided.
Joseph L. Carpenter, Jr., chairman
OF the committee on industrial Della
ware, said "We do not ask the Gem
eral Assembly to decrease the revenue
of the State, but to provide for IL In
smother manner
Josiah Marvel, a member OF the
BOARD Of Trade, who was requested by
Mr. Carpenter to explain the bill, said (:
There has been Misunderstanding
as to the objects Of the bill. 1t will
allow the tax to remain on real estate.
! think 1t is wrong that manufacturers
should be required to file with the
clerks of the peace statements of all
the details of their business. 1t is
wrong because 1t gives rival manu-
b = iutbutDl5 hnbM ltuEb Vi H6Fu OhUbr' 81
business, and offers no Inducements to
outside capitalists aud corporations to
locate In this State. ! think it would
be, advantageous to remove the in
quisitorial feature. and the entire
manufacturers tax IL possible. The
obiecl OF the committee on industrial
Delaware is not to decrease the revenue
OF the State, but TO do away with the
lnquisitorial feature. This could be
done under substitute bill, as sug-
gested by the committee, providing
that special tax of so cents on the
$1,000 be assessed on the capital stock
OF Industrial concerns ms ascsrtaIo ed
In their charters. On unincorporated
companies or associations, a special
tax Of 30 cents ON the 81, 900 could be
assessed ON the valuation of their
properties as given in an sttested and
Tiled statement. We come to you in all
fairness. | do not know Of State in
the Union that has an Industrial Tax
law such as our. We should be
as prosperous as Rhode Island. We
cannot get Industrial establishments
to locate 10 Delaware unless we offer
them Inducements. -
William W. Lobdell, president of the
Lobdell Car Wheel Co., said: what
tFtt hCtlDh may Lb lhhtH Lub NIH1-
eral Assembly that conduces to the
welfare and prosperity Of Wilmington
and other towns OF our State will be
OF great benefit to the agricultural in
terests OF Sussex, Kent and New Castle
counties. There should be con-
tinuity Of interests throughout the
whole State, and feeling of pride and
satisfaction at the reputation Will
Iningion has won in the marts of the
world, as we'll as by her own immediate
citizens. Wilmington has won her
prominence in manufactures by the un-
aided exertions OF her citizeus, in the
face Of severe competition and under
many burdens imposed upon her by the
State. Her advancement has been
more through the abnormal growth OF
her established business houses, by
reason Of the ability of their proprie-
tors and the skill and industry OF her
mechanics and artisans, than by any
influence from outside SOURCES which
her natural geographical position aud
rail and water communications should
entitle her to. She now comes tn you,
through her representative body, and
asks some measure of relief from q
burdensonle State tax imposed many
years ago, when the State badly
torial in it's nature that it offers
Inducements to those whose conscience
ia flexible to practice equivooation and
deceit, tax burdensome because it Is
not laid upon profits, but upon COM
modities bought, not sold, tax upon
the privilege OF employing labor. II
has been truthfully said that one who
gives employment to those who need 1t
Is n public benefactor, but the State
eviden sly does not so consider it, as
the more labor manufacturer employs
the more he is taxed by the State. A
tax that deters foreign capital from
locating in our State, building up
large manufacturing interests, employ
lug labor that would create demand
for our agricultural products, surely is
mot d iudicious one AS one for many
years concerned in efforts to induce
manufacturers from other localities 10
locate here, have been met with the
objection that the tax laws of our State
were bneroua and not equitable, and
did not offer sufficient Inducements in
contrast with those of other States
where local advantages would be
greater. 1t is this condition that we
ask you to remedy, and make such
modification in the State tax laws as
will enable the State to obtain the
location of some of the corporate com
Y panies within its borders that will
4 avail themselves of our very liberal
a incorporation laws that have brought
N so much extra revenue to our State
4 treasury, which revenue the State bids
" fair to enjoy as long as the present
Il prosperous conditions exist throughout
the country. The amount OF State,
county and municipal taxes a manu-
fecturer Is compelled to pay is out Of
PROPORTION to that paid by other in.
dustries when the net revenue derived
tberefrom is considered. Par ticularly
is this so in the case OF our large
manufacturers, as the prosecution ni
their business requires a very large
'amount of valuable real estate. They
also have to carry large amount OF
insurance. We do not wish to escape
from our just share of taxation; we
only ask that the burden shall be
equalized. | would not ask to put
/ additional burdens on the agricul-
turalists Build up Wilmington and
the towns of the State by offering in
ducements to manufacturers to locate
there, and make our tax laws such as
will enable US to offer greater induce
ments than other localities.
Howard Il. Wallace Epresident Of the
Diamond State Steel Co., said: IL
ask the General Assembly to CONSIDER
the opportunities OF Delaware. and
predict that within a few years the
Delaware River will be to the United
States what the River Clyde is &c
England. hope to see the time when
To-. l. - IL