The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1902-09-13
MAYOR JOHNSON
HAS CORPORA
TONS ON RUN
The Next Democratic Candidate for
President is Fighting for More
Equal TaxatiOn-Has Novel Way
of Bringing Corporations to Time

(The following account of the con-
version to the principles of the single
tax Of and the Hon. Tom Johnson,
Mayor of Cleveland, says the Baltimore
Sun. The Supreme Court of Ohio has
been drawn into the conflict, and has
handed down decision declaring the
character of Cleveland and indirectly
the character of almost every town in
the Buckeye State illegal and uncons-
titutional. A condition without parallel
in the history of the country is threat
ened. To deal with the situation Gov
ernor Nash has called an extra session
of the Ohio Legislature, to meet at
Columbus August Is.
Mayor Johnson, it is charged by his
political opponents, is depressing the
corporations and playing the part Of
tyrant in the matter of taxa ton. In the
current number of Municipal Affairs,
Prof Edward w. Bemis explains how
Mayor Johnson is using Tho ~"",t
power with which he is clothed by the
Cleveland charter to extort taxes from
the downtrodden corporations. 1t ap-
pears, according to Prof. Bemis, that
1.-The entire assessment upon personal
property and real estate of the street
:o1"oJ anu lighting COlIpdHlcS VI Ll1dL
city was only about 10 per cent of the
market value of their securities or of
the capitaliza ton of their acknowledged
net earnings at 5012 per cent while
other property in the city, outside OF
the steam railroads, was assessed on
the average of 40 per cent to 60 per
cent of its true value" Mayor john
son, with a pernicious activity which
has disguised Senator Hanna and all
the rest Of his political opponents,
brought this state of affairs to the at
tention Of the local board of asses
sors. He showed that lone Of the
local gas companies, which had been
assessed on real estate and personal
property at less than s1,40O, 900, had
averaged dividends of per cent cash
and per cent in stock worth much
over $500, and this stock, of par value
of $3,S00000, had been accumulated en-
tirely out Of earnings. The mayor in
sisted that the stock was worth $3.50
and offered to pay that much for it. -
The local board Of assessors was deep
ly impressed by Mayor Johnson's rep
| resentations and added about $40 0O0, 900
! to the taxable value of the Cleveland
| corporations. But the Increased as
| sessment was allowed to stand. The
State Board Of Assessessors and Ap-
prafsers, sitting as a board Of revision,
RENTED all the additional assessment,
and the city Of Cleveland was deprived
/ Of about $450000 of taxes upon which
it relied for public improvements this
year. Mayor Johnson contested the &C.
ton Of the State Board in the courts.
The decision has been against him. The
Supreme Court holds that the charter
of Cleveland is unconstitutional, as it
was obtained by Especial legislation. -
AS the charter Of nearly every town in
the State was obtained in the same
way, 1t appears, from the courts deci-
sion, that there are few, if any, num-
icipal governments in Ohio which are
not illegal. It will thus be seen that
the friends of the corporations have
scored handsomely in the preliminary
fight against Mayor Johnson.
The Hon. Tom Johnson may be as
"eccentric'' as the defenders of cor
porations represent him, but he is not
a gutter. He has recently won not
able victory for his cheap-fare street
railway project Flushed with this
| triumph, ne Will go TO columbus When
the Legislature meets in extra session
and make fight for the right of Ohio
towns to impose upon corporations the
measure of taxation with their resour-
ces seem to warrant. 1t is understood
that Mr.. Hanna will also go to Column
bus, that he will "establish headquart-
ers' there, and, if the fates are kind
to him, dig the political grave Of Mayor
johnson for all time. It will be con-
test that will gladden. the hearts of all
who love combats to a finish between
the keavy-weights Of the political prize
ring. Mr.. Hanna is confident of his
ability to defeat Mayor Johnson and