The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-22
MAYOR OPPOSES BILL
NOT IN FAVOR OF PROPOSED FRAN
CHYSE TAX LAW.
MILL WRITE SENATOR.
is NOT AGAINST THE PRINCIPLE OF
TAXING FRANCHISES
y

Rut Is Opposed to Taxing Them for
the Bencfit of the State-ReEards
1t as an 1 MUST Use of states Tax
ing Power to Tax what il Purely
a Local Franchise-Ealue of Ger
tain Franchises Arises From What
People of the City Granting 1t
Have DOne-MnyOr Myers Declares
That There Is Too Great Ten
dency throughout the Country to
Throw the Burden of Taxation on
to the cities rs Much as Possible.
Attention of Representatives Call
ed to Measure.
Mayor Herman Myers is opposed to
any franchise tax law that gives to
the state the taxing for its benefit
of franchises created bv municipal
government, and win so write to SEN
ator Moore and the representatives
from Chatham county.
The bill now before the Legisla-
ture providing for the taxing of fran
chises is attracting much local at
tention. The general sentiment Of the
community is doubtless favorable to
the taxing of some franchises but
Savannah property owners and tax
payers will probably agree with Mayor
Myers that the power to tax local
franchises should be vested in the
municipal governments for the bene-
fit of the local taxpayers, and not
in the hands of the state government
for the benefit of the state treasury.
why lie Opposes 1t.
Il am not opposed to the principle
of taxing franchises" said Mayor
Myers yesterday but 1 am opposed
to law that intends to tax them for
the benefit of the state. 1t is all right
for the state to tax the values of
franchises of corporations such as
railroads which traverse great part
of the State, or of telegraph COM
pany which likewise has it's lines
throughout the State, but l regard it
as an unjust use of it's taxing power
to tax what is purely a local fran
chise, the value of which has been
created by the taxpayers solely of the
municipality granting it.
Street Railways for Instance.
Take street railway company,
such as we have in Savannah, or in
any other city Of Georgia. From what
does the value of it's franchise come?
From anything that the people of the
state have done as a whole? No; one
can readily see that the value of the
franchise arises purely from what the
people of the city granting it have
done. Our taxpayers have bought the
streets. opened them up, paved and
otherwise improved them. out of their
own pockets. They have developed the
city at their own expense and bear
all of its burdens without any assist
ance from the people of the state at
large, and in addition contribute more
than their proportion to the mainten-
ance of the state government.
When the City Council grants the
use of the streets to corporation the
value of such a franchise arises from
what the local taxpayers have done in
the past and villa do in the future. l.
therefore, maintain that If there is to
be any taxation of such a franchise
which is purely local in its character
the municipality should do the taxing
and get the revenues, and not the
state.
Tending TO Tax Cities.
There is too great a tendency
throughout the country to throw the
burdens of taxation on to the cities
as much as possible. No one will con-
tend that the few cities of Georgia dc
not already contribute their full share
TO the support of the state. 1t would
be, l think, unjust to the municipali-
ties of Georgia to pass a law taxing
local franchises by the state.
Il am not opposed to the taxing oil
franchises to some extent 1 do not
know what the power of the munich
pality now is, but if it does not have
the power to tax franchise values
think our Legislators might well see tC
it that such a power is conferred upor
it,
For the states Beneht.
Neither am l antagonistic to the
state taxing franchises when they are
other than of a local character, or are
not those of purely trading corpora
lions, but / firmly believe that it /,
improper legislation to allow the stat,
to tax our local franchises for it's owl
benefit, and not for the benefit of ouI
local taxpayers who have created tn,
values. If franchises granted by citiei
are to be taxed the taxpayers of tn,
cities should get the revenue arisin.
therefrom and have their burdens les
sened in that degree
have not seen a copy of the bill a
yet, but also believe our business mel
should look into it at once and see tina
il is not possible of such a construction
that a tax will be levied on the fran
chises granted to ordinary tradin,
companies, such as we have doing ma
val stores, lumber and other lines o
business, and which are chartered b,
the courts. Our local legislator
should give this bill close attention
and protect our interests. 1 have m
doubt they win find the representative
from other cities and towns sharing il
NV syia.4-c