The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1903-02-25
PROPOSED TAX IN Oil
THE PEOPLE OF BEAUMONT DIS.
CUssEO THE MATTER
agreed That It Would Be a Very Hurtiul
Law and Effort Is to Be Made
TO Kill II

beaumont Texas, February "a All Of
we beaumont people, regardless of whether
'ptF are OH men or not seem t1oroughly
aroused over the prospect Of the passage
" ,ne or per cent taxation on oil pro
uuclloh ANA several meetings have recently
"eeh held, az wluch steps were takeu TO
stop the hiH IL tierc is any way 10 do n.
iley regard the bill as playing directly
INTO the han Of the STANDARD on com
pahy' The chamber OF commerce. met this
morning.
Hon II. A. Greer said that he thought
the citizens OF Beaumont were vitality I'M
terested Ia the legislation; that II meant
the life or death Of great many people
here; that 1t was not alone the oil people
who would be hurt, but tae people Of Beau
mont
Gentlemen, this bill is in the interest OF
the Standurd oil company, but the authors
OF the measure don't know it. rney
Thought tnty were striking a blow at the
stahudid hey seek TO put Il tax on tne
tvlP~ahols dUihg business acre aud 1t Is
Ike 50 mu,A premium tnrowu to tna stand.
ara. asked MI. huge OF the Guney
fetioleum company to give INT an idea OF
NA"I II oulu cost MS company To pay
pSr cent OF the gross receipt. ana he re
puS- mat II would cost them annually
SltaNu To- SlJU,UtU. In other words tnt
stanoWd oil company can throw away that
mulh money ana still compete with tAc
HuutI company anu be on an equal foot
ing vita them.
"Of course | know that the Higgins com.
pahy, the Guney company and all the co,u-
phhles uat have been successful are
charged as being part and parcel Of the
Standnrd, but admitting that these big ones
are, the little fellow it. the Injured party.
I Ihe STANDARD Can send Its STUFF IN here
ANA save that per cent
I
utNciop their territory without restriction,
Texas, IN the meantime, Is throttled VITA
! this tax.
"A client of mine told me in my private
/ office yesterday that he was preparing 70
build a refinery here that would handle
l'Oo barrels Of oil daily, aud that he
wanted to invest more than 100000 but
that he would place 1t in Louisiana II this
bii became n law. He was not bluGfng,
either, Gentlemen, for he was talking In
my private office aud not TO the people OF
/ legislature Of Texas. This Is but ono in.
1 stance, Two per cent DOES not look large,
/ but 1t is a sufficient Indictment for the
4 plnnts to build In Louisiana Instead of
rcXas.
My itca would be to send committee
/ NJ representative citizens 10 Austin to SHOW
the legislature the facts, Appoint a com
. miitee to 60 to the citizens herC and ask
them 10 go down into their individual
/ pockets to pay this committees expenses
/ 10 Austin.
An you want Is the expense money for
around the legislature for ten years and
have yet 10 see n legislator Of Texas ac-
ccpt a dollar for his vote, 70 the credit
of the Texas legislature ] must say that
they can not be hrihcd ] say this so that
you people may know that you DO not need
any big pilo Of money. but merely enough
to pay your committees expenses TO Austin
and return.
~ would send three or four men there
10 remain during the time the bin Is pend
4 Ing. ! would thcn have at least dozen -
there the day the bill goes before tho com
mittee md let them show thc committee
the facts and this bill will never become
law.
II am going to Austin tonight on some
private matters with the land Office and
tho railroad commission, but 7 shall be gaH
to mention this hill to tho members Will
whom ! am acquainted II The opportunity
presents itself In the meantime ! thnl
YOU ought 10 awaken tho people Of lefler
son county TO realization of thr peril tha
attends tho enactment ~ this h'll and GO
committee 10 Austin the moment tho biz
comes mp. think they viii mnkc n spc
there aud Mr. Dun and senator Beatty ear
so advise YOU
Mr. ]. II. Bright then addressed tn" meet
ing nj length lie said that he though
tho oil men should go. too because Their
would hc details come no with which tho
were familiar and questions would h
asked which the citizens might not al"u
he in shape to answer He called attention
to his previous experience with the railWa'
commission on oil rates, showing that !
was norcssnrv tn have some one thor
, thorourhlv familiar with tho oil Interest
! To answer questions that might me- asked
10 also favored the appointment of othe
citizens,
III closed his talk by MOVING that
committee Of twenty he aDpOntod 10 GO z
. Austin. some 70 remain there all tho tim
} and thon To have perhaps ton or twelv
thcro the day the bill goes before the con
mi'too.
President Reed announced that he worl
namc the committee lat"r on in tho day.