Bisbee daily review., 1906-05-04
BISBEE DAILY REVIEW, BIsBEE, ARIZONA.
TEXAS RAILROADS AND TAXATION.

AND TAXATION.
 Says the Houston Post: Tt is a fact which cannot be evaded that in matter of roadbed, track, rolling stock and equipment, the railroads of Texas are not what they ought to be. although they are admittedly a great deal better than they ever were be- fore. In all probability it will be a decade or two before the Texas roads can be brought into first class coffdi- tion without greatly increasing their fixed charges through bond issues. Moreover. so long as the roads show disposition to devote a liberal pro portion of their profits to an improve ment of their facilities, the people should look carefully into propositions to raid their revenues heavily through legislation.
 "The Post would not be misunGer stood. It insists tbat railroad corpo- rations be held strictly to the law, that they may be able to pay in taxes a just share of the burden of government, that they may be made to respond in damages for the injuries they inflict upon person and property according to the demands of strict justice; that their transportation charges shall be as low as possible, considering fairly their investments and the cost of operation.
 Tt is always within the power of the state to ascertain what the roads are earning and how they are spend ing their money, and whenever it be- comes apparent that too great a pro- portion of their gross earnings are be- ing devoted to dividends and not a sufficient sum to taxation, better ments. etc, the remedy is lodged in the hands of the commission to lower rates.
 All things considered, we believe the people of the state through their government, have the railroad situa- tion pretty well in hand. If there are inequalities and determinations with which the commission is competent to deal, relief is never delayed; and if there be discrimipations in the way of interstate rates, they are beyond the power of the state and this cam paign can have little effect upon them.
 ''It may be that the railroads are not paying their share of the taxes. It may be that they are lodging. If they are not, they must be mighty lonesome in Texas, but in bringing them to taw and making them pay their share, let's go about it in the right way. And the right way is to overhaul the whole system of taxation and compel all taxable property to respond to the needs of the govern ment according to it's value. If it be found upon this sort of basis that the railroads are not paying their share make them do their duty. It is sug- gested by one of the candidates that way may be found to exempt home steads from state taxation. It should never be done except under a system that would separate state taxation from local taxation, and we believe under such system it would be en- -tireiy feasible.
 We need new article on taxation in our constitution. Equality and uni formity will never be attained in any other way. Let the state derive its revenues from taxes paid by the rail roads, corporations. and. if necessary, on incomes. Then let each county raise it's revenues for all local pur- poses. including the public schools by taxing the real and personal prop. erty within their borders. other than such property as may be set apart for taxation by the state. This system will eliminate the gross injustice | which individuals, counties and sec tions now suffer, and it will settle for all time the question of railroad tax aticn.