Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1906-06-29
TAXING THE RAILROAD COMPANY


The County Commissioners have
been engaged during the week in
some very important work and labor
Of very practical good to the tax
payers Of the County. While the in
diyidual tax payer has been groaniug
under the heavy weight Of taxation
made necessary to carry on The local
government to keep up the County
roads, to care for its insane, and for
other alike purposes, the Pennsylva-
MIA Railroad Company has contrib
uted but meagerly toward the same
certainly, comparatively, but pit
lance in proportion TO the benefits il
receives from the County and nothing
as compared with demands it mikes
OF the patrons Of the road in the way
of charges for personal transporter
ton over the road and freight
charges What the Commissioners
did, however, was not 10 spirit OF
retaliation, but in common Justice to
the tax payers of the County. On
Tuesday they increased the assess
ment on the Company's property two
thousand dollars per mile and slight |
ly increased the same on the tele-
graph, thus adding to the taxable ba-
sis Of the County s42,63j. OF course
there was kick, the hired Attorneys
of the road were in evidence and an
appeal noted from the action of the
County Commissioners in thus as
sessing the corporation to the Circuit
Court. The latter should not be ter
rifying for it is a part of the game of
the corporation to fight to the last
ditch to beat off and destroy an OPP
ponent altogether regardless of the
question of merit. The Commission
ers are right in their action and have,
we believe, the unanimous endorse
ment of the people of the County,
and should fight the Company, in
this controversy, to finish regard
less Of cost. The people are with
them.
The Company, if we may Judge
from its conduct, past and present,
seems to think our people have no
rights it is bound to respect whether
in the matter of taxation, keeping It's
tracks in proper condition, or in the
way OF charge for passenger travel
or freight charges, and the only way
to rebuke the insolence is by brave
and heroic attack upon its policies
Here the travelling public has to pay
three cents per mile for a ride over
the road, for ton of hay shipped to
this station from Baltimore City
more than one-third the actual cost
of the product and 1920 freight on
a ton of fertilizer when the crop
is again shipped over the
Company's road to market, the Com
pany thereby getting another freight
charge, and that it has to do so is
simply outrageous and our people
should show forceful demonstration
and stand it no longer. Ii the Com
pany cannot be induced to reason |
able terms by persuasion, the people
should use every power at their COM
mand TO make the latter feel and
know that unlimited as may be the |
formers wealth and gigantic its power, |
the people are not towards or lag |
CARDS in their purpose for a fair deal
Even the condition of the Com
pany's railroad tracks through this
County are such as to endanger hui
man life, but any appeal is turned
down in disdain The President and
high officials of the Company tour
the world in palace cars and elegance,
while the people who foot the bills
are ignored even in a demand for fair
So to fight the devil with
fire is the correct policy. The County
Commissioners, therefore, should
show to the Company no clemency
in the matter of proper taxation,
while the latter shows no Justice to
our people in the way of charges
made them, either in the cost of per.
'onal travel or for hauling freight