The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-07

~ c~Sd1O A1eoAouo Ii duCuudtG IO4-
troll and supervision Of the combina-
tons as to prevent their injuring the
public, or existing in such form as
inevitably to threaten injury-for the
mere fact that a combination has Sc
cured practically complete control of Il
necessity of life would under any cir
cumstances show that such com5ina-
ton was to be presumed to be adverse
to the public interest. 1t is unfor-
tunate that our present laws should for
bid all combinations, instead of sharp
~ discriminating between those COM
binations which do good and those
combinations which do evil. Rebates.
for instance, are as often due to the
pressure of big shippers las was shown
in the investigation of the Standard
Oil Company and as has been shown
since by the investigation of the to-
bacco n sugar trusts as TO the mi
tiatiye Of big railroads. Often railroads
would like to combine for the purpose
OF preventing a big shipper from main
tanning improper advantages at the ex-
pense of small shippers and OF the
general public. Such a combination,
instead Of being forbidden by law.
should be favored. In other words
1t should be permitted TO railroads 20
make agreements, provided these agree
ments were sanctioned by the inter
state commission and were
published. With these two conditions
complied with it is impossible to see
what harm such Il combination could
do to the public ut large. 1t is a public
evil to have on the statute books q law
incapable of full enforcement because
both judges and juries realize Lnat its
enforcement would destroy the uS.neSS
Of the country; for the result is TO
make decent railroad men ViOlat0rS Of
the law against their will, and to put a
premium on the behavior OF the viii
full wrOngdOerS. Such a result in turn
tends to throw the decent man ard the
wilful wrongdOer into close association,
and in the end to drag down the former
to the latter's level; for the man who
becomes a lawbreaker in one way un-
happily tends to lose all respect for
law and to be willing to break it in
many ways. No lot scathing con
domination could be visited upon a Jaw
than is contained in the words Of the
interstate commerce commission when,
in commenting upon the fact thar the
numerous joint traffic associations do
technically violate the law, they say:
The decision of the United States
supreme court in the Tras-MiSsOuri
case and the Joint Tariff Association
case has produced no practical effect
! upon the railway operations of the
country. Such associations, in fact, *
list now as before these decisions. and
with the same general effect. In JUS
tice to all parties, We ought probably
to add that it is difficult to see how
our interstate railways could be Oper-
ated with due regard to the interest of
the shipper and the railway without
concerted action of the kind afforded
thru these associations"
This means hat the law as cOnStru-
ed by the supreme court is such that
the business of the country can not
be conducted without breaking it. |
recommend that you give careful and
early consideration to this subject,
and if you find the opinion of the in
terState commerce commission justl-
fed, hat you amend the law sc as to
| Obviate the evil disclosed.
INHERITANCE AND INCOME TAX
The question of taxation is difficult
in any country, but is is especially
difficult in ours with its federal sya-
tenn Of government. Some taxes
should on every ground be levied in
a small district for use in that dis
trict. Thus the taxation of real eS-
tate is peculiarly n for the imme-
diate locality in which the real es-
tate is found. Again, there is nc
more legitimate tax for any state
than a tax on the franchises conferred
by that state upon street railroads and
similar corporations which operate
wholly within the state boundaries
sometimes in one anQ sometimes IL
several municipalities CT other minor
divisions Of che state. But there are
many kinds Of taxes which can only
be levied by the geneTal government
so as to produce the best results, be
cause. among other reasons the at
tempt to impose them in M particu.
lar state too often sui merely il
driving the corporation or individual
affected to some other locality or Other
state. The national government has
long derived its chief revenue from
a tariff on imports and from an in.
ternal or excise tax. In addition t
these there is every reason why, WheI
next our system of taxation is revised
the national government should i'm
pose a graduated inheritance tax, and
if possible, a graduated income tax
The man of great wealth owes a pc
culiar obligation t the state, because
he derives special advantages r
the mere existence Of COVE nment
Not only should he recognize this OBJ
legation in the way he leads his daily
life and in the way he earn ant
spends him coney, but it should ais
be recognized by the way in which
he pays for the protection the sta
gives him. On the n hand, it il
desirable that he should as ume hi
full and proper share Of the burden
Of taxation; on the other hand, it i
quite as necessary that in this kin o
taxation, where the men who vot'
the tax pay but little Of it, ther'
should be clear recognition OF the dan
ger Of inaugurating any such sy=te1