The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-08-12

The distinguishing In ark Of religion
ls not 60 m UGH liberty as obedience
and its value ls measured by the
sacrifices which It GA r, s. extract from
s4ho jndIvlduaj,l 5 Amiei.

the ndIvl dua MEL y
The g Corporation Commission.
u sSsi The State Corporation Commission is
SRSS ! human institution, and IT Is human to
w err. 1t ia also human to criticize the
y Scomrnispl MS acts. and It Is very human
Y FOR political opponents to discover ana
sltexnlolt 3nll the mistakes which the com.
t1lny have made. But the public
MI should reflect that the Corp ion Com
III mission q is their institution, and that It
II IS working for the public good. It has
IN already accomplished much in that dlrec-
5 ton and bids fair to accomplish zach
more, and that. too, at no cost to to tn the
Il public. ri IN. 4$.5s54 81
u The Constitution provides for tho as
Ri sessment by the commission Of small
III annual registration fee This is not IN
ssstended as a tax, but as8s q regular a. as
n easement upon the corporations On On VIC a
Stsbasis estimated to yield sufficient to pay
Sst the entire cost Of the comn1ssi ON to the
sss state, The total of the registration fees
a assessed by the commission IN 4, 800 was
I'M ls8. 90. an amount greatly exceeding the
Ns5 total expenses ct the commission. vi y
u III That eliminates the question Of cost.
N Now let lis recall some things that lt the e
mi nonmission has done for the public we'll h
mi fare. First as to the matter Of revenue
III The general franchise tax assessed 4 By
#88 the commit sion for that year amounted
{ Is s1O4, ol5. " Franchise taxes assessed by
39 Il against canals and railroads amounted
70 1898, eg7. These amounts are derived DEL l
from sources OF revenue not in existence
under the old CONSTITUTE on. The State
# therefore, is in receipt Of Il over half %
dollars annually, which is en-
;tirely additional revenue received through
#Sthe thorough execution by the commits g
I595 sion Of the new provisions Of the law.
But this is not all; the commission las
@ compelled various corporations to comply
with the revenue laws, as may be seen
III from the cases Instituted by the COM
Il mission against the Standard OIL Cons
$ss s pany, the American surety Company the
%s American Can Company, the Old i Do
minion steamship Company, land Q Tiers,
ii = rnanyS OF which were taken to the SUI
4 p,reme Court OF the state. and one to the
1 \ Supreme Court Of tho United & States.
81 The commission Is doing the work for
# mcrly done by tho Legislature and over
Il forty Judges. lii the matter Of Issuing
n and amending charters, and It Is doing
SS IL so accurately and faithfully that. the
revenues OF the State are being greatly
.SS Increased from that source. In 1905, 700
new charters we've issussd, 4 against beS IN
M 1901 ana 4s2 in 15o3. !" It Is safe to say that
5 the commission. Al no cost, whatsoever
TO the Commonwealth, brought into Its
coffers in the year 1905 $500, 900 more
revenue than 1t ever had before. It must
f. be remembered that tho assessments OF
a the tangible property Of the railroads.
n telephone and telegraph companies, ex-
press aud steamboat companies, arc an
u nually made by the com misso that
being part Of Its regular work. The
2fS total sum assessed for taxes by the COM
XII mission will amount to over one million
}S dollars and OF that amount, az above
5ts Stated Sso0,0pO Is a fair estimate OF the
IL revenue derived by the State from the
Il work Of the commission which Is alto
q gether new revenue, II the present stand
ard OF work Is kept up this additional
III revenue will steadily increase each year,
S to the relief Of the Individual taxpayer.
Tho Constitutional Convention reduced
Il tho rate OF. taxation for State purposes and
Cto<1,
II lnent but the additional revenues derived
through the operation Of the Corporation
n Commission.
Tho demurrage and oar. service rules,
which wore put into effect by the COM
n mission after q controversy with tho rail-
road companies. running through period
~ OF over eighteen months. are considered In
& all States as models OF their kind and
k$ have been adopted In several other EtateH.
II Wherever this question has come up
sSsi In other States, these rules OF the Virginia
commission are looked to as models and
5 guides.
S During tho little oyer three years O!
. Ais existence to this period, the commits,
y hundred cases, of which sixty or seventy
i have been finally concluded. Thes,
cases have embraced the consideration
OF come OF the largest economical lega
questions Of the day Twelve or rfteer
~ Of them have been to tho higher courts
and with one or two exceptions the com
nission has been sustained. This worl
\ has bsen OF Immense value to the peopl
y LOT Virginia. Take, for example, the cas-
heard at Alexandria, IN which thu com
mission compelled the electric line oper
IL attng between Washington and Alexan
58fss dEta 70 doublertrack Ats roadway an,
rive Ats patrons good facilities; tho PRO
cssdipg against The Norfolk g Portsmouth
$ Belt Lane, In which that company wa
"a Gsta II E@tYh loaded cars at reason