Evening journal., 1907-01-15
Tuesday, January IS, 1907.
HOW rHEY ROE THE PEOPLE.


MT OF alone in Delaware is there problem
of taxation and revenue In nearly every
city the same question is under discussion in the
newspapers The one subject is that of taxation
and how to deal with the public service corpora
tons. The story is very monotonous from repe-
titon, and yet we pick up hardly paper outside
OF Wilmington that does not devote space to
earnest thought upon these questions Almost
everywhere public service corporatons-rail-
roads, gas companies and street car companies
try to have their men in City Council and in
the higher legislative bodies. They endeavor to
secure their men as mayors and in all other
places OF power and authority Why is there
such difference between these public service
corporations and private corporations? For in
stance people might think it strange if represen
tative Wilmington corporations like the Harlan
and Hollingsworth Company, the Pusey and
Jones Company, the Jackson & Sharp plant own
ers and the Pullman works for instance, were in
a continual conflict over question of taxation,
were pleading statutes of limitations to escape
their taxes and were trying to put their employees
in the. City Council or in the Legislature and
were then endeavoring to control the votes Of
those employees who CHANGED to be elected Yet
the people of the city. They attend to their own
business They give employment TO thousands
of men and they do not desire to run the politics
Of the community. They have no special favors
TO ask from the municipal or state authorities.
Otherwise is il with many Of the public service
corporations Carefully do they watch every cleo
ton, and if possible they attempt to have men
nominated and elected to office who will be "fav-
orabe TO their interests" Favorable to their
interests interpreted means men who will see that
they are Disseminated in favor OF when ques-
tons OF taxation come up for consideration, who
will try TO contrive so that the public service cor
porations shall not pay their just share of the
burdens of taxation, but, that these burdens shall
be placed upon the small property and small
homSowner. If men in Councils can be secured
who will do this they are Favorable to the in
terests OF the public service corporations" and in
the eyes OF the latter they are eminent citizens
and good men worthy of public trusts and con-
hdence. Yet as a fact nothing extracts so much
from the city and pays so little as do the public
service corporations. They have the permission
TO use the streets Of the city. They are given
these exclusive rights. They cannot have com
petition. They can charge what they please and
they can gouge the people to pay for dividends
on watered stock. BY their tactics not only do
the small property holders and the small home
owners suffer but the great legitimate corpora
tons like the four mentioned in this article are
compelled 10 pay more taxes and to assume the
burdens OF taxation which the public service cor
poratons shirk
It can thus be seen what harm is inflicted upon
industrial Wilmington by compelling legitimate
corporations to pay more than they would other
wise were the public service corporations com
manded to come to the scratch and lift their
share of the burden. These problems are the
most perplesng. They should be very simple
The public service corporations should be dealt
with the same as individuals are, and when that
is done we shall approach somewhere near sys
tenn of justice in taxation.