Live Oak daily Democrat. (Live Oak, Fla.) 190?-190?, 1907-04-29

ed additional charges and liabilities,
and that is to become merged into
the larger lines.
Indeed, nothing more conducive to
that end could have been deliberately
devised by the trunk lines; as the ne
eessity produced by such a condition
would force sacrifice Of the smaller
ones to whatever price the trunk
lines might choose to offer, If indeed
anything under the circumstances.
In my humble opinion there is
nothing Of more crying need for this
State than a Tax Commission to in
telligently study and formulate some
plan of taxation for submission to the
Legislature, and which would remedy
at least portion Of the deficiencies
and inequalities of our present laws.
Under the practice at each session
to reenact the prior revenue laws,
its defects are perpetuated; and with
all due respect to the members of the
Legislature, the subject is one that
cannot be properly considered In all
of its phases within the limited time
of session. Evils that do appear
should assuredly find remedy; but
with the many instances of injustice
perpetrated under the present law
nothing less than a Commission, to
carry its labors over the entire State
and to study the laws in other states,
could do full justice to the import
ance of this subject
AS to a franchise tax, where there
are no exclusive privileges granted
and protected by charter, it would be
about as logical as tax on the
breath of an individual. If it is JUS
titled on the theory of recompense
for the delegated power of eminent
domain, it must be remembered that
the law makes full compensation to
the owner a precedent condition to
taking his property by condemnation.
The State, in the exercise of such
| power, stands On the side of the cor
poFatisp and confers so much of its
own authority for the public bene-
fits from the service to be rendered.
1t has no proprietary interest In the
property taken; and it is therefore
hard to understand by, what process
o reasoning it should compel pay
ment to the property owner in full
measure, and then exact from the
corporation, and to its own use, an
endless charge. And question of such
theory may be further made in in
stances, where. as with this road,
the power of eminent domain has
never been invoked In, this like
other matters the State has not ex-
ercised its good Offices directly for
our benefit.
l understand that the first fran
chise bill is to be withdrawn and a
substitute introduced providing for
specific tax of two per cent. gross
! income of the railways i'm addition to
the burdens Of the general assess
ment. If so the last state is indeed
worse than the first.
An entire tax land not a supple
mental one) could not be objectiona-
BILE from the standpoint Of either the
corporations or the State, if properly
placed upon gross, earnings. 1t
should, however. provide some fair
and reasonable adjustment by rating
the amount of such tax in fair pro-
portion to taxes paid by other prop
critics and be equalized between prop
critics of the same class but of diff
ferent conditions. A fixed percent
age without regard to the earning
values or physical needs of the prop
erty for betterment or maintenance
would work injurious discrimination
against the smaller and poorer lines
that are endeavoring to build up.
Every tax is the last analysis and
necessarily a charge upon income;
and whatever the method of its impo-
sition it can only be equalized on the
basis of such charge. In this light
the present tax is such against the
railroads earnings; but in the latti-
tude of the law it can easily become
means of oppressive discrimination.
! Taking again, as the basis OF COM
parisOn, the assessment of the Allan
tic Coast Line. as a property with
values of which the Honorable Comp