Evening journal., 1908-03-05
REVENUE BOARD TO GIVE
HEARING TO LIQUOR Men
viii Sit in Wilmington on March II to Consider
the Question of Fixing License Fees
and Tax on BreW2ricS

but the methods were now improving
AMI It was b ped that tins commission
would no. add to these burdens One
farmer whom 1 knew puttied up the
knotroles in buildings on his farm and
PAR ted or whitewashed them over and
an assessor came along and increased
his assessment, Sc that farmer was
afrala to make impro. ements there
laftei.'
Secretary Sparks made the point Of
ruer that the discussion of the State
master was not ge"maine to the object
of the hearing Not once has the
question Of taxing farm property ever
b. en- thought Of or at least mentioned
IN this com ,'ssion,' he said. ar
Iidgely added that there was no de
size whate'or tn taN Farms or fartoers.
,lst her. the farm ers made thoi
pln:, tal<;n. the stand that while they
oL'n tn hioighly discus he subject
of farm taxation, they felt it some
what oniclous for them to come in and
dictate to the commission.
Tells Of the Trc dbles.
Addressing the farmers, Secretary
Sparks called attention 10 some Of thn
difficulties ilc commission lad encDant-
ered. "Of 'urse, yru know" sad Sen
a.o' Sparks, that it has been sni:
that there a. danger in a State impas-
ing too mu'h tas and cripl ling its own
wealth and that there is also great
s,hger in too much surplus.
Now to show you what we have
encountered. Andrew e. Sanborn has
compiled for us a calculation showing
bow much tax per mile is imposed
on railroads by other States. An aver
age is So47.65. per mile Of rOadbed.
And YET we today tax the Baltimore
and OHIO Company sS41.62 per mile and
this commission assured them that
there would be no cut. They can eN-
pect to have that to pay right along
"On top of this stand we have taken
comes the announcement in public prin-
that we are agents. Iaid or otherwise
Of the railroad corporations Now
have had a little turn IN public life
and let me say that ] Dave never baen
associated with a more conservative
CT painstaSing body. Mr.. Rid sely has
hiiaself compiled a complete cola .on
of the tax laws OF Delaware work
winch in itself would more than re-
nay the State FOR the cost Of thus com
mission.
Secretary OF State Cahall was called
upon to report the effect Of the re-
ductlOn IN Industrial charter taxation
had caused on the filing of certificates
and new business. up to and includ-
| ing September. after the abatement in
the rates of charter and franchise
taxes" said he. the business increased.
but when the business depression came
on. this avenue Of revenue began to
recele. Other states, too. hove ahated
their charges and Delaware has had
to meet these new conditions or cor
porations would go elsewhere and save
money in taxes"
Iiancis Fl. Honeckvr Of New Castle
county, created some merriment by
witty jest5 at the commission. He had
hcarC only the one complaint, he said.
that there were no farmers on the
commission. Today. however. he learn
ell that Mr. Newton was a small far
mer, owning and managing GOO acres
I'm Sussex county. That would be a
l'g farm in New Castle county and
! guess well have TO withdraw that
objection If a man handles a farm
like that for more than a year, he's
n farmer all right in these times"