The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-03-02
SEED CBUFAS
For Sale in any Quantity
LEM H. ADAMS
RALEIGH. n. @.
RALEIGH. n. Q.

necessary to the proper administrator
Of the affairs of the State. IL that
be true, is it not incumbent upon us
to seek other sources Of ~reVenuef /
am aware of the fact that whenever
a man begins to talk about taxing.
corporations there is certain emen
that raise the cry, "Oh. he is an enemy
Of the business interest of North Caro-
lima. and to adopt his course would
result in driving capital out Of the
State.' / have but little respect and
less patience with any such assertions.
I maintain that if North Carolina.
by reason of the efficient administra-
ton Of wholesome laws. is affordilg
an opportunity for these quasi public
corporations to largely increase their
receipts, whether from intra or inter
state business, then they should pay
a fair share Of the taxes of our Stat.
1t is admitted that the receipts Of tne
Southern Express Co.. on Interstate
business far exceeds three hundred
thousand dollars, While the inter
state business, Which originates in
North Carolina or is brought here 10y
the enterprise Of her citizens exceeds
a million two hundred and fifty O
sand dollars. while the license tax
paid by said to North Caro-
lima in the year 1908 was only three
thousand nine hundred and twenty
seven dollars and siXty-six cents. And
remember, this was upon the reports
made by the company itself. Now my
proposition is simply to increase the
tax rate on each Of these
only one and a half per cent, which
would increase the taxes of the eX-
press companies only about twenty
three hundred dollars, the telegram
companies about twelve hundred dol
lars and the telephone companies
about three thousand dollars. Surely
they and their friends n n object
to so moderate an Increase. WhilC
upon this point [ wish to call your
attention to the difference in receipts
fr0 49, 81O~o- .,-o -, $3.50 ~
which is shown in the following state
ment:
Alabama-Express Co., 100000,
Telegraph Co, ~$5,S60.27, Telephone
Co, , Pullman, 100000,
Georgia Express Co, s5.746,23,
Co, S25,9o2.45. Pullman, -.
Tennessee-ESpress Co, $4,000,
Telegraph Co, SS,575.25, Telephone
Co, s44.024.64, Pullman, ----
.ra virginiaC e Co, s5,ooes g.
43S.55*, Pullman, $1,133.O8.
North Carolina-Express Co, S.
927.66, Telegraph Co, $1,9231s, Tele-
phone Co, S7,056.66, Pullman.
$54S.56.
Telegraph and telephone.
Upon a review of these tables which
are taken from the reports OF the
treasurers of the different states il
seems strange there should be Such
opposition to the increase of the rates
OF these companies I know that the
gents and the. attorneys of these
companies nave been actively at work
against this proposition ever sine
they heard that l proposed such
amendments to the revenue bill. I
cannot believe that their influence Is
so great as to cause our legislators to
permit this discrepancy in the receipts
from these. sources to longer exist.
me opposition of my friends on the
HoOr must be due to the fact that il
is now late in the session and then
attention has not heretofore been call
ed to these matters and they are some
what timid at making any increase
in the rate of taxation upon any sub
Ject. But, Mr.. Speaker, every WORD
that | nave said, the figures that !
have produced, can be verified by a.
! of the report of treas
urefS of other states with the report
OF our own treasurer. It is not too
late to make these changes. The rat
OF taxation is not excessive, as com
pared With the vas revenues deriVeU
t. by these companies in, h State o.
North Carolina. 1t is not right tk2at
: our citizens, who are just emergin@
r from the panic Of 1907-'S should b.
: called upon to provide an efficient en-
forcement of laws for the building I'll,
, or u State which provides SO great
revenue for these companies and al
: row these companies to pay such IL
mere fplttance toward the support o.
the same government. I have niue
) more data and figures here which }
could produce, but I hope What I hay
SAID will be sufficient to call your at
tention to the necessity Of the passag'
or this amendment in order that jus
5 tice may be done between the ordinars
2 tax payer and these quasi public COZ
porations." =