The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-10-25

MILLIONS
HELD UP
SOME OF STATES BEST
LAWS BEING FOUGHT
BY CORPORATIONS


| Whether on not there Is a natural
| hostility between corporations and
the law and taxes, such would appear
10 be the case In Oklahoma Prac
tically every important corporate law
of this state has been or Is being con-
tested by some corporation or rail,
road; at the beginning of the year 1t
was estimated taht $S,000,000 OF state
and county taxes were held up By
suits by the railroads and other cor
porations.
At the present time the "Jim Grow"
| (separate COACH law is In the Unit
ed States circuit court of appeals al
st. Paul, ostensibly ON suit by ne-
groes, In reality q suit backed by cor
tain railroads; the bank guaranty law
Is IN the United States supreme court
In test case backed by various na.
tional bankers, including, II Is sad
| j. w .McNeal. of Guthrie, formerly
president of the National Bank OF
Commerce here, and now Republican
candidate for governor. The two.
cent passenger rate Is pending In the
United States circuit court Of appeals
with lnjunctions out rendering the law
| imperative In the meantime. All the
big railroads of Oklahoma are back
of this attack ON the cheap passenger
fare. The McCalla bill, forbidding the
transfer of a damage case from h
state TO federal court upon penalty
| ~ .i,u hag hal
up ever since statehood by a suit
filed in the United States circuit
court here by the Frisco railroad. In
the meantime, the railroads almost
daily transfer to the federal courts
damage suits from almost every coun-
ty of the state.
None of the railroads have paid
the gross income special tax, aud arc
contestlng the United States courts
the Oklahoma Gas and Electric com
pany of Oklahoma City Is trying out
the same law In the state courts Tho
McAlester coal companies are testing
the gross production tax, and, In the
meantime, have not paid some $4,000
due under the law
The Prairie Oil and Gas company.
the Standard Oil subsidiary that now
owns s22,250000 In the Oklahoma oil
Fields and is increasing that valuation
by million dollars month, has an
nounced to the corporation commits
sion its intention of contesting INC
ronstitutionality of the corporation H.
cense tax law; 1t Is practically Ger
tain that the railroads will contest
the new railroad tax bill which be
came effective October Is. The Katy
and Rock Island are the only big
lines that have filed statement even
as required under the new law, and
the Rock Island specifically reserves
the right to attack the law In the
courts.
Pullman Company Fights
The Western Union Telegraph coDl'
pany and the Pullman Car company
have been the most persistent ~
fighting state taxes. Every year
since statehood they have regularly
gone into the courts. None OF the
eases have yet been settled. These
companies charge that they are over
assessed, the Pullman would have II
Ifhey are overassessed about 2bO per
cent. and the Western Union not tar
behind This year the Frisco, Katy,
Santa Fe and other roads are flght''lS
both state and county taxes; wh'ie
decision was handed down only O few
months ago by Judge Cotteral IN the
/ 1908 anti.tar suits by the same lines,
under which the railroads paid about
/ rs per cent OF the taxes due.
/ II is very probable that the 1919
state common school levy OF one
j quarter mill will be absolutely knocS-
ed out. since the railroads have coci-
bined on this item.
Hundred Cases Appealed
To enumerate the various antl-tax
suits by all corporations; or the cases
ATTACKING rate orders, etc, OF the COZ
poration commission. would require a
lfull newspaper page. II is estimated
that there are an average 100 cases
lappealed from teh corporation COLI
mission always on hand
| Nor is this all. The Frisco Is now
making an assault on the "anti-black-
listing" law ct Oklahoma City. With
federal court lnlunctlOnS, inc bao ooli'
panies have absolutely smashed the
state laws against the expectation OF
Oklahoma's natural gas. and are drain
ing this valuable commodity away 70
| st. Louis, Kansas c!ty and other Mis-
souri, and Kansas towns The Okla
homs antitrust law has been assault
ed from so many sides that It's pres
ent status, under the court decisions
Is a question only well-intormed law
yer can solve. This despite the fac'
that the Waters-Pierce OIL company
paid SIS 900 fine at Enid one month
for discrimination in prices, etc, and
the month following was charged be
fore the corporation commission Will
the samo offense at Purcell.
Santa re In Lead
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