The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1911-07-13
SAYS RAILROADS
GOVERN STATE
= analysis of Financial Condition
49, In State Todsy-Contrast Be
tween Amount the Average
Citizen Pays and the
Amount Roads Pay.

BEDFORD CITY, VA Special
Senator A. h. Thomas, speaking un-
der the auspices of the Virginia Dem
oerauc League, addressed the voters
OF Bedford City Saturday.
After a few preliminary remarks.
Mr.. Thomas plunged into an analysis
OF the political situation. He said, in
part:
1T is generally charged that there
is political machine in Virginia.
After a faithful study and careful
analysis of the situation. L wish to
enter general denial and assert that
the charge is untrue. The State
Democratic Executive Committee has
been composed of Thomas L. RYAN.
democrat in Virginia and reDuted
contributor TO Republican campaign
FUNDS in New York; Alfred Thorn.
counsel general of the Southern Rail-
road; Henry L. Wickham, vice presi-
dent of the Chesapeake and Ohio Rail-
road, and other lesser railroad lights.
The organization which they domi-
nate IS a railroad machine masque-
rading under the name of a Demo
cratic party machine. The same
money power which is laying tribute
on the people through the mOnopolies
and trusts is the owner of the rail-
roads, and through them sDeciaI
privilege seeks to take from you an
undue share of the products of your
labor.
Virginia Corporation Ridden.
In answer to the Keezel resolu-
ton, the State Corporation Commits
sion reported that the railroads of the
State were capitalized at something
more than 0,OOO,OOO-they were
assessed for taxation at about 500
100000, something like p y per cent.
assuming the other property of the
State to have been assessed at so per
cent. OF its value, the people were nav
ing double the taxes on the actual
value that the railroads were paw
ing. In this case, the railroads were
escaping taxation on more than $780,
OVO,OOO, which at an average tax of
y per cent. State and local. wouId
amount to $1,500,0OO per wear that
the railroads of this State are taking
from you and me.
The State owes about SOC 600 OOO
spent In building railroads and canals
we nave the debt-the corporations
nave the improvements, with the ex-
ceptlon that the State still owns
small minority interest in the Rich
mond, Fredericksburg and Potomac
haliroad. SO far as 1 am advised
the State received nothing for this
vast expenditure.
- me AUDITORS report shows that
Che State paid interest on this debt
last year amounting to $S45.OOO. The
total sum paid into the State treas
ury last year by the railroads amount
ed TO 1921, 9s7.74. In other words
oNdNG LAX OF the Ta1lTOa DIS
10 not enough to pay interest on the
improvements for which the debt
was contracted and which these roads
got for nothing.
To Illustrate; Virginia taxes the
Nortolk and Western Railroad Com
Pany on $4,000 and $4,000 per mile
Tor It's single and double tracks re-
specuvely. When this road crosses
INTO West Virginia its side tracks are
aseessed at $4,000 per mile and its
Concrete Case.
IN virginia the Chesapeake and
Ohio Is assessed $4,000 and $40 600
per mile on single and double tracks
respectively. When IL crosses into
West Virginia IL is assessed $4,000
per mile on side tracks and $4,000
per mile on its main line. This enor-
nous difference is not due TO differ
ences OF value in the roads in the
two States, but IL is due to the high
efficiency OF ting Virginia railroad
machine now disguised as the Demo-
cratic party machine. whose titular
head and boss is Senator Thomas S.
Martin.
70" The pocketing each year Of ST.
bOO,OOO OF the peoples money by the
railroads on account of failure to fair
~ assess their property is not all OF
the shameful story. Years ago rail-
road attorneys whom the people UNI
wisely elected to the General Assem-
bly, engTafted on our system of taxa-
uon license taxes which were against
the spirit, II not actually against the
letter OF the constitution. Constantly
these privilege taxes have been in
creased. until last year there was col
lected $1,200.0OO in this way. Every
conceivable thing from keeping store
10 keeping a jackass was brought in
ana made TO pay. The lawyer, the
doctor, the barber and the undertaken
are made to pay. Whether YOU are
being born or buried, you must pay
the arbitrary eXaction in order that
the railroads may escape the greater
snare OF the public burden for every
dollar raised in this way comes out
roads.
Taxes Raised ST 800. 900 a Year.
Whatever one may think OF Gov
ernor Swanson's administration, this
fact stands out-that he found a full
treasury and left an empty one. He
left the finances of the State in a con-
dltion that necessitated the increase
OF the amount levied upon the people
at least $1.5O0.OOO per year to meet
the demand for public needs. 1t is
true that the tax rate was not raised
but II is equally true that the assess
ments were raised on the personal
and real property $93.O71,576, and on
timber lands $2,SS5,574; on railroads. |
SS,52S. 4, making total of $1O4.-
4S5,964.
This sum. at an average rate for
state and local tax of y per cent,
Will yield something more than one
and a half million dollars taxes per
year. If the General Assembly had
honestly and frankly raised the tax
rate, 1t would have been fairer be-
cause all interests would have been
compelled to pay their share, but the |
assessments were not eQuitably !
raised. The railroads were raised !
something over per cent, while |
other property was raised over IA per
cent, thus compelling the people to
pay about double the proportion of
the additional tax that the railroads |
are required to pay.
1t has been generally known that
the railroads have been paying the |
campaign expenses of the Democratic !
party, and they could well afford to
do so, since they have robbed us each
year of taxes enough to pay the cam
paign expenses of the party for fifty
years.
Machine Followers DO Not Know.
The great mass of the supporters
of this railroad machine. called the
Democratic party organization, have
no conception of what it actually |