Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-03-20
Parable On Tolls.

Parable On OILS.
John Bull and Uncle Sam lived on
the Catawba river. John Bull owned
land on one side, but did not raise
| many crops, but devoted his time
largely to making wool hats Uncle Sam
gave much attention to farming. Both
| sold their prodl cts in Charlotte and
Gastonia. One day John Bull proposed
to Uncle Sam to build-a bridge across
the Catawba river and both would be
able to extend trade one for his farm
products and the other for his wool
hats.
After a great deal Of talk and hag-
Cling about it, John Bull said:
Sam, you build the bridge all your
self and manage 1t to suit yourself, and
I and the neighbors will pay you tolls.
Uncle Sam said: I'll do it,
John Bull said: Lets draw up a
contract"
Uncle Sam said: II see no need Of a
contract. If 1 am going to build the
bridge all by myself and have the
management and control OF 1t.
Yet they did draw up such con-
tract. and Uncle Sam never conceived
| that the. subject was one that did not
concern Mr.. Bull in. the new attitude
and equally never conceived that John
Bull would never put In any claim for
interference When the bridge was FIN
ished John Bull wrote letter to Un-
Gle Sam and said: You and your boys
must pay tolls on the bridge just as the
rest Of u.s."
IJncle Sam said: "Tn be dinged if
I will ever do it. Do you mean to say,
John Bull, that when my boys haul
planks to the other end Of the bridge
to repair II at our own cost and eX-
pense that we would consider for a
moment paying tolls? Why, the inter-
est on my investment far exceeds what
my toll would be if was wiling to pay
tolls"
But the contract" said Mr.. Bull, "is
that all hands shall pay tolls"
"The contract" said Uncle Sam is
that shall own and control the bridge
and I am party Of the first part. You
and all the rest Of the neighbors are
the parties Of the second part, who, as
q matter Of fact have no interest in the
bridge and there was no use OF con-
tract and no valid contract, because
YOU have no rights for which you paid
any consideration l have got land on
both sides Of the river and my boys
drive across the bridge whenever they
please. You have got land on one side
only and you get new and larger out
let market by virtue Of this bridge.
Therefore, If you and the neighbors
cross this bridge, you will pay for 1t.
and If my boys want to cross It, they
cross 1t free. You have been worming
and suuirming about what you would
do and what T would do until by de-
grees you have unloaded the whole
thing upon me and now you want to
tax me and my boys In the bargain. -
Charlotte Chronicle.
We have always had little different
view of this matter We may not be
orthodox; but nevertheless it is our
way of looking at it.
After considering the matter long
long time, Uncle Sam decided he would
dig the canal. He knew that II the
canal was dug he would have to dig 1t
himself, and that while it was none OF
John Bulls business John Bull was big
and strong, very much Of bully and
would make it his business. 1t was
clear that the nation which owned the
canal would have tremendous ad-
vantage over other nations unless some
agreement was reached in advance and
for that reason it was necessary to
have a treaty as declaration of inten-
tions. Otherwise the work would new
er be completed without a war, and in
that war Uncle Sam would not only
have to lick John Bull; but all the rest
Of the world.
Among other things therefore it was
agreed that although Uncle Sam should
dig the ditch and be allowed to charge
such tolls as he might think proper, all
nations must be allowed to pass
through on the same terms.
About the time the ditch was du
Uncle Sam put it up like this: Since
no other nation is allowed to engage in
our coastwise trade, and since so far
as the coastwise trade is concerned
the canal is only an extension OF 1t, and
the exemption of our coastwise trade
from tolls would not directly affect
other nations, we will exempt the
coastwise trade"
Now as a matter Of fact We believe
that Uncle Sam is right in this and
that it does not involve any violation
or the treaty agreement Siliici III iSS'Si
or spirit.
But still there is another good reason
why vessels engaged in the coastwise
trade should not be exempted from the
payment Of tolls.
All the vessels engaged in the coast
wise trade are owned by several COM
panies that belong to one big shipping
combine, and the exemption of these
vessels from the payment of canal tolls
would be of no benefit to the people
who buy the goods; but only to the
benefit of the shipping combine at the
expense of the government
Until the shipping combine is broken
up in such a way as to restore compe-
tition, it might be just as we'll to let
American vessels pay canal tolls along
with the others; and for that reason
we think the toll exemption provision
of the canal bill should be repealed;
but still we think that this government
has a right to exempt the coastwise
trade from canal tolls If it sees proper
to do so, and without violation of the