The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-07-29

GETS ZEN "coMih' AND 'oWlNEy
Gen. Harvey Hannah. member OF ths
railroad commission. board Of railroad
assessors. the public utilities commits.
sion. and the state board Of edualiza-
ton and we don't know what else
10 out over the state making sew
erai speeches q day in defense Of the
new arrangement under which he raises
the fare on the riders OF the street cars
and other rates OF public service cor
porations and reduces the amount OF
money the companies pay in taxes, and
is paid $1,000 a year more for doing II
than he received as a member Of tho
state railroad commission.
Harvey has the gift Of CAB. He used
TO think himself faint echo OF Bot
Taylor. and he had . few funny stories
in his repertoire.
Everybody likes him personally, but he
has never bothered the railroads or the
big public service corporations more
than q nsa bothers an elephant, and
now he 10 not the proper person to voice
the interest OF the people az to a Just
system OF taxes.
II would be well for Harvey to con-
fne himself under the shade Of tree
at Oliver Springs q few weeks and
study the abstract problems which are
to be presented to him as final arbiter
on our tax assessment. unless the tax
laws recently enacted are repealed at
the extra session. We doubt II he could
master them. but he mightsat least try.
He might also give decision on
Knoxville street car rates now and not
wait until after Aug. s.
He has never been famous for en-
ergy except with his Jaw. and II 10 only
because a public was willing to be long
suffering that he has been kept in
Office.
The governor In working out the de-
tails Of his great system Of taxes de-
cided that for "aoonomy's sake" ~ he
would have the railroad commission do
the work OF q tax commission. and Al
tho same time through the railroad COM
mission he would have appointed the
members OF the legislature and other
in,pecunious politicians whom he chose
to send over the state a. tax statisti-
clans. thus attaching them to his own
politician menass.
Gov. Rye In 1917 could have secured
tho passage OF his tax bills by permit
ting Harvey and his bunch to do the
eauailSing, but he chose that the bills
fai, rather than accept such . make
shift arrangement. with such q namby-
ramby aggregation to do work that
required CUTS.
The present governor claims merit for
his tax commission because he says 1t
| is elected by the people. 1t had not been
elected by the people and the governor
knows very well that II the people could
select the three members they would ma
some other better material
But here Ia one OF the anomalies pro-
duced under this bizarre arrangement.
Tho railroad commission acting AZ a
board OF railroad assessors has already
assessed the steam railroads OF the state
at what the board has sworn to az their
full value. Their solemn oath IN at
tnched to the assessment. The railroad
commission has assessed the other pub
lie utility corporations at what they have
sworn TO as their full value. Now this
Poo Bah OF state commission 10 given
the power OF jerking up the assessments
Of everybody else and II 10 being done
Mt throws OF three to five to one on
former assessments. II they told the
truth before they can't raise the public
corporation assessments at all. SO we
shall see other assessments raised sew
eral hundred per cent. and public serv-
leo corporation assessments raised very
little.
| The result IL going 70 be that the
public service corporations will pay less
taxes by hundreds of thousands Of dol
lars than before. The sliding scale will
slide down Tor them. if
But the public will pay them more
in fares, rates, etc, besides making
up the deficit in taxes. Acting ~ = pub
lic utilities commission this all power
| ~, board, which Ia the tool OF the
governor, has raised rates generally for
every gas. water. light, street railroad
and telephone and other company. They
pay less in taxes into the common pot.
The public pays them more for the
service and more taxes. They catch US
"a-comin' and a-gwine."
| No voice but that OF Harvey's could
possibly be secured for such an arrange
nont. The only way he can conceal the
| dopravity OF this system OF which he Il
a beneficiary IL to relate q few OF his
almanac jokes and change the subject,
The question We would like for him
to annwer 10 does he stand on the demo-
cratic platform which declares for q
repeal OF the public utilities actf
The last time the writer asked hin
4 that question was at Salt Lake City
when he declined TO sign telegram e
the governor requesting an extra session
| and the governors chairman, Hon. Hill
McAlister. after signing. had his nam'
| erased.
And George N. WEIGH. the only ont
Of the trio q candidate, should ais
speak out.
VILLA "suRRENpERs,"
In view OF terms accorded Francisc
| Villa IN aectira hia aurrantar Il In hari