The daily times., 1921-10-11


he Coastal Plains, gradually ap-
,roaching and passing into the rug
,ed Piedmont section, which grad
,ally rises and becomes more rug
red. losing itself in the Blue Rldge
above the clouds.
Nature closed this state against
he sea. The sand bars enectuaiiy
forever prevented any harbors With
in our borders. Our rivers running
from west to east do not and cannol
empty into the ocean, but are cohi-
peIled to empty into shallow sounds'
and are therefore rendered unnaVl-
,,able to any considerable extent.
Through our mountains, there are no
natural trails going east and west OF
north and south. We have therefore
no great east and west
trade routes. Our natural trade
routes are from the south to the
north or from the north to the south.
"Our northern and southern prob
lens of transportation are very near
ly taken care of by three great sys-
TENS of railroads-the Atlantic Coast
Line in the east, the Southern in the
west and Western Piedmont and Sea-
board in between and running along
the sand hills.
"Our road problem, however, is
largely one of correcting the most
grave oversight of nature in failing
to provide us eastern and western
routes of trade. Until this is done,
we shall continue to have and hear
about the Lost Provinces, not only
of the extreme west but in the ex-
treme east.
''The conditions that have spoken
of have produced another condition
which, gravely affects our problem.
The absence of seaports and of nav
igable rivers means that trade does
not stop in the state but goes through.
We have therefore built up no great
cities because cities build at the ter
minal of trade routes. The terminal
of trade routes are practically always
on deep water.
''This state of affairs has however,
resulted in quite a wonderful and
fine development which presents a
affecting taxation. Although we have
built no great cities, we have sue
ceeded in building up a state of the
most evenly distributed population
and wealth of any in the union. There
is no county in North Carolina of
such overwhelming influence in poll
tics and industry as to dominate the
state and no natural union of such
counties.
This condition Of affairs renders
it impossible, in my judgment al
least, for us to adopt the same system
of taxation as has been adopted in
some of our sister states Let us con
slider the state of Maryland. Oul
area is greater; our population nearly
timore. The city of Baltimore ha!
nearly, if not quite half of the tota
population of Maryland. Wealth in
creased geometrically as population
centers. The city of Baltimore pay.
quite rs or 80 per cent of all the tax
alton paid in the state OF Maryland
Following our American tendency tt
prevent one city from controlling the
state, the Constitution of the state o.
Maryland limits it's representation il
General Assembly to minority. The
General Assembly of Maryland levie.
taxes for highway building purposes
Baltimore pays three-fourths. Not {
mile of state road is built in thu
city.
"She builds her own streets anl
three-fourths of the state roads. Will
minority representation from Bal
. timore city, the problem in Maryland
is not very difficult one. The same
condition of affairs exists in New
York, Massachusetts, PENNSYLVANIA
Ohio, Illinois, California, Missouri
Minnesota, Michigan and in man,
other states, too numerous to men
t1on. A careful study of the censu.
reports will show that in many, man,
states in the union SO per cent ant
more of the population are in one O,
two great centers Of population
Where this is the case, the problem
Is not nearly so difficult.
In North Carolina, however, will
an evenly distributed population ant
wealth, we are not so circumstance(
as to be able to tax someone else with
out at the same time taxing ourselves
almost equally heavy. Even with tn,
conditions as they exist in North Car