Show HOW RAILWAY TAXES CONTINUE TO INCREASE ASE tho the railway age calls attention to the fact that recent statistics of the interstate commerce commission show railway taxes continue to I 1 increase and in the aggregate will reach a record breaking figure this year after quoting a warning givon given by senator borah of idaho in a speech in the united states senate I 1 a few months ago to the effect that i will be very difficult to reduce freight rates if we continue in this country to increase taxes upon the railroads as we have tor lor the last four years the railway age says how completely senator boraas warning is being disregarded is shown by the continued increase in the taxes of the railroads this year in the first six months of 1923 taxes of the class I 1 roads amounted to as compared with in the corresponding months in 1922 the increase being almost the taxes paid by the railways in the first six months of the present year exceeded the amount paid by them in any entire year prior to 1917 it if railway taxes increase as much in proportion during the last halt half of the year as they did during the first ir t half they will amount for the entire year to ten years ago in 1913 they were tho the increase in the period of ten years apparently will be about per cent it seems now to have become standard practice for the taxes of the railways to exceed the dividends paid to their stockholders in 1913 their dividends were while their taxes were in 1920 their taxes for the first time slightly exceeded their dividends in 1922 their taxes amounted to while the total dividends paid by them amounted to only in 1913 it took one eighth of the net liet earnings of the railroads to pay their taxes in the first six months of 1923 it took one fourth of their earnings to pay their taxes those who clamor loudest for reductions of rates are also among the most active in catis causing the increase in taxes which contribute largely to making reductions of rates impossible |