Chester City v. Western Union Telegraph Co.

Citations

• 154 Pa. 464
• 25 A. 1134
• 1893 Pa. LEXIS 916

Syllabus

<p>Taxation — License lax on telegraph poles — Municipalities.</p> <p>An ordinance of a city imposing a license tax of one dollar per year for each telegraph pole erected within the city limits is not so unreasonable as to justify the courts in interfering with the discretion of the municipality.</p> <p>In an action to recover such a tax an affidavit of defence is insufficient</p> <p>which avers that the charge “ is wholly disproportioned to the usual, ordinary or necessary expense of municipal officers, of issuing licenses, and other expenses thereby imposed upon the municipality.” The defence is insufficient, because it does not take into consideration the liability imposed upon the city by the erection of telegraph poles.</p>