The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-02-02

|
Assessed by the New, and those
Transferred by the Old State, IneIu.
ding that $3.50, 900 ?---The Necessity
for an Immediate Reduction of Our.
Taxes from 40 10 10 cts. on the Hum
dred DOlIars-=.HOw the Substance of
the People is Wasted. -e
Editors Ir,teUigencer: r ---.. ...
As I stated in my last the amount
of taxes assessed for the years '64, '65
| and '66 for State purposes, exclusive OF
the school money, added to the SI5O, 900
given by the old State, is 81, ,2S4, ,596 24,
beside what has been received from
taxes and debts assigned by the old
State-an of which was for the purpose
OF paying the ordinary and extraordi-
| nary State expenses solely. Now the
question is, what have our public SER
wants done in relation to these taxes,
which ought to have been collected and
paid into the treasury and disposed of
as the constitution provides.
1t appears from the Auditors last re-
port, which dates the Ist of October
last, that the sheriffs and other collect
| ing officers were in arrears for the year
1865 and previous years Sill, ,s4I Is of the
States money, and S45, 1923 80 belonging
to the school funds, and that only S241, =
Ais 80 had at that date been received of
the taxes assessed for the year 1866, in
cluding school money and all. Now
the law requires, of course, good and
sufficient security for all these officers
| before they enter upon the duties of
| their offices. When the land and per-
sonal property books are completed by
| the assessors, and certified to be correct
by the Board OF Supervisors, copies
thereof are delivered to the sheriff of
the county and also to the Auditor, who
| charges the sheriff with the amount OF
taxes assessed. The only way the
al N ~
liability is by paying the money into
the treasury, or producing releasements
by the Board of Supervisors of his
county, or returning the property and
persons delinquent. The last he
must do if sufficient personal
he may take the personal property
ofeitherlandlordo or tenant, that is found
on the land, TO pay the taxes assessed
thereon. The law requires the Sheriff
to settle up with the Auditor once a
year, and discharge himself in one of
the modes aforesaid, or his securities
become liable to pay all there is in
arrear- Now, why have not these Sc
curities been sued, and these immense
arrearages collected The practice in
West Virginia, while part of the old
State, of Sheritfs suffering default and
their securities getting released by the
Legislature had become very common,
and the move to re-organiZe the Gov
ernment in 1861 was attributed by the
rebels, at the time, to be for the pur-
pose of releasing defaulting Sheritfs
and their securities; and the amount of
business done in that line might be said
to have given some color to the impu-
tation.
1t was hoped that under the New
State this practice of wholesale swim
ding would cease; but the prospect is
that there is to be far more of it than
there has been at any time heretofore.
Is it to be supposed that honest men
are to pay their tax of forty cents on
500 into the treasury, aand then con-
sent to be assessed the like amount,
year after year, while such enormous
arrearages are either not collected by
the Sheriffs, for some cause, or if col
lected, are being speculated with by the
Sherihs, and in many cases their secu-
rites are in partnership swith them?
Is this what the people meant when
they adopted that clause in the Consti-I
tuition which provides that the burden OF
taxation shall be borne equally according
to tChGt each possesses 1t casts the
tChoLe burden of government upon a part
only; and hence arises the necessity of
keeping tie State taxes so high, and the
only necessity, in my opinion, except
for the support of extravagance.
The State tax should at once be
reduced one-half, and the officers
of the Government should at once
bring all detaulting Collectors of the
public revenue to settlement-and they
or their sureties be made to pay up,
and hare no more releasing. A tax of
fifteen cents on the 500 when all who
have property are made to pay, Will
yield ample revenue for all ordinary
State purposes; and when extraordin-
ary amounts are wanted for erecting
suitable public buildings, prudently
and economically planned and con-
structed, assess and collect the money,
which-the people Will in that case cheer
fully pay. But as things are going
now, rest assured, they will not quiet
ly submit. ~ E.,a
1t always struck me that the Office of
Sheriff and that of Collector of the
Revenue, were incompatible, and
would never work well united in the
same person. My experience in Wes-
tern and w est Virginia has confirmed
me in this opinion. believe ours is
the only one of the loyal States where
the two offices are contided to the same
person. Others have their special
and financial agents who give ample
security and receive but small commits
sion for their services. Most of these
States think employ the county
Treasurer to collect the State taxes
and to induce prompt and ready pay
ment into their hands they allow GER
tain Attachments. With them, taxes
are collected promptly and with little
and seldom any loss. This course
then, so successfully practiced by other
States,-why should it not be adopted
by ours? If we are on the wrong
track our aim should be to get in the
right one. Then our taxes may be
greatly reduced and at the same time,
have more money in the Treasury, and
have it when the State wants it. 1t Is
objected by some, that our Sheriffs can
not Tue if this enactment is taken from
them. If this be SOL should say that
the great public good to result would
justify the sacrifice.
But how do the Sheriffs of
the other States live without
il? Our sheriffs should feel thankful to
be relieved of n temptation so many OF
them succumb to.
But deduct Sl11, 81 Is, being the ar
rears OF State taxes exclusive of school
money. for 1865 and previous years,
with 1921 ,49l Is, the balance of State
tax assessed for 1866, which remained
uncollected the first of February last,
making S403, ,432 80, from the aggregate
assessments for State purposes for '64,
rs aud '66, with the I3I50, 900 the old
State gave eadded-malSing the aforesaid
sum of 81, ,2S4, ,5e6 2-leaves a balance
OF 1851, ,164 81, that actually came into
the Treasury OF the new State prior to
Oct. l, 1866, exclusive of the school
money. Besides the amount received
of the taxes and other debts which the
old State transferred, which cannot