Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1871-05-23
For the Spectator.
Relief Exposed! y!

hEllG1 xApUS6U
In a lengthy and labored pro-
duction in the last Valley Virginian s'Relief'
attempts a reply to the statements and figures I
published some weeks since, in which he intro
duces figures, which he uses in the most unscru-
pulous manner to carry his point, and declares
with emphasis that the City Record sustains him.
declare as emphatically that they do not
They have been examined with reference to his
figures, and defy any committee of citizens,
even selected by Relief" himself, to show that
they agree. 'Reliefs" statement is incorrect
from beginning to end, and l beg of you. Mr.
Editor, sufficient space to call public attention to
some of his most glazing errors.
Relief even starts with erroneous figures The
aUhoIe amount of all taxes collected after july 1st
1870, was only So 200. The old Councils debts
paid by the present Council amounted to $3,028,
and July interest $3.50, making total Of 1857,
which deducted from S., 200 leaves only So, 343,
instead of $2,599-a small error of 81, $50.
1 will show presently that Relief has charged
a second time this So, 857; whether by accident
or to make an array Of figures, leave the public
to decide.
In the next place he Kindly ~ credits $222S
for delnquents and says see tax ordinance.''-
What tax ordinance? In the ordinance for 1871.
there is an allowance of S2,228 for delnquents,
CONTINGENCIES &C., &c, bat what has this to do
with the receipts and expenditures of taxes of
| 1892 Notjsingi Yet it has been cunnn ely in
serted by Relief to make bold array. The
delinquents have been largely in capitation tax
| es. In 1869, the captation tax ($3 per head)
amounted to over So. 900. In 1870. at 80 cents
| a head they amounted to only S4685O A de-
lnquency out of that amount of s.. 228 is. there
| fore, impossible. | am informed from the best
sources tEat 1t will not reach the amount of the
| capitation tax-another error then of 81. 500.
now come to the baldest effort of .sRelief' to
impose Upon the eredullty OF the public. He as
serts that the Treasurer's books show an expen-
diture, to May 18th, of $2l, l20 43. This is not
so. It summed up $40, So. 43-another error of
$26s. This expenditure account was made up
of all amounts paid since July 1st IN aoic IS
cluded the debts of Old Council and interest on
bonded debt ($3, 857,l which is, therefore. again
| charged, as mentioned above. Any reader of
this, by referringto Relief expose," will readi
| tempt to deceive Then deducting S.. 867 from
| $50 $751; it leaves only $l7,000 as expended by
the present Council, including bonded debt paid,
repair of bridges, school appropriations, &c
have stated as expended for all subjects but fair
| ness was not his game and so he charged 3d.
$50 a second time, and makes the 4th error.
! In the estimated cost of bridges under con-
tract he only makes an error of p, 000. In the
grading Of New street, he makes another error
| of 1858, which the old Councilman who fur
nished 'ssReief' the figures, acknowledged to
| one of the present Council to be an error, some
week or more since.
| He failed to credit $685. interest on the
| bonded debt, paid by Chief Of police out Of the
taxes of 1870.
I now ask you, fellow-citizens, to examine
'.Reliefs expose" 4 suppose you have one, as
| they were circulated by the thousand to secure
your votes for some men who are exceedingly anx
ous to get into the Council, and you viii readily
| see that have pointed out only the glaling err
rors--then add up the amounts and you win find
they make up the large sum of $685., cum
ningly inserted to impress you with tho belief
| that the present Council would go out of Office
| largely in debt. In the classic language of RE
| lief we ask him-'How Is THAT FOR SMALLW
| Errors amounting to $9097 inserted to show the
present Council in debt $S967 ''Oh! Relief
| where IS thy blush -
| have thus pointed out some of the errors
"Relief' has made, to show that he has not been
| particular how or where he obtained his figures,
so that he might exhibit the so much desired re-
| suit, and ask that he name committee to exam
inc the Record and say whether his figures or
mine are most nearly correct VIII he DOT?
There are but two more points in "Reliefs"
last that need noticing, and viii do it briefly.
| The Treasurer's books show that the street
committee received from July lst 1870, to May
| lst. 1871, ten months, 81 81, (althongh Re
| lief says the books show between S. coo and
| $4,000 and deducting the amount expended on
bridges, there is left as expenditure on streets,
So, 500, an average of $3.50 per month, or 81 200
| per year | defy Relief to show from the
| Treasurer's books a greater expenditure than
81 783. 90 on Streets bridges &c. up to May lst
| 1871. Reader ask the Treasurer and see whether
Relief or myself are correct in this.
| 1909 56'-"Can it be yielded out Of ;S17, 024
Is? Well, let see. ST., 024 IS plus So $50 taxes
of 1865 collected in 1862 makes up the nice lit
tie sum of 500, O66, which we think would yield
$1,000 Sc. Not at all confused, Mr.. Relief"
The trouble is that you writing by dictation,
or else havn't gone far enough back into the rec
| ord.
| With this, am done. leave the public to
Esay whether "Relief's" figures are, or are not
grossly Observation-Disclosures accidentally or pur-
posely made SO, and whether his burlesque style
and false figures have accomplished any thing in
favor of the few men, whose interests he is trying
/ to subserve. JUSTICE
| P.*S.-As wrong impression seems to prevail
attention to the fact that the real and personal
property tax is fixed at so cents on every 800 OF
taxable property for ordinary purposes, and 81
cents each hundred dollars for free schools =
a less aggregate amount than that levied for tn !
year 1869. JUSTICE.
| e.