Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-01-20
Town AND CoUNrRY.-We have made arougl
calculation on the subject from which it appears

Town AND COUNTRY We have made arough
calculation on the subject, from which it appears
that the cities and towns Of Virginia pay one
fourth of the entire State tax. The population
of the cities and towns is about one-seventh OF
the entire population; from which it result
that the tax payers our cities and towns pay IN
the proportion of nearly So to S as compared
with the rural population on the State tax.
We presume it may be roughly stated that
the county and township taxation Is about 5O
cents in the 500. 10 our cities the city taxes
range from one to two per cent on property.
Here in Richmond it is sl35 Putting it at 81
on the 500, the cities and towns pay twice as
much in the way of municipal taxes as they
do in the way Of State taxes (which is 30 cents
on the Sl00).
The entire State tax assessed on the people
of the whole State amounts to $2,47j,W0, ac-
cording to Auditor Taylors report. Of this,
we estimate the amount paid by the cities and
towns at SG30,O00, which deducted from
$2,475 100, leaves 81 SIS, 900 assessed on the
country population. This country population
pay also, as we have said, 30 cents on the 500
in the way Of county and township taxes,
which is (roughly) some $780, 900 more-ln
all So, 900 paid by the county districts.
The municipal tax (which is exclusively prop
crty tax paid by the cities and towns will
amount to about 81 ,0O0,OOO. Consequently,
the entire State and municipal tax paid by the
cities and towns amounts to 1880, 0uO-that
is, the cities and towns of the State pay in
State and city taxes about one halt OF the sum
paid by the rural districts for State and county
taxes.
The population of the State is some :225,-
900; the city and town population is about
10000 The country population amounts
therefore, to l,050,OU0
The result is, that I75.OO0 people living in
the cities and towns pay one-haf as much in
the way of taxes as ,050,O00 people living in
the country pay In other words, man living
in Richmond or Norfolk. or Staunton, pays
So taxes where MAN living in the country
pays 81.
This fact is significant when we consider that
the main complaint about taxes comes from the
rural districts. There is not town in the
State, we imagine, which is not opposed to any
tampering with the State credit, and which ls
not In favor Of paying the interest on two
thirds Of the public debt.
Persons living in the country 10 not realize
the far heavier taxation to which Their fellow
citizens living in the towns are subjected.
If a man with seven or eight hundred acres
of land were to come to Richmond to live. he
would have to pay from $500 to $1,000 for his
housc-say 5000. If be has family, it will
cost him 81 200 to feed them. His fuel will
cost him $3.50 more His gas SloO more. The
clothing of his family-say $500 more. That
is nearly $1,000 for these items alone. In the
country the house would cost about 800; the
feeding of his family he would hardly feel, ex-
cepting groceries: the clothing would cost less
than hall; the fuel would cost comparatively
nothing. We have hard time of it here III
town; and we assure our country friends that
they are to be envied, if they only knew it II
R;aLannuI Ennnirrr