Bristol news. [volume] (Bristol, Va. & Tenn.) 1867-189?, 1872-01-26
ABINGDON, VA.

MEssRs EDITORs:
After a silence Of some weeks,
again assume the position of cores
p0ndent of the News" with the
view Of giving to your numerous
readers, short statements of some of
the current events of the day i'm this
quarter, as well as to advocate certain
measures of reform which cOlsid-
er conducive TO the public veal.
After several days of sunshine, a
slight snow fell ON Saturday night
last, producing a very decided reduc-
tiOn in the temperature of the wealth
er, rendering the demand for coal and
wood more active than for any time
before during the winter, the bad state
OF the roads having almost entirely
stopped wOod-hauling.
"Business is very dull generally
at this season of the year, but this is
specially the case here now. "The
great scarcity of money [" is the uni
versal complaint, with tut little pros
pect OF" better time" in that particu-
lar, until a crop can be raised, and the
surplus sOld-provided the farmers
haze any surplus to sell. Reference
has been made in the press to the high
prices obtained at sale in the :" Rich
Valley" made on HnIe-in opposition
TO which I will state that at a sale
made not long before that sale, for
cG.h, property sold at about hdlf its
real value. In eastern Virginia corn
has been sold at 35 cts per bushel, to
pay tdIes. There Is no question but
that depression to a very great extent
prevails all over the State, and even
i'm the cities. troubles occur as the re-
cent failure of two of the prominent
merchants of Lynchburg clearly
shows. Before the war, the real value
of the real aud personal property own
ed in Virginia was about eight or nine
hundred millions of dollars now the
real value of such property owned in
Virginia, does not exceed one hundred
Snd fifty millions of dollars. | say
the "rcdL UdIUe," and if a re-assess-
ment of the lands and lots throughout !
the commonwealth is made, and made !
on the basis of the real and true value
OF the same, it will be found that the !
sum have stated Is very nearly cor
rect. Yet notwithstanding this fact,
the Governor "Of the State has done /
all in his power to force the people |
owning this property, TO pay interest !
WI a NCbb
third Of the above sum, using and ey-
crcising the k:ngly prerOgative of the
veto " for that purpose-yet thanks
to the Legislature his efforts in that
behalf ffailed-prominenta among those
vouing against his recommendations,
were the able and faithful delegates i'm
the House from Washington county. |
That the people of Virginia can bear
n ter of two per cent on all their prop /
cry, productive aud unprOductive-
or of six per cent on their productive
property, and prosper; no man in the |
STATE can possibly believe, unless per-
haps the governor believes it, which /
doubt very seriously. If he does not !
believe 50, he is favOring policy des-
JTucIive to the best interests of the |
peOple-if he does believe so, he is not !
i'm the estimation of your cOrTespOn-
dent, as well Informed on the resour-
ces of the State as he should be.
Much has been said about retrench-
ment and REFORM" and many of those
advocating il, call on the members of
the Legislature to begin by reducing
their own salaries, or per diem. Your
correspondent does not regard their |
pay as being hdLf as high, for the SER /,
vice rendered, rs that of almost any |
other public servant" in the State. |
1t is certainly worth as much per day |
10 make laws as to eXpOund them. A
County Judge gets about ten dollars |
a day at home, where he pays no board /
bills, &c while member of the Leg |
islature gets six dollars day, and out |
of it pays board, washing, &c,
amounting to perhaps half Of his per |
.lfa.,, .,.hsal, that n /
make IotCs, Is worth only One-third as
much as to expound laws. Other pub
lie officers receive still higher salaries /
or fees than the Judges. Now if the
members will In a spirit of retrench- |
ment," reduce their own per diem TO |
five dollars per day-which after pay !
ing unavoidable expenses. leaves their !
pay at three dollars per day-and will !
reduce the pay of all public officers TO |
the same sum per day, the people
will not complain. Such proceed
ing would save many thousands OF
dollars year to that extent lessen |
ing taxation, and the public business !
will be quite as well conducted as at
present. Before the war Justices of
the Peace received no pay, yet as ca
pable men held the office then as now. |
Members of the Legislature received |
four dollars a day-which was about |
equal TO five now, board. &C., being |
now higher-aed the presiding Justice !
of the County Court received three
dollars q day. The Circuit and SUI
preme Court Judges received about the
same before the war as now. The
Governor also the same, but he had
not the "veto power then, which
makes n great difference in the pOtcer
pertaining to the Office. The ability
OF the people to pay taxes now is not
one-third "a great as it was before the |
war. In 1860 the rate OF taxation |
was forty cents on the hundred dol |
lars, and the people could pay /
that then, easier than they can pay I!
ten cents on the hundred dollars /
now. Hence a tax of fifty cents now |
on the hundred, is fire times as much /
rcid,iUciy, as was the rate In 1850. |
These are stubborn facts, and we call |
on the Legislature to " face the music
Make some fair compromise with non
resident bond-hOlders-then turn up
on the creditor class at home and |
say to them 1.-The exemptions hereto
fore provided by law aud 1.-THE Home
stead exemption provided by the con-
s,!tution, for which you all voted !
shall be espcctcd-beyond these /,
"your remedy shall be cheap, certain |
and summary" This In a few |
years will restore our people TO 4 state |
of comparative prosperity.
OBSERVER.