Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-02-12
Letter from LOudOul Go.

Correspondence of the Alexandria Gazette
I,EEsBURt, Va, Feb. 9.-The present town,
ship system is so frequently soundiy abused
that | feel as do tor the under dog IN the
ight, helping him or taking his part. We IN
Imuduun pay about $lun.O00 on real and per
souaI property for the State revenue, and We
nav for county and township purl,os's thirty
ner ct. on that revenue. The commission to
the Sheriff, as fixed by the code Of 1861. was
five per cclll-$5, 900. On county levy !! was
paid here for collecting and dl>i!,lrSlng. The
Treasurer now gets
) ner ct. on $1,000, $3.50 per ct. on % 900,
$500; d per ct. OH 2o:UDO, $500 | per CT
on 30 1000, 800 total Il $50.
The saving on the collection Of Luldoun' $
State revenue is therefore $3.4jO.UO.
Our county levy proper last year was about
$4,000 y
As the Treasurer has to disburse as well as
collect I SUPPOSE his commission will be I! per
ct-3OU, which was the Sheriff $ conInls-
sion, and therefore there is no loss here
Our township lcves have been about SIG, 600.
The collector gets three per ct. on this SUN,
and therefore saves I! per ct.-$I l7O,
We have six townships aud ali the other OH
GERS, clerks, supervisors commissioners OF roads
and overseers Of poor get about $2tO 10 each
township, in all 81 POO.
The assessors get now . per ct. on the reve-
nue. other than for lands.
The commissioner OF the revenue got under
the old system the same.
The assessors being sx while the comlnis-
sioners were three, ought to have their books
ready in half the time tormer y required, and
doubtless could have them ready by May |, as
required last year, if the Legislature would act
promptly, so that the Auditor could get his
forms out to enable the public printer to fur
nish the books.
The theory of the tax law, last year, was
that the Treasurer should begin to collect May
Is. and should continue to collect through. June,
July and August, when most OF the class uSu-
ally returned delinquent get the largest wages
(harvest) and the most work, but the fact was
our Treasurer got his books in the last week III
July or the first week in August, aud crowded
all his collections into less than mouth instead
of spreading them over 81 months. Vi course
great many OF the taxes went over to the col
lector with five per ct. added, III our township
about $4,000, and in the whole county about
$4,000. thus increasing the burdens OF the
people about $4,000. So that even with all
the cross workings of new system Of laws,
and new road system too, the cost OF coilec-
tons is nearly $1,000 less than under the old
system.
Now good news for the people of the Lees
burg township may be found in the fact that
the Commissioner of Roads will have surplus
Of 81 ,OO0 with which to ease the burdens OF
our people Whether this is the case with any
other township am not informed.
With little watchtulnesS our roads could be
made very much better and with less cost tul
working | think too much ground is covered
by the road bed which ought never to exceed
IS feet, and at IA mile from county towns might
be reduced to Is feet. A wagon from out tc
out of hubs being seven feet, and the track hive
feet, giving 10 feet road, foot on each out
side, aud , feet between inner hubs, while Oh
an is feet road the inner space could be toul
feet Two or three feet saved in the work M
Of a road would be s. to 50 per mile; and OF
the GOO miles Of road inLouioun would hc,say
So 400, quite an item.
Our mills are doing nothing, the races being
filled with ice and the wheels clogged with
dritted snow, land there being little water to work
with at best. AllQClS.