Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1875-10-01
CORRESPONDENCE.
Mr.. Koiner and the Tax Bill.

MIR. AO1Mer ana the lax Dill.
MEssRs. EDITORS But for the fact that
the cre6ulous may be made to doubt,
would have allowed the author Of the ar
ticle, GA Farmer and Granger which APP
peared in your paper of last week, to pass
in silence; nor will L now characterize
him as he deserves. The absurd SUPPOSE
ton that East Virginia will become de-
populated is too ridiculous to receive Sc
rious notice. That many of the old fields
in the eastern part of the State have been
abandoned to the brushwood, there can be
no doubt that the lands in the east have
been assessed lower according to their rel
alive productlveness than the lands of the
Valley, we have long believed; that the
superior energy, agricultural skill and con-
sequent prosperity of the Valley people
devOlves on them Il Gisprcportioned burden
of taxation must be obvious. Though the
prospects liz the East were gloomy, two
years ago, the high price of tobacco last
year and the good crop this year, have
greatly relieved their situation and in
spired them with new hope and resolution.
he tiles of the East are growing. Dan
vile and Norfolk are enjoying an unusual
degree OF prosperity. Capital and immi-
grafton are slowly but constantly coming
in, creating new subjects of taxation, all
tending to equalize the burdens of taxa
ton.
In raising revenue it is very difficult to
get a full report of all the taxable proper
| ty. The lands stand on the assessors
books and cannot he concealed and are in
variahly taxed while stocks, bonds. divi-
dends, shares OF gains and profits accru-
| ing. of which there is a vast amount owned
| by wealthy men in the large Cities can be
easily sheltered by evasions Of the law
| Judge Ould, one of the ablest and most ex-
perienced members of the III. of d., ex-
pressed the belief, that there is enough
| property Of the latter class, which is not
taxed, in consequence of evasions of the
law, which if taxed would swell the public
revenue sufficiently to pay full interest on
! the public debt, without any increase of
| the rate of taxation. With this object in
view he prepared a substitute for the 66
and 81 sections of the tax-blll specifying
more minutely the different subjects of
taxation. The tax bill embraced the same
| subjects, but 1T was thought by some to be
| too general in some of its terms and might
be evaded These sections relate to the in
come tax over $500, and the rate of tax is
precisely the same in the bill as in the sub
stitute. The only difference between them
consists in the substitute being more spe-
cifc, to enable the assessors to compel the
reluctant to disclose al their taxable prop
erty and share an equal burden with the
owners of real estate. The substitute was
voted for by such men as Judge Allen
Gen. j. r. Anderson, Lieut.. Gov. Mon
tague, Col. Magruder, Col Gilman and
Gen. Wharton. I.voted with these dis.
tinguished men because [ thought adGi
tional efforts should be made to secure a
fair and equal assessment; that the honest
and patriotic should not be allowed to beal
an undue portion of burden and Others
profit by their evasions of the law. If "A
Farmer and Granger" will turn to Session
Acts of 1874, he will find the same subjects
and many more taxed which he mentions
with such horror for which all our repre-
sentatives voted and on which he paid al
income tax last year, if his income ex
ceeded 5000. The author of that article
does not understand the law under which
he is paying taxes and much less the sub
ject he is writing about.
will state, that I am in favor of ma
king All honest effort to sustain the credi
Of the State by rigid economy and payins
on the $50, 100000, assumed by the "fund
ing act" as much as the present rate o
taxation will yield. after supporting TIL
State government, and If not sufficient t.
pay full interest," the public creditors will
have to wait until we are better able, o.
are willing to re-adjust the debt.
A. KOINER.