The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1877-09-07
For the DISPATCH.
State Debt nnd Taxes..Stand Up for
the Honor OF VIRGINIA.

|. Ill. one OF your eQltOTlalS SUOle Tune
since you say if the people in the State
generally paid the same ratio. OF taxes as
they do in Richmond that there would be
no trouble in the payment Of our State debt;
and in your editorial OF September 4th you
use this language: 1.-THE real property is
more accurately assessed in Richmond than
it is in the greater part of the country; for
by reassessments the real estate in the coun-
try has been brought down to 4 standard so
low that the revenue from lands is unrea-
sonably reduced" All this is literally true.
The total decrease in the lands OF the State
according to the assessment OF 1915, from
the assessment of 1873, was S5,527,21314
REPORT OF the Auditor Of Public Accounts
for the year September 80, 1861 The assess
ment OF lands for 1873 was too low beneath
their real value, and now they are greatly
too low. It will not do to say that il these
lands were forced into market they would
not bring more than their assessed value.
Probably not; for there are no buyers,
every man among the farmers having more
land than he cutivates, and there is but lit
tie immigration and few foreign purchasers.
The value of lands should be estimated by
their supporting power to the inhabitants.
Who believes but what the lands OF Eir-
ginia, if properly cultivated by popula-
ton having the means and the skill to do
so, would yield good support to the occu-
pants, and a revenue besides, enough to pay
all taxes necessary to liquidate cur debt,
without being oppressive either
And is there any good reason why the in
habitants OF cities should pay so much more
taxation on their property than the people
of the country They are really worth no
more, and very few at death, in these times
particularly, leave anything to their fami-
lies. 2."
The people Of Virginia are not paying 55
cents on 300 Of real estate, and it is noto-
rious that personal property is undervalued,
and not all "llsted" either. The lands
$3.50 per acre. This is one Of the most
favored counties in the State, with scarcely
a foot Of land not arabic, intersected by two
railroads, three or four rivers; well watered
in every section; bounded on the north BY
the Pamunkey, on the south by the Chicka-
hominy, excellent lands bordering each
stream, and the former navigable for boats
to transport the produce OF the lower end
of the county. The lower section Of the
county contains beds Of mari, and for truck
inc purposes with the Richmond market,
which is in convenient hauling distance,
the land is very valuable, unimproved land
at this time commanding as much as $50 per
acre. This average OF $3.50 per acre, Of
course, includes the improvements, which
very probably have cost this much per acre.
Take another county, Nottoway, in the
tobacco region. Here the average assess
ment for the countyis $4.33. Take another
county in the favored Valley considered
the finest section Of the State, and where
the lands command Il high price)-yiz.,
Page-and we find the assessment for the
county $500 per acre. In Orange, Pied
mont county. and one OF the best in Vir-
ginia, and we find the assessment to be
1925. When we remember that In the
counties named almost every farm contains
n comfortable home, and many OF them ele-
giant residences, with numerous out build
ings of every kind, we must admit these as
sessments are too low, and that the people
OF Virginia are not paying SOC. on the 500
OF property-probably very little more than
the half OF It,
When it is recollected that many commu-
mites are paying a higher tax than we are
paving, and think of the great debt that
France discharged in a few years, should
we grumbie and talk Of Reputation Let
me ask every honest man In Virginia what
he. wonld think Of private individual with
s : -