Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-02-27
The CITY Debt.

the Board adjourned. -.
The City Debt.
To the editor Of the Alexandria Gazette:
As the provision of the debt compromise
bill, limiting corporate taxation to $l.75, which
the State Senate butchercd, was introduced
into the Debt Commission by me, am natur-
ally disincned to see the corpse Of my bantling,
without calling for coroner and full jury to
see whether the babe would not have been of
more use living than dead. Our representa-
lives faithfully endeavorcd 10 carry out the
wish OF the people. and the House of Delegates
concurred, but the Senate committee struck
cut the provision 90 the eround that it was.
ITO say the least, impolitc aud incSpedient.'
Considering that the General Assembly had
just passed the Barbour bill, declaring that
10 the Judgment OF the General Assembly the
ability Of The citizen to pay without ruioou:
damage to his property and business is limited
to 50 cents on every one huoured dollars of the
assessed value Of property, and is the utmost
proceed n levying taxes the conclusion
follows that the Legislature has one rule for the
cities and another Tor the counties The uciou
to this result
|. Resolved, That the tax payers Of Virginia
cannot pay moro than 50 cents on the hundred
dollars
2. Resolved. That the tax payers Of Alexan-
dria can pay more than s. 25 on the hundred
doIiars-bow much more, God Knows.
And this too Of city whose future was To-.
jured by the war to an extent far greater than
any other portion of the State. While | am
glad the Richmond managers have allowed Us
to LAUNCH our little barque "Uompromise, |
would have been much more obliged to them
it they had DOT pulled the plug out OF her bot
tom Just as she slid into the water. FJr | re-
gard the omitted provision as the glst Of the
bill. With that provision, compromise Or 60
compromise whether bondboIders or bull d0zeEs
were on top the tag payers we're safe. They
could not have to pay more than s. % (nclud.
ing State taxi on the hundred dollars 10 aoy
| one year. Without it, even should all the bond
holders accept the compromise, We have 20
guarantee that the tax which has grown irom
ii cents to 81 70 will not grow from 81. ~ to
S. 90, and thus drive the personal estate away
and make even the bes. real estate utterly value
less For who can say that the $50, 900 We save
By the compromise will not be spent otherwise,
ADD mere on the top OF that The on y guar.
antee will be the accident Of getting . proper
majority 10 the City CouncI, and speDdthrlft
ms j0rty may, in one Session, undo the work OF
tea sassoos Of provident Council. The
omitted provision Was an assurance that what
ever the disposition Of an accidental majority OF
Council may be, it clnnot tax US more than
Sl.15 per huolred. But it will be replied the
whole matter IS in the hands Of the people,
they can elect proper City CDuncl! and there
| need be 90 tax over $l.I5. This ia true, aud
hope never to sec the tax again higher than
$3.50 !; but without some Law limiting the tax.
ing power there can be no certainty as to the
building Of houses 20 certainty as to the pur'
chase Of lots 10 the future. Let mo Illustrate {:
y house renting at sl5 per month aud pur-
chased at s 300 would, supposlng it TO BE- as.
sesSel at 81, 800, be good Investment as tue
tax now stands; it would be an excellent in
vcstment if the tax was limited to Sl.75. Ooe
could tell achat kind of an investment it would
DO if the tax was limited to $3.50 or any other
sum but with taxing power absolutely limit
less with q heavy debt, even after compro
mise with public demands which grow year
by year; with the constant depreciation in the
value Of property, who can say that 10 1888
the tax will not be - per CENT, and the real
estate of the town all galuelcss to the owners,
if times should grow better elsewhere this no.
ccrtainty will hinder real improvements here.
1t is n0w the great weight which presses US
down.
When the tax was 40 or 30 cents on the slOO
there was no reason for Limitation because
there was little likelihood that the whole would
be swallowed up, but with tax which has al
ready risen to S. 20, and with liabilities which.
if all provided for, will retnlre tax OF $3.50
next year, the flood is too near for US to
neglect the dikes. And DOW that the jury OF
inquest arc here, | must say to them: Gen
tlemen, | don't think that baby's dead sure
enough. It's an infant that will bear good
deal of king-ts name is "COMNON SENSE,
and | reckon it's on = tainted 10 the close air ut
some Of the committee rooms at Richmond. 1t
never could stand gas.
If the jury think that it is worth while to
wake the baby up know remedy that will do
it, 1t is this:
AN ACT to enable people in Alexandria to keep
roof over their heads.
BE it enacted, &C., That section lG Of an act
to amend the charter of the city Of Alexandria,
approved Feb. 20, 1871, BIO amended and re-
enacted as follows
The Council shall cause to be annually made
up an estimate of all the sums chargeable TO
the city, and to be paid in one year. and it shall
order city levy for the payment thereof, pro
vided that the said City Council shall have no
power to levy. in any one year, any tax 10 ex.
cess of $l7j on the 500 of assessed value Of
real or personal property.
This | think will wake 10 the baby. 10 the
meanwhile let US 90 ahead and issue the com.
promise bonds and perfect that arrangement as
fast as possible. [ have called the attention Of
my fellow citizens to this matter of limiting the
power of taxation only because it seems to me
vital to our interests. | beg them to consider
the subject and sec If [ have overrated it's i'm
porauce. w. f. G.
Virginia News.
Al the late ANIMAL rnnforonca of the limited