Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1879-01-27
COMMENTS OF THE WEST
VIRGINIA PRESS.
Shall Our State School Tax BE Doubled
Clarksburg News.


A proposition is now pending in the
State Legislature to double the State
school tax This tax is now ten cents
on every hundred dollars worth OF pro-
perty; it is now proposed TO make il
twenty cents Ii is said this movement
is advocated by the representatives from
all the sparsely settled counties Of the
State, and it is feared they show strength
enough to pass it. Ii they do pass it
they will commit a grave error. In
these hard times when the policy OF all
States is To reduce instead Of to increase
taxation, and when the people are
clamOring for a reduction of their taxes.
proposition To increase any tax would
certainly CRATE harshly on the public ear,
and perhaps prove the political death
knell Of the man proposing 1t.
Our school tax is now high and Is re-
garded by many as very onerous, TO IN
crease it might create a reaction against
our school system-which is now work
ing admirably-and prove the cause Of
its destruction. Harrison county now
paws six thousand dollars school tax in
to the State treasury, and draws four
thousand. We therefore contribute two
thousand To the education OF the youths
of other counties. Ii our State school
tax is doubled We would pay twelve
thousand dollars into the state treasury
and still draw but about four thousand.
This is heavier school tax
than our people can bear. Ii We
cannot stand an increase in our
school tax how can the sparsely settled
counties bear it. 1t is true they will
receive more back from the State school
fund than they pay in, but nevertheless
their taxes must he doubled If you
double the taxes of the thicsly settled
and wealthy counties. 1t is harder for
the man who is worth fifty dollars to
pay double the taxes he is now paying
than it is for the man worth fifty thOus-
and dollars. The latter has the money
10 pay with while the former has not.
We have regarded this as reform
Legislature, and are sorry to see 1t pro-
posing an increase i'll taxation, and hope
the proposition will be voted down.
No Increase in State school Tax.
Nor, antown Post
BY reference TO our legislative pro-
Ceedings, il will he seen that PROPOSE
ton is before the legislature To increase
the State tax for school purposes from
tn, To trentg cents on the one hundred
dollars. This does not come from
friend of the free schools, but from
"wolt in sleeps clothing'-one seeking
to damn with faint praise" the corner
stone Of our prosperity as State. The
people are already taxed to their utmost
ability TO bear, and now, to double the
State school tax, would raise such
howl around the ears OF the members
of the legislature and the tax collectors
as would eventually destroy, or at
least seriously damage the free school
system in our State. We hope Senators
aud Delegates will leave no stone UNI
turned to defeat the iniquitOus measure.
School Taxes are Not Equal.
Fayetteville Enterprise
At this time it is proper To consider
whether our present free school system
has met the expectations Ot Its friends.
We think that, 10 a great extent, 1t Is a
failure, and this failure Is not caused by
opposition or hostility 10 educating the
children 10y a general system OF taxation
bearing equally upon all, but caused by
the cumbersome mode prescribed by
statute IN executing the requirements
necessary To an efficient school system.
In the first instance, it violates one Of
the fundamental principles enumerated
in our State Constitution, that taxa
ton shall be equal" There is not
county in the State wherein taxes levied
for school purposes are equal. And To
il is only necessary To look at
the several districts in our own county,
and YOU will find that in no two dis
triCts are the leyies equal. While III
some districts the Boards of Education
have levied To- the full extent Of the
law, others levy but half the amount,
and soIde made no levy. Now, let us
ask, under such circumstances, can taxa
ton be equal? While one man has to
pay tax to the extent OF the law
iur school purposes, his nearest neigh
bor, who lives just over the line, in
another district, pays not a cent oil tax
Tor that purpose whatever :.
A Demand for an Improved County
Court.
Gn,fton Eagle
The cxpensiveness and uselessness OF
the present system al County Courts
seems 10 be conceded 10y nearly all our
legislators. But while it is true that the
people are disguised with this system,
our representatives at Wheeling should
Ice careful while engaged in tinker
ing the judiciary system not To
invent more cumbersome and
costly tribunal than the one now in ex-
istenrr. We venture Ia say that there
is "A demand iur court that will dispose
Of litigatrd matters with certainty and
CELEBRITY. Ii there Is to bc county
court let there he but one Judge, and
make the salary such that the best
lawyer in the county will he benefited,
even in pcCuniary sense, 10y the
change.
Let Counties Buy for Cash.
Jackson Herald
Ii our Legislature wishes To do a real
good thing tor the people, let II change
the law So that counties wishing Ia 10
50 can paw cash ior what they buy. As
the law nov stands the county court can
not levy taxes except L. pay Tor goods
aud work already hal and done. That
Is. ii man furnishes goods or does any
work tuT the county, he has Ia wait till
the levy term al the court t. have his
claim allowed, and then wait till the tax
therefor is collie, tel and the sheriff Is
ready to pay over, before lac can ger his
money. This involves delay some
times OF two years urmore. Now people
lo not work on that kind OF terms as
cheap a. they du tor cash, and the tax
payers have t. pay from II 10 - per
cent more iur everything furnished the
county than they would ii the cash were
forthcoming - snon as the claim could
br allowed. For this extra expense the
county gets no compensation whatever.
Important 10 Farmers.
When Brindle, or Bess, or spot, show
the slightest sickness, do YOU not take
,,.,,,...a, ata fnaaznras tn relieve her. ~.