Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-02-06
go xsffou Bees no. EEEGer but Rasher
Promotes improvements


Lho AUDITORS repor: Cor 1858 80. The Vaiu'
Ell n Of lands ia i: is based on the general as
sessucut of 1855 or Sc, which continued 10
force til 1870. There WIS reassessment 10
1873 clesriy against tho constitution, and one
il 1875 ia accordance with the constitution, and
another will take place in 1880. .
have made comparison OF tho value Of
real estate 10 several groups Ct ccuntle5 pctHeen
1888 ard 1877:
INC first group is composed OF Alexandria
city aud county, Fairfax, L1udoun and Fringe
Wi!ilm. Ihc total values 10 1898 were 80
$40 7SS aud those 10 1877, $40, 9l5, l4O.-
ShaSiug tc;aI decrease 10 value OF Sl,655,99o'
| being decrease q little ovar per cent.
Alexandra city has increased in value 10 per
e.n': Alexandria county % ner cent; Fairfax
has tccraasad j.; L:uloun J54; Prince William
| 81 pr cent, the total decrease 10 Louuoun,
$l,Sl9, I29; being $l75. I3l moro than the loss
oo Tic Whole group, or, IN other WORDS tee
| o.he! three counties AID the city OF alexandra
have gained in valuation that sum of money
| The realty il towns il all the c)unties has To-
creased ia taxed value, tending to show that
| the cites add towus bear en- undue proportion
| tf tie public burdens. or going to show that
tu.lsasciu2 rate CT taxation docs not destroy
| bur Hay buii1 Up communities by causing them
| 10 make sr0u5d available by Improvements,
which uDmpGcGtl would be burden.
| Would not the same principle apply TO large
useless trscls e real estate, VIII ca tho oWacrs
h29c aat Tia capital 10 wolk, and which, by
subdivision into smdl!cr tracts, would make tho
rsr, rc.a;uea BIZ the owcer much more Yau6!e!
| II w,r.ecarrai Fairfax aud Priaco William can
maintain their oTn, can rot raited LoIdonn
90 as sell?
The second group embraces Frederick, Shcn.
sadoali, Rocking ham and Augusta with Staun
.or; city at each end, wonderfully productive
| lard balween thtu, With thriving towns scat
| tered over them. ;.
the tcmrs. valued at s.. S9l ,2Sl 10 per cent. |
AID in 1877 &25, 100. 227 Including towns, ST.
$780, l79 24f per can't showing decDe 70
total of So ,037 .O9S, and again 10 to%Es OF
81 574. S95, being l04 aCd "a per cent. Fred
crick, including Winchester. has lost II per
cclr; Shenandoah, 10, AID Rockloeham, I6a,
while Augusta and Siaunto1 have gained ~
Pcs caut. u,
The to:Yn tax varies from 40 cents 10 Wig
chester to perhaps 81 10 Staunton, but still the
tax r!dica tOwos grow. The towns 10 every
county ir this group have galcod. S)mcThat
Of il Is owing to the exlcnded area, bu. morc
10 the improvements to mako vacant unprodu,.
tie land productive.
The third group con aims AIoem :rc, Greene,
Madison and O:anso. Here tho toRnj 0! Al
bamar.c aud O.aCgc gain those OF Greene aud
Madison FILL eff La 1855 the total value was
|.$l2 60 033, towns 1927, 1872, about per cent;
| ia 1877. total $l0,To6 553, t0Hls 81, 295 SOC.
lai nor can't. about. A!bcmsrle he's decrease j
I'D, Greene 23, Madison 20, and Orange IS
Der cent. The towns on the railroads have
grove; .hos. eff ;hcac highways hare d.
creased s. with thc lands there is more
less sway from, lhe railroads.
Tnc fourth rrluD cOntairs Amherst, Bed
torj, Campbell. lnc'u tipg l.yachburg, aud
Nelson. the total values ia 1858 were $l5.-
COG, ISL tovrs s.. 5iS, 0G3; in 1871 they we're
$40 7SG 553; lowns 81 $50, 100. To;al decrease
CT land Si,Sl9,934, being 81 per cent; total
ioercas 10 town lots 81, G4l sos. being G. per
cact. The loss il Amherst, mex. to Lynch
burg, is !! PEI cent in Bedford As! per cent.
IN NeIion 2ls ; gain 10 Campbell aud Lynch
! burg 6 rcr cent; the gain Ii the toWos oil
| Campbell 81 SIS. O44, 0? G15 per cent, du, 10
part - She Increased aicas 10 the towlS; due
also 10 large part 10 the improvements u1adc
| necessary t:y high taxation. a Vseaut lot worth
$500 is source Of less !; improve il with ;
- 500 hcns2, ana II rents tur $50; loss on
vacau: 10: per c1nt rtDt OF house. and IOt
c,tar Of insurance and taxes. per ccot., loss
on $50 s., faiu on $1,000. 1920 absolute
gain $l2j, or % Per cent. Oh $500 it the taxes
be 81 per 500.
TIE ffh rroup c2n!sics Caroline, lianaser,
Louis, Sp1syivaaia and Fredericksburg,
ro'a! valu, 10 1855 $l&.7735,7lS towos 81 =
200 20j. yearly ~ per cent Total value ID
1877. 80 927. 999 ,oSls $l,379 335. nearly
II per cant. Total DEGREES, IS SOL 749. beiog
rasr; ~ Der cent. lccfcss, in towas $40. $50.
The towus in Hanover have gained largely by
tAG Randolph Macon CJlInge having been re.
moved 20 Aahi2pa tic Caroline towns have
gained Frederick burg has lost s34 325, only
.! per ccut, which shows the value OF water
| rGw3r 10 Increasing the prosperity Of the town,
| iJr il VS. batIa Scared if suy place was. The
| rcr2catarr0I decreased valuation is. 10 Caroline
| AL, Hanover 81 Louisa 35s, Spotsyl.
vaui2 and fredericksburg 334, while poor old
| Sposyiyan!s aIorc has lost SIS per cent. Now
&c c)mc to three remarkable groups.
| Tho 'ixta group embraces Pittsylvanls, Din.
vile. Norh Daavi,le,) Halifax, Charlotte and
Mcck!cnhurg, the last q lost corner, having 90
$40 toVas S9S5,9lJ; in 1877 the total value
ia lc,al $401G,0G9, being 23s per cent. To-
crease 10 towns SLIGO 935 being l7g per cent
The tawns in Meoklcnburg h;v, decreased 10
va!uo about $50 .0G0. due 10 the removal
OF Raad Ipa Maecn College from Boydton;
the to8Es 10 Pi';sylvapis have risen from
$6ij ass 10 $2,5lS l22 or 3l4 per cent.
ITO value of real estate in Pittsylvsna. in
cuding Danville, Sc, has increased II 10 per
cant; 1t has declined in Halifax 3j5 Charlotte
i0i md Mcckcnburg 4 PEI cont.
Charlotte, in this group, and Louisa, in lis
group, have no incorporated towns.
Another Illustration that taxes do not drive off
population, but only cnergizo the people, is
shown by DanTiIIc, which is now seeking au.
thori!y from the Legislature 10 levy apecisl
tax 10 pay rs Hosting debt and ye. it grows
The seventh or Norfolk group contains Nor
folk county (c3oriclk and Portsmouth, Pr;acess
Ancie on the bay and ocean. with Isle of Wight
and Eeusenond back Of them. Total value ia
1858 SIS t0j. 703 towns S7,S32d8 value in 1877
Sl5 32T 632; towns Sill fGS. $40 decrease in total
El79, OIL, little over one PSF cent; increase in
towns 81 036,S57 t5l1 per cent?
Norfolk city contains 1922, lHI worth OF real
estate more than the whole town valuation in
1855, and with Portsmouth added S3,4lO. 574, or