The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1879-02-12
TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION.


1
The Increase Of the state school Tax.
EditOrs IntellIEeneer. Ina
Itappears that the Legislature Of Yves
Virginia will never be acutated by an,
thing like q broad and comprelensiv,
craftsmanship. 1t seems that many o
our legislators conceive that they have n,
higher duty than to gain some advantag
forthe counties which they represent, tina
is not enjoyed by the people Of the Stat,
generally. We fluid that some member
will resort to articles to relieve them
selves, and their constituency from fake
by saddleing them upon the people Of Other
portions Of the State. Such, instead o
playing the part Of honest Legislators
are resorting to the tricks OF the pro
fessional blaCkleg.
The bill now before the Legislature
providing for the increase Of the State
sahool tax to twenty cents on the SlOt
worth OF taxable property, is simply an
outrage upon justice and utterly devoid Of
any thing like fairness. u
We have in this State class OF land
sharks who have obtained large bodies oil
land in the sparsely populated counties al
a merely nominal consideration, and some
Of them have come into possession OF their
lands by sharp and crooked practices.
They arc holding these lands for high
prices, and whilethey are waiting for these
high prices they would be glad to be rid Of
all the taxes that they can possibly SHIFT
Off on others. These land sharks are the
originators of this scheme to increase the
State school tax, knowing that il it car be
accomplished they will be the gamers.
Let us illustrate: A owls $1,000 acres oil
land in Randolph county, which is as
sessed ut one dollar Per acre. Under the
law as 1t now exists he pays $50 State
school tax, and he will probably be rs.
sessed 40 cents by the county or district
authorities on the 500 wortho OF his land
in order to enable free schools to be
taught four months In the year in the
district in which his lands lie, max
ing the district tax amount to 5000,
and his whole school tax, State and dis.
trict, aggregate $3.50. Increase the school
tax TO twenty cents on the Sl00 worth OF
property, and Mr.. A will pay $lOO State
and school tax. Under the increase such
counties as Randolph would receive so
much more than they pay that district
levy often cents on the 500 worth OF
property would increase the school fund
sufficiently to enable the people to have
their four months school taught. By this
increase in the State school tax, Mr.. AS
State school tax Is increased to $50, and
his district school tax is decreased $3.50.
Under the present law he pays $50 State
school tax and 500 district tax. Under
the increase he will pay 500 State school
tax aRd $50 district, ginning 500, as the
spectators say by the operation. Now
this 500 gained by Mr.. A will be wrested
from some other man, probably not as
wealthy rs he is, but who owns small
amount OF land in some Of our thriving
populous counties, which, by his industry,
he has rendered valuable.
read very closely your report OF MI
that was said in the House last Friday pro
q con on the bill to increase, and some
raised their voices for 1t who would profit
by it, just rs my imaginary Mr.. A. would,
and even the opponents OF the bill handled
IL too gingerly. The bill requires what the
medical men denominate as heroic treat
ment." Mild doses will not kill the dis
ease,
A landholderin Braxton or Gilmer coun.
ties is as able to pay tax as the landholder
in Ohio or Harrison county. There Is q
great deal said about the poor people in
the interior counties, and about relieving
them from the onerous taxes which they
are paying. Now the poor people in these
counties are not complaining, but the wall
comes up from the large landowners. The
absolutely poor man pays but little beside
u capitation tax OF one dollar. In many
OF the interior towns OF this State
men own fertile farms Of from
one TO three hundred acres which are moi
assessed above four dollars per acre, and
they are rs productive as the farms OF liar.
rison county which are assessed at twenty.
five dollars per acre. Let US see how much
school tax the farmer in Braxton owning
one hundred acres OF land pays under the
present law, with his farm assessed at $400
His State tax would be 40 cents; district
tax ut 50 cents on the 800 would BIO 5000
a. gregating :.S240. The farmer in Har
rison county owning one hundred acres o.
land assessed at $500 pays $3.50 State
SCHOOL tax, ten cents more than both the
State and district tax Of the Braxtor
county farmer. All that is pait
by the Braxton county farmer Il
used for school purposes in his owr
county, while Of the s. so paid by the Har
rison farmer, three eleYenthS OF thu
amount or sixty-eigAt and two-elevenths
cents Is used for free school purposes out
side Of Harrison county. Increase the
school tax 10 twenty cents on the 500
and the Braxton county farmer will pay
eighty cents State school tax, and his dis
trict levy will be decreased TO ten cents OF
tho SlO0, making his entire school taA
amount to 81 20 or only one.half Of wha
he now pays. On the other hand thu
Harrison county farmer will pay s. Stat'
school tax; one dollar anil thirty-six ant
four eleventh cents OF which will DO uset
outside OF his own county, and onll
three dollars and sixty.threc and sOyeI
eleyenths cents will be used il
his own county. Is there an!
Justice in this? How does a Legislator al
lriye ut the conclusion that It Is right Il
take money from the Harrison count,
farmer and give 1t to the BraXton count;
farmers? How does he reconcile It to hi
sense Of Justice TO vote to burden tho in
dustrious farmers and mechanics Of Ohio
Hancock, Brooke, Wood, Harrison, Taylo
and other counties to relieve the Liant
sharks whose lands lie in Randolph, Brax
ton, Gilmer, Calhoun and other interio
countIesY Tho five counties, Hancock
Brooke, Ohio, Harrison and Taylor no,
nay into the State school fund Ssucnlss
thousand four hundred and tory.tlCO tlollars an
IfagJoltr ce,ts more than they receive back
sharks. and the advocates OF III
lbiii To- inarease the State school IA
would have these Ave counties double thi
sum to afford additional relief to men VIII
are sapping the very life blood from on
lPtota hecansa land speculators are not III