Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1881-03-01
A Copy-Teste:

What is this if not an arrangement that
RENTS to the B. & o. r. R. the county spd
district tax on much less than it paws the
State, aud by what authority? And why
was not this order of the Court given to the
public, instead Of this extract as to miles.
tUhtch amounts to naught? II did not suit
the purpose of the writer, as it placed the
evidence claimed by the extracts whore it
was not desired it should be. Now, I would
enquire bow leng has this been going on. a.
legal in ere'y respect since 1877. The acts of
1877. chapter 119, also Acts 10, contain
the following provision on the subject of as.
sessment of taxes:
Pro0ided, The authorities of any county
shall not be aHoyed 10 compromise or remit
any portion Of said tdres so certified to the
Sheriff:
Now for the years rs and 10 The as
sessuent was on the basis of S515.7 S9 rs.
or for the two years. 81, 031 $40. SO now
by deducting the county basis. $40, 600, or
$3.50 900 for two years. we have lost the
county and district school tax on 1851. $40.
80; very good arrangement for the read but
how as to the county. Now as this is the
sum heretofore agreed upon, and by whom.
it would be we'll to enquire how long this
arrangement has been going 60, so that the
tax payer mny know the profit and loss.
For several years prior to '7S and 10, the
assessment of the road was much greater, or
from 1870 to 1877, S5S5. 092 90; 1877.
U 163.05; 'TS and 10, S515, 1915;
1880, s471,43s SO, and these arc the values
as given to the authorities nv the r R. Co..
except 1880, when the Board of Public
Works reduced tho value of B. & O r
Road. and l now would enquire of the
Sheriff whether he collected the tax certified
to him for collection in 1878, viz 81, 7O2
69 for county. 81, 961 At for district; for
1879, S2,S36.S4 for county, and 81, 1O1.37
fer district taxes, or whether the order of
the Court did not intervene, and his c~olIec>
ton for above taxes for the two wears was on
basis of s340. 600. as against the written
law of the State, thereby entailins loss to
county aud district1
The reader will notice under the above
order follows the assessment for miles in
each school district.
Chapter ~, section CT, says I'm case
the list and valuation of the property fled
with the Auditor be satisfactory to the
Board of Public Works, and in cases where
assessments of the property of such company
is made and returned by the Board of Com.
m'sssonsrs as aforesaid, the Auditor shall
a~n'm'edidte!y certify to the County Court of
each county through which such railroads
run the value of the property therein of
every such company as valued and assessed
as aforesaid, and 1t shall be The duty Of such
Court to apportion such rGlue Lef,ceen such
dt'trtcts-indspendent school districts and
municipal corporations in the county
through which such roads run-as near as
may be, according to the Ua7ue thereof"
AND the Law says this must be done each
and every year, and chile the roud does not
get either longer or shorter; the tax on same
differs very materially at times, as in s
and achy not conform to tile 1ar ? Courts
generally try SO to do.
l have no doubt the county will row get
all the tax for 1880, and on the SUM as.
sssssd on the read, s471 .43s 60, aud that
hereafter, (and not As heretofore agreed
upon, the Court system being chanqed,) no
compromise will ever be attempted, but will
the school district for 1880 on the S. v. R.
Il. on which no assessments for miles or
UatHes has been reported to the Auditor?
The taxpayer can now see whether a
clear and e1piict statement has been made
by the writer of the last communication ,aod
whether any loss has been occasioned by
these compromises by q Court presided over
by Robt. ". Baylor, but to what extent this
has been carried on can only be knewn by
an Investigation.
AS to the B. & o. r. R. proposing to pay
their taxes to the county few days since by
deducting the 10 per cent, and which is
said by the ,oriter not to be true. (,oW state
that this Information 1Ods derived from a
member of the Court, phether true or false,)
but he said the Court declined acting on it.
L presume il did at this time.
The pessonaities in the letters as to a
ana his friend shall pay ne attention to, be-
ing unworthy of notice, and not calculated
!. 70 aid IN any way the controversy. and do