The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1881-04-30
Marion county, with about half the pOpu'
latiou, reported 2,A9G.

uiAAuA SoUutyI VIII hpOut qhlI us PuiH'
lation, reported 2,42S.
But there are some still more surprising
discrepancies. Ohio county, with her
horse cars, coal and mill wagons, mer'
ehsnts' delivery wagons and all the yari'
Gus uses Tor horses, Is said to have but
1854 horses, asses and mules, while Mo-
nongalis county has 4,l0l. Yet Monon'
CALAIS various draft animals are listed at
s4S each, on an average, and ours at fiS,
Twenty counties in the State, namely:
Barbour, Berkeley, BrAxtOn, GreenbEisT,
Hampshire, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson,
KAnawha, Lewis, Marion, Marshall, Ma
son, Monongalia, Monroe, Preston, RoAne,
Wayne, Wood, and even WetZel, have,
according to the.rsturna, more horses than
Ohio county. This does not seem improba-
BILE when all the circumstances are taken
into consideration, and 1t 10 not 90 humili'
ating when we reflect that BArbOur's 2,ssS
animals are rated at only $SS Q head,
Bsrkeley's 1858 at Sal, BraxtOn's at $40,
and several Of the othera at simiIarly low
figures. .. &C..
In the State at large the average valuR.
ton OF :" horses, mules, &c." is $50 each,
80 that Ohio county Is somewhat above
the average. The highest average for any
one county Is in Greenbrier, where the
animals are taxed at $4s each, and the
lowest is in Webster, where the average
assessment is $50, Now, that there Is really
so wide discrepancy, 1t would bs hard to
convince any one, No doubt there are
slight differences in the market value OF
horses, as well Rs in their condition, In
different parts oil the State, but that the
average in one county 10 really one and
three'fii times as great as in another
county, seems incredible. There are equal
or greater differences In the returns from
the different counties as to hogs, cattle,
and other subjects Of taxation, For In.
stance, Jefferson county returns 1889 hogs
as worth fraction over "a each, and Ohio
county has but ia, valued at s. each; but
Wayne county's 2,2S7 are listed OF 80 70,
The general average in the State Is but
50 so.
In pianofortes, organs and melodeons,
our people seem to have been fortunate in
securing a great many instruments for q
very small sum OF money. The average Is
not quite 800 each, as reported to the as
SCISSORS, What kind Of instruments are
represented by these returns II would DO
hard to guess, as very ordinary piano
would, after several yean wear and tear,
cat up the average Of q good many such
instruments, and any number Of them Of
anything but ridiculous figure, would re.
quirs the minor instruments to be listed
at so low q sum as to open the eyes Of the
cheap ergan cabinet.makers themselves.
We do not call attention to the dis.
parity between these returns Of personal
property for taxation, and the real value
OF such property, in the hopes that the
wrong may be righted. There Is probably
no State that Is much ireer than our own
from the complaint that personal property
escapes taxation. Securities, arc sent out
oil the StStei articles lose large percent.
age OF their value the day The assessor
calls and regain It The day afteri nominal
convoyances are made, and in many In.
stances property Is simply not returned OF
all. Much Of the difference between one
county and another Is due to the greater
care Of the assessors in the one than In
the other; much again can be traced by on
examination Of the figures to the higher
rates Of taxation in some counties than in
others. This plan works evil both ways;
the higher the rate Of levy, the lower will
be the returns, and the lower the returns
the higher as q consequence must be the
levy. .f,..
The worst feature Of all this lie lie ten.
denCy TO induce capital to seek other
avenues Of investment than real estate,
which must bear its burden Of taxation,
and cannot be bid or mlsrepresented.
That there ls any remedy that will reach
all the faults Of the system we are not pre-.
pared TO say, but much can be done by
more careful and conscientious research
by the assessors, and by creating public
continent in favor Of the same honor and
honesty in this respect that 10 demanded
Of man In other respects by the com.
IL. l. L L.