Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-07-27

trict, owned by parties in New YORK,
containing about $40 acres, not on the
books. find in my daily travels num-
erous small tracts and many building
that have escaped taxation.
@. In what class Of lands-whether
whether farming, mineral or timber
do you find the greatest increase?
A. In timber and mineral lands and
small tracts that have been improved
in the last eight years.
O. How have the people OF your DIS
trict met your efforts to secure q UNI
form ADVERTISEMENT of the real estate?
A. f.have had no trouble IN this
matter. IL is true that nearly all the
land holders claim that their property
ia assessed to its full value, but this Is
on account of the very high taxes levleo
in this county. The tax "fer county
purposes, is 90 cents on every SlOv, 40
CENTS ON every SIO0for roads and from
co TO 20 cents in different districts for
o. In what condition have you,
found the crops, the live stock and the
elements of prosperity generally?
A. Wheat was supposed 10 De geou
before cutting, but the grains are now
found to be considerably swiveied. Live
stock is doing well and demands falr
price. Grass is very prosperous crop.
50
From Romney, Hampshire county,
our correspondent sends the following,
which is the substance OF talk with
Mr.. James SheetZ, the assessor for the
First district of THAT county. The as
SCISSOR said: have just gotten through
my riding and have not reduced my as
sessment to books. / can not tell with
certainty, but think the valuation OF
real estate has increased s to 10 per
cent. I have found quite a number OF
irregularities in the present valuation.
One case there was two undivided shares
in a tract of land, one about double the
other. In many instances there are
very UNEQUAL valuations in the same
neighborhood, but the principal diff
Guilty has been in the miserable condl-
lions of the land books. There have
been but few transfers for 10 to Is years.
In nearly half the cases lands have
changed hands many times without be-
ing transferred, and l have found great
difficulty in ascertaining what land to
value. It has been very difficult for me to
trace each to the name the land could
be found in. In few instances have
found lands escaping taxation. One
large tract Of 800 acres near the Mineral
county line has never been taxed and
the Bark right sold this spring for s., 50
per acre. Another tract of some value
formerly taxed has been dropped from
the land book, but the greatest
loss of revenue Is where
Wiz cd inn
proved and decided, but not on the land
book in the present owners name, and
therefore had to be valued In the name
deceased.
The greatest increase in my district is
in the farming lands, as the minerals
are not yet developed and the finest
timber has, as yet, no outlet to market.
1t gives me great pleasure and satisfac-
ton to note how kindly and pleasantly
our people have met me, and how cor
daily they agree to an advance where
it is apparent there should be any.
There is decided spirit of improvement
in large portion of my district. The
old, worn out lands are being restored
and in ten years more will increase
greatly in value, and the people seem
proud it.
/ have found great complaint in my
district, about this transfer business, and
great confusion to the Assessor is the
result, as well as quite loss in the rev.
enue to the State. am inclined to
think our Legislature has acted UNI
wisely in transferring the power from
the poor Assessors. who, travel all over
the county to every hut and howell to
secure full assessment, as ours have
done so faithfully, and giving it to the
clerks, who know not half the wants,
and the individual inconvenience.
The Assessor sees everybody, and finds
any want, and gets very poorly paid for
the amount of labor performed. This
little mite ought not to have been taken
from them.
1t is the opinion of those who have
paid more attention to the matter than
/ have, that there has been concert of
action on the part of the clerks for some
time back, to get this law, and there
fore this great delinquency in having
transfers made, so that they might ae-
and make good thing Of it.
Whether this opinion is well founded
or not, / am not the judge.
The unprecedented drouth oflast year
caused great want in our county, but
the return of prosperous season has
given new life to the country. The
grass crop is quite abundant, stock is
doing well and in good demand, the
wheat crop has never been surpassed or
equaled, the oat crop is general fail
ure, because of insects, and the corn is
later than usual. The potato crop is
the largest ever known, the fruit crop
in our county is a complete failure, but
berries are here by the million.
The experiences of assessors in the
other counties of the State will follow