The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-02-11


Mr.. Motiett had been rather in doubt u
70 his proper eoune In regard TO the bill
In principle he be ieyed the bill 10 b.
right, and he had concluded to vote for II
passage. Still, he thought the effect OF th,
bill had been over estimated by It's friends
He did not think the valuation would b.
greatly increased exCeptalongtheline oitht
Chesapeake & Ohio railroad, where all pro
perry had rapidly enhanced in value. III
believed II was necessary to raise the lew
five cents, or not pay the debt 1t was dc
sired to provide for.
Mr.. DOdrll said the land In his count,
WINS assessed on an average at so cents pei
acre, which was u very iRir average, con
sidering the area Of the county and the un
productive character Of its wildernessei
and mountains.
Mr.. Cresap asked him II he had any lane
he would sell ut so cents, to which he re
piled that he had sold 1900 acres at thai
price year ago.
Mr.. Leonard said careful study Of the
Auditors reports would convince any sane
man that something ought 10 be done Ia
put the assessment for taxation upon q
juster basis. With all the improvements
made in the last eight years the assess.
ment this year is very little more than that
OF 1870, and actually less than in 1874. Jus.
tiCc demanded that this state OF affairs
should be remedied. 1t was cause oil
general and just complaint. He thought
there could be no more appropriate time
for such reassessment than now. He
hoped this measure would stand upon its
own merits, and that the bill would pass.
Mr.. Depue thought this was not the
proper time for step of this kind; n re-
assessment now would be premature.
Within the next few years immense i'm.
provements would be made all over the
State, and another valuation would have
to be made. He thought this bill was
urged for the purpose OF preventing n r..
valuation after additional improvements
had been made in several OF the counties,
thus putting them on more favorable
footing than the others.
MIR. Cresap expected to vote Tor this bill
on equitable grounds. He knew OF his
own knowledge that great inequality and
great injustice prevailed in the valuation Of
real estate.
Mr.. Holt thought this one of the most
important questions Oithe session. He did
not believe the finances Of the State were
in SUCH condition as TO demand a reassess.
ment. 1t would cost $4,000 or S2O,OOO.
and Lave we any assurance that the result
will be what is desired? But the view OF
the gentleman from Roane [Depue1 struck
him fOrCibly. The State is in a process of
development, and after this has progressed
few years another rGva Uation will be re-
quired. Why incur the expense OF one
now? II necessary to increase the lew be
was in favor Of making it.
Mr.. Grantham favored the bill.
Mr., Riley quoted from u statement by
the Auditor, read by Judge Ferguson. To
the effect that the last reyaluation cost
$1,000 and something over. OF course il
would cost more since the labor would be
greater now on account Of the division OF
many large tracts into small farms. Refer.
ence having been made to the value of the
timber in some sections, Mr.. Riley 70.
spOnded that the timber was rather an in.
cumbrance and drawback than source
OF revenue or valuable part Of the prop.
erty. He thought there was nothing In
Mr.. Grantham's proposition that the reos.
sessment should be made because the
lands OF the State were increasing in value.
lie was glad, however, that it Nas admitted
by some that this measure was necessary
to raise the revenue without increasing the
levy. He called attention to the fact that
the State was not in such n bad condition
financially as the figures seemed to signify.
The revenue to meet much OF the indeLt-
edness was in the hands of the Sheriff.. M,
objected to some OF the provisions Of the
bill individually, also, and thought thnt
this was not the time for the measure, any.
way.
AMIR. Leonard spiritedly took issue with
the | tier position, and said the only
grounds the gentlemen who opposed the
reaSsessment had for doing so was that
their counties would be the ones 10 feel the
increase the most He quoted the assess.
ment OF Jackson county, which averaged
81 81, and then read from real estate IN.
per published by Mr.. Riley in that county,
which stated that unimproved land wis
worth 81 or S. an acre. Referring TO Lin.
coin county, he was about 10 try 10 show n
similar discrepancy when Mr.. Holt said he
would find any quantity of land which
would be sold ut ST an acre.
Judge Ferguson said he knew Lincoln
county pretty well, and if the gentlemen
could DO as he said. he would find him
purchaser.
VERY well, /" said Mr.. Leonard, n think
we'll get up trade"
"Mr. speaker" said Mr.. Riley, IT would
like to have shand in this real estate
agency"
Mr.. Leonard remarked: az am in real
esta' some myself and l propose to share
this commission"
When Mr.. Leonard took his seat Mr.,
Irons demanded the previous question, and
it was ordered. Thequestion, shall the bill
pass? was then put to vote, and decided
in the affirmative by vote OF 80 to 27, and
a resolution that the bill take effect from
its passage was also adopted.
SPEAKER wilson's RAILROAD ulLL
was then read the third time, and nut
upon its passage. when Mr. Wilson III.