Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1883-04-21
COMMUNICATED.
ARE THE TAXES EQUAL AND UNI
FORM THROUGHOUT THE STATE?

y
FORM THROUGHOUT THE STATE?
In our last article We proposed to look
farther into this matter, and If possible
| call the earnest attention Of the people to
this long-suf1ered abuse; and in this con-
nection now ask for a few moments the
attention of The readers of the REGISTER
| to some of the statements Of the Finance
| Committee of the late session of the Leg
| islature of our State.
In their report upon that part Of the
Governors message calling upon the leg
| islature to note the fact 'that the taxable
values (of property, according to the as
sessment) OF the State have not increased
in proportion to population" they say
s.that they find that taxation is not equal
and uniform throughout the State; that
many items of property which should be
taxed are not assessed ut all, nor do our
present assessment laws make any pro-
vision for their assessment" Who, then,
is responsible for this gross injustice, per-
petrated upoL that part of the people who
alIeady bear the burden of nine-tenths OF
the taxes? Is our State government so
| completely under the influence and con-
troll OF organized monopoly as to bid def
anee to the will of the people, and to pre-
vent them from re-enactlng aud amend
ing the assessment laws, which this COM
mittee says ''are substantially the same as
they were in 1868, before our mineral
wealth was at all developed?
Has the vigilance of our delegates from
the agricultural district forsaken them,
or have they been borne down by the SUI
peror craftsmanship of those from the
mining and manufacturing districts? If
they have been overborne by superior
numbers, why not sound the alarm that
the people might come to the rescue? An
honest and vigorous effort left upon rec
ord i'm the attempt to correct this abuse of
power would have been some consolation
to the public, though it had been unayail-
ing. 1t is known that "the increase OF
that kind of personal property, money,
credits, machinery, &C., which Is DOT
generally owned by farmers, has been
vastly greater than that owned by them"
and yet, while there has been steadily
advancing increase in the assessed value
Of agricultural wealth, there has been a
decrease in the assessed value Of property
in the mining and manufacturing dis
tricts.
This committee further says they "have
had before them list Of one hundred
names, copied from the assessors books of
1882. This list was prepared by selecting
well-known business men, firms, coal
companies, and coal and coke companies.
1t is very low estimate to put the per-
sonal property OF those one hundred per-
sons at value greatly exceeding one mil
lion dollars, and yet, as assessed, it APP
dollars" Is it possible to conceive any
thing more outrageous Of the rights of a
people, or anything more humiliating to
their pride, than this unhappy and unjust
state Of our affairs discloses? Have we
not the same remedy at hand for the cor
rection of this abuse that has already been
adopted in the great states of New York
and Pennsylvania, namely, suits for the
recovery of taxes on property improperly
assessed, or concealed by the owners from
the knowledge of the assessors? Would
not such an example of unblushing du
plcity upon the part Of property owners
warrant an inquiry by our State officials,
or shall such facts AS are here disclosed,
''that this vast mineral wealth, the eX-
haustion Of which is now enriching many
private corporations and individuals, does
not, under existing laws, bear its fair
proportion of the expenses Of the govern
ment that protects it," be passed in 81
lence?
With all these facts before us, and the
example of other States taxing not only
the real and personal property of their
citizens, but tile franchises of their cor
porate bodies and companies, and the pro-
ductive values of all their industries, we
present to the world the humiliating
spectacle of increasing our State taxes ten
per cent on every one hundred dollars,
instead of promptly bringing under as
easement those articles that have so far
escaped, and thereby reducing the present
rate of taxation. The act of increasing
eur present rate Of taxation five per cent
upon each one hundred dollars not only
adds that amount to the already over-bur-
dened agricultural districts, but it further
increases tho demands of the State upon
them two and a-half cents OH each one
hundred dollars for school purposes, and
in this indirect way those who have been
so long clamoring Tor an increase of that
tax have accomplished half their extor-
tons. ...... ....-.
This act of our last legislature has in
creased our taxes seven and half per
cent OH the hundred dollars, instead Of so
amending our assessment laws as to reach
the property of those now enjoying the
luxury of that wealth that does not bear
just and equal proportion of the ex-
penses Of the government. The laws of
Pennsylvania Acts Of 1874, page ID re-
quire every company doing business in
the commonwealth, which possesses the
corporate right TO mine coal, shall semi
annually make a report of the number
of tons of coal mined during the six
months preceding, and shall pay into the
treasury Of the commonwealth, an addi-
| tiopal t.x unon it's cornorate franc n ise at