The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-03-18
living In sections Of the State where the
titles ARE settled arc taxed heavily TO pay
the current expenses Of the state-and the

| ~ tAoA AulA PIlSb No otucE lhuub ho NhiueoA
Ny answer Is, you cannot get this done.
Not that the commissioners are dishonest
men. But they have grown up under the
system. 1t was always popular idea In
political economy In old Virginia, that
nonproductiye property should not be
taxed. Hence, In the constitution Of 1867,
slaves under y years were exempt from
taxation; they we're not productive. This
was ono argument. This idea has It's In.
tluence all through the State. When
commissioner goes to value this class Of
lauds, he meets the men or their agents
who are attending TO them; no Is referred
to the time when old Virginia only tnxed
these lands a few cents on the acre; he Is |
piled with tho argument that these lands
are unproductive; that "over there tract oil
10000 acres was bought not long since for
| lorty, htty or sixty cents per acrt; that
there are great doubts about the tito, &c"
and 30 he sets 1t down at q nominal value.
g0GFita A CASE IN POINT. sgt |
Take the case OF Webster county to |
which l referred In my last. There, at |
intelligent gentleman saya, there were
nearly l,400 900 acres returned delinquent,
when In fact there were not SOC, 900 acres
In the county. The commissioner knew
when he returned the valuation Of the land |
that large portion Of the titlea were good
Tor nothing. lie could know nothing about |
It's boundaries; he only knew what the |
agents said. "Theae lands arc In tho woods. |
We don't know that the title Is good for
anything, but we want to keep them on |
the land books to make what we can,"' and
the result Is they suggest nominal value,
and the Commissioner sets them down. So |
that when we come to foot up the matter |
all the lands In the county, seated and I'm. |
seated are valued at so cents per acre. So |
the tall forests continue to grow, and those |
fine lands, with their fine soil uncultiva.ed, |
giving opportunity for some land shark TO |
cheat some unsuspectipg, coniiding man,
and the State stands behind the shark OK.
tending his opportunity for triiling bride,
ny way OF little tax, aud to continue
time honored custom.
! ~ STILL ANOTHER. Y
Some time ago village was pointed out
to me whereperhaps 200 miners and labor.
eIs lived, q colliery, with coal mines and |
coke ovens, aud, perhaps, furnace, on the |
Chesapeake 4 Ohio railroad. I was told !
that there was a large Coal field OF thou |
sands oil acres, covered with fine timber. |
The proprietors had laid of ten acres, iu-
GLIDING their houses and works, that
they estimated for taxation at 500 per
acre. The large tract 10 which it belonged |
waB called wild lands and taxed Of one
| dollar per acre. Us.-
A tract OF wild land was pointed out DO.
longing 10 agentlemau in Northern S'a.e. |
He had twenty miles Of river front on New \
river. A gentleman remarked that short |
time before he had been in the section ind |
saw four men making road nine miles
through that tract to get an outlet to the |
railroad. The owner would not sell au |
acre, but ii any person adjoining wanted |
to Bell he would buy. This largo survey is |
taxed as wild lands. ,5''g
| ask intelligent men how they can have |
school houses, good county roads, churches |
and mills convenient in section where |
such bodies of land are held intact, 30 as |
to be bar to civilization, and held because |
they are not taxed.
1; HOW THEY Do IT OUT WEST.
While in the southwest OF the Stale l !
met gentleman OF fine intelligence. who |
had lived in Wisconsin. We were talking
on the subject Of large eurveys, taxation,
&c. He remarked: .You ought to have
some Of the people Of Wisconsin here"
he said that come years ago he, with some
other gentlemen, concluded they would |
| buy come choice sections OF lanu and let
it lie, to increase in value. The purchases
were made, but in the course oithe next
year they were notified OF tax bills and
among the tax bills were school taxes. Hell
WAS sent to look into the matter. lie saw
q house in the neighborhood, rode up and
Baw q lady-like looking woman whom he
asked for her husband. The husband was
not at home. "Where is your school
house?' he enqnired. Pointing to her
house ahe replied, There it ia" "Where
are arc your schoJars?" She pointed to her
children-four or FIVE, "Thers they arc"
"Aud where ia The teacher?" II
am the teacher was the reply. She
remarked that some gentlemen Own
the lands around here. They won't settle
them and send their children 10 school,
and our children must be educated, and i
teach them" -
met another gentleman tho next day
and We were talking on the same subject.
He remarked that the people in Iowa
would soon correct such state OF affairs.
he said Some years ago l, with some
other gentlemen, entered several d. sirable
sections OF land with view OF their ap.
preciating in value. II was not long until
some men located county seat. The first
thing done WAS to locate road to the
depot for an oHtlet, about twelve miles dis.
tant. They sold out the making OF tho
road for 50 900, and it was not long until
about 81 500 in taxes were accumulated on
us: We hsdto hunt purchasers" Nv
do not wis b to convey the idea that
none OF the titles to these wild lands are
good; on tho contrary, am informed that
the titles to number Of these laIgs aur.
veys have been finally adjudicated by the
courts, State and Federal. Hundreds. per.
haps thousands, OF poor men, with younger
patents and broken hearts, were deprived
OF their homes BY tho Judgment Of the
courts; and 1t is the holders Of these large
surveys, whose title is supposed TO be good,
that will not sell. They know that the
value OF the land will increase, and the
land is valued as other wild land, at nom
lnal value for taxation.
"a. THE REMEDY, .,s
To remedy theae evils, it will be neces.
sary to alter the State Constitution to ena.
BILE the Legislature to provide an equitable
mode for taxing these wild lands, thgt,
where other thingsare equal, they may be
taxed at the came price that seated lands
are taxed; Il do not mean to tax noun.
tain cliH at the same price productive
valley below it is ta1ed,) that no land be
taxed at low price because tho title is
detective. From my information, the wild
lands IN the southwestern psrt OF the State,
excepting the bottoms OF the Kannwhu
are as valuable IS the seated lands The
growing forest is worth more than the
worn-ous field with it's improvements.
In the next place, to pass law that every
man residing on these large surveys for
five years, and holding land under color
OF title derived from the State or other.
Wise, shall hold the full boundarics OF bis
title as against the holder OF the title to tho
large survey. Il 5..5..,