The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-06-19

Will ALSO De u6teQ. 5.t1a. ..fr n. =
The amount Of invisible property in this
State which is not listed is estimated at
fifty millions and, we repeat, the 'Qu.ation
is whether our people propose TO exempt
this immenee sum altogether from taxa.
tion?" ,4s
@ UNEQUAL VALUATION.
"The question is, whether public opinion
will tolerate the injustice which is inevita.
BILE when property is unequally valued ? If
not, then it is necessary to frame and to
execute such laws es will correct this evil.
Everybody understands perfectly we'll that
it makes no difference whether property is
assessed at its full value or half its value,
provided each mans property is rated in
thesame proportion to what it will sell for.
A certain amount OF money must be raised
TO pay the expenses OF the State govern.
ment; if the ba1is Of taxation ia $50 mil
lions, the tax rate is 80 cents on each one
hundred dollart; if the basis Of taxation be
800 milliona, the tax rate will be Is cents.
It requires about $685., 900 to meet the ex.
penses Of our State government; under the
present system (probably) As Of the in.
visible property is not listed, and of the
visible property that is on the assessors
books (probably) 2 Is assessed at 40 per.
cent lower than the other half. In this un.
fair condition Of thinga, the basis Of taxa:
tion in 1883 WAS 14B$ mill lions, and the ta1
rate 80 csnts; il the invisible property is
listed and if the visible property is asses7ed
at its true value, the basis OF taxation will
exceed 235 millions, and the tax rate be
lees than 20 cents on the 800 OF value" 81
It is mistake to suppose that such leeis.
lation will be unpopular if it be proper
and only what ia necessary to discover that
vast quantity Of invisible property which
now eecaps5 taxation; no fair.minded man
will object to ascrutii,y which js universal
throughout the State and without which
notes and bonds will escape taxation. In
truth, the popular prfjudice which is sup.
po:ed to exist, ska:pst disclosing Invisible
property, is largely created by men who
wisE to perpetuate system under WHICH
they are able 10 avoid paying a fair share
OF the tax, and these men will resist any
method that compels them to list their
notes, the pretenae ie, an objection 10 dis
closing private 4 1.irs, but the true reason
is, they Tish to avoid taxation. ;5t, .s
ExEMPrloNs-,-A WORD PoH TIE STATE Ap.
81 w 4 [ H1SNTRATIog. lai. 81 /, ,tE
The policy Of exempting from taxation
certain clr,ses Of property depends on con.
siderations analogous to those applicable to
the practice Of deducting debts. y y
It is unfortunate, however, that this sub
ject Qhe expcdiency Of e1emptions) must
be now discu' 3ed, at time yhen an at.
tempt Is being made to divide opinion
about an apparently similar but very differ.
ent proposition. ,jt-'5 ,s
Those OF us who have passed Tho mer;d.
ian OF lie hsvs often observed that when
personal ambitions may be promoted or
when party succee] may be attained by
pandering to the ,caprices OF an unenlight.
ened and unressoning popular prejudice
however Rroundless that prejudice may be,
| it seldom happen1 that the words Of truth
and soberneeTiaH in fruitful plscrs, and II
seldom happens that in q heated race for
personal or party success; the Ianss actiye
participants in the contest consider sui.
hc:sntly the true interest and permanent
welfare Of their State. n; s.
The Commissioners sre aware that It IL
eatirely .s>,o'gn to their duty to medlle
with propcsitione ~hich may become poiit.
ical i:suep, but they deem 1t expedient to
separate the eaueation whether it Is expe;
dient to exempt eestsin property from tax.
ation7) from that other and dinsrent cues
tion which hsa become known, through
tho newspapers, ~ "lhe supplemental in.
structiOn.n' Iisl stSgs. II B j n
And this separation is necec1a,y because
these. two propositions have become
asrnugoly coniused in the minds Of persons
who are In = position to mislesd public
opinion. y: "a ~ $5lZEsS,,
The agitation is apparently sondurtsd 5. ss
II q question were pending,-whether tc
exempt dqricultural produeia only but thle
Is total misspprehension; the statute
which proposed 10 exempt farm products
clso eEonerated vast quantity Of othel
property. Of far greater value and ,a7 tc
which, II this matter were generally under
stood, the exemption would net be tolerated
Tor an instant. 'iIll75l$Is, 's..sH"S,G
fg WILD LANDS. 5s II; i;
Large quantities of".Wild Land" are an an,
nually forced on the market, chittl be
cause resident owners are unable to pay pa,
1.-The taxes which have accumulated. Uude