Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-04-14
County Taxes TOO high.

For the Dispotchl
The writer took occasion several weeks
ago to call the attention OF the public
to the loose and illegal manner Ill which
certain county officials have been dis
charging their official duties. now
propose to call the public attention 10
another matter OF vast importance to the
poor tax payers OF the State. allude to
the heavy burden of taxotion that the
people are now bearing This burden is
getting 10 be too heavy to be borne, and
in view OF the low prices that the farmers
are getting for their crops at this time
many of them will not lie able to pay
their taxes. In order to show the enor-
nous increase oiour taxes | will mention
the fact that in the year 1850 the writer
was tax-colIector in his county. The
whole county and state tax ut that time
was about s., 00J Now it Is about slS,-
000, being an advance Of about 33O
per cent, and that, too, when the
people have not half the ability to
pay. 1t is true that events have
made very great increase neces-
sary, for there is the interest Oh the
public debt to he paid aud the public
schools to he supported. But these adj
ditional charges Oh the public treasury
do not account for this enormous IN
crease. There must be extravaganza
somewhere, and | propose to show where
il is and who are responsible for il. 1t
is not to be found in the State tax, which
is only 40 cents on the 500. Il very
moderate tax. ihe guilt and response
bility rest upon the county governments
and the county officials. In order to
make good this charge 1 will take ny
data from my own county. ltlsa small
county and contains only about 9,OCOin-
habitants. take first the office of clerk.
There is a fixed legal fee Tor every official
act of the clerk and they are ample.
There are few incidental extra services
required Of the clerk and there are some
Office expenses TO be III t. such as lights,
fuel. and stationery. For this extra
work and Office expenses the clerk is al
lowed between six and seven hundred
dollars in addition to his fees. He is al
lowed S7J for lights and TO show the
enormity of this allowance ! will venture
the assertion that sufficient lights can be
furnished for less than $40 per year, for
one barrel OF kerosene oil costing only
s. wOuld be sufficient.
Now, take the Office Of sheriff. He,
too, has fixed legal fee for every Off
cial act required OF him, and they are
also ample. But a little extra work
falls TO his lot--such as waiting on
the court, &c. For his extra duties,
which are very few and light, he is
allowed 500 in addition to his regular
fees Then take the Office OF attorney
for the Commonwealth. He has his
bill of extras also. though his extra du-
ties Ire very few and badly performed.
For his extras lie is allowed $500 also.
Now, here are three officers drawing from
the county treasury and from the peck
cts OF the people about 81, 500 over and
above the legal fees attached to their
Offices, when one third of it would he a
fair compensation for the extra work ;
and it is the same thing with nearly all
Of the county and district officers. They
all get too much pGy-much more than
the people can afford to pay. Then
there is another way by which the mo-
ney goes. The prevailing sentiment is
get all you can out of the public. Thrust
your arm down as deep into the public
purse as possible, right or wrong. If
any work or service of any kind IS to be
done for the public. the contractor is
apt to charge double what he would
charge an individual A few years ago
one of orr leading officials brought ont
against the county bill of $3.50 for
coffin furnished for 8 negro pauper,
when 50 is the general allowance To
show how these county expenses have
been run M in late years. ! state the
fact that twelve years ago, when we had q
good Democratic Board of Supervisors,
our county levy was only forty cents
in the 800. Now it is ninety, being
more than I00 per cent. increase.
Now, who Is responsible for all this ex
travagance 1t rests upon the shoulders
of the Judge and the Board of Super
visors. This Board of Supervisors is a
most important and responsible one.
They have the taxing power, the auditing
of all county claims, and the fixing Of
the official salaries 1t should be con-
stituted of the very best men in the
county-men OF sound Judgment, firm
ness, and strict integrity. They should
be men of property, too, who have to
bear large share of the burden of taxa
ton on their own shoulders. Here
this board is composed of inferior
men Of little means and less response
bility. ami sometimes we have negroes
on this important board. One of the
greatest outrages in connection with this
county government, and one that ac-
counts for the evils mentioned, is the
fact that the better classes the intelli-
gent. virtuous property-holders who pay
nine tenths of the taxes-are entirely
excluded from all participation in the
government.
Now, what is the remedy for these
evils? II is this Let the people be in
formed and aroased. and let them hold
public meeting and appoint a commit
tee to look into things Let them at
tend the meetings of the Board of Su-
pervisors, and if needed, employ coun-
sci to defend the peoples interest. The
taxes are too high, and the people can't
stand il "SoUrH SIDE"