Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-02-13

AL dItlCle puUllSueu III lue I1eIdlli,
Urbana, Va, over the signature of
Hon. James n. Stubs, is given be-
low for the information of our read.
ers, and commended especially to the
careful perusal of the newspapers
published in the cities of the State.
1t will require only cursory glance
at the facts and figures submitted
by Senator Stubs, to convince us
that there is no reason why six coun-
ties in Underwater Virginia should pay
more taxes on vessel property than
six of the largest cities in Virginia,
and there can be no other eXplana
ton given for it than, that the COM
missioners Of revenue in the cities
are guilty Of wilful and gross neglect
OF duty. Such state of things ought
not to be permitted, and Senator
Stubs very properly says that if
assessments are not uniform then
make them so or have no assess
ments" Mr.. Stubbs will give "other
facts about the taxes we pay" in
future articles, and can show, he adj
vises US, inequalities in the taxes paid
in different sections more glaring
even than those presented in his first
article. The work which he has I'M
dertaken is a good one and must re-
suit in great good to the State, if
taxpayers, who do not now bear their
proportion of the burdens of the
State, are made to realize, that it is
their duty to assume their share of
the responsibilities in the way of taxes
as well as to enjoy the blessings of
the State government under which
they live.
have noticed for several years
past, on examining the reports of the
Auditor of Public Accounts, that in
our section of the State our people
had given in to commissioners of the
revenue the full valuation of all
boats, vessels, water crafts, ETC.,
while in other sections this property
was not assessed for taxation, as it
should be. At the last session of the
General Assembly of Virginia the
following joint resolution was adopt
ed: Whereas, 1t has been brought
to the attention of the General As
sembly of Virginia that for years
past the commissioners of the rev.
enue of the counties and cities of
Virginia have failed to assess certain
personal property under schedule 3
in the seventeenth clause in the list
prescribed for assessing personal
property: Now therefore, be it sre-
solved by the Senate the House of
Delegates concurring), that the Aud
itor of Public Accounts be and he is
hereby directed to call the attention
of the commissioners of the revenue
in the assessment of the personal
property for the year 1896, to section
sos of Code of Virginia, and require
them to make the assessments of
said personal property in nth clause
Of schedule b.
Section sos Code of Virginia pro-
vides for "Omitted taxes; how as
sessed.'
The 18th clause of schedule B re-
fers to number of boats and water
crafts under five tons burthen and
the aggregate value thereof; the
number of all ships, topgboats, bar
ges, boats or other water crafts of
five tons burthen and over 4 and
their aggregate value thereof =
or of any share or interest IN such,
owned by any persons in Virginia,
though the said ships Of any of them
may not be, at the time when the as.
sessment was made, in Virginia"
The Auditor of Public Accounts on
18th of March, 1896, sent to every
commissioner of the revenue in Vir-
GINA a circular setting forth the
above joint resolution; giving in full
section sos of Code of Virginia and
the nth clause of schedule b, re-
curing them to comply with the
laws of Virginia. Let us see the
result. The report of the auditor
for the fiscal year ending September
Goth, 1896, is before me. Total as
sessed value of all boats under five
tons burthen for the year 1896, $685.
500. Total assessed value of all boats,
etc.. of five tons burthen and over
for year 1896, 1921, 467. Total for 1896
S550,3G6. Total assessed value of all
boats under five tons burthen for
year 1895, S247,14O. Total assessed
value of all boats, ETC., of five tons
burthen and over for year 1895, S31S,-
994. Total for 1895, 1856, 1874. The as
sessments less in 1896 than in 1895
by $15,76S.
The circular of the auditor did not