Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-05-19
HOW TO LOWER TAXES.
Some Comparison of the ESpe"se'
OF Virginia and North Cnro''""'
Houston. Va, May 10


neous and misleading, hoping you "o'i'
correct the same in an editorial 'ih.ie
was nothing In the letter to Indicate VIC.
1t was not for publication plspl ..ul
Since you have published my letter u N'"y
| It'll further communication - ht'sSse-S'
| undertake to say that the BULK OK cur
taxes IS levied 10 pay Interest Oh oo'
debt and for educational puiPo'0H
bracng public free schools. he''he' y,
which items OF expense VIII De ieu~.-u
by a constitutional conventions Ona' ~
little economy or retrenchiivht !"
penses viii result from eoh'cn''rN
tho, the same ends can be acco"
otherwise at less lost. ara, therc'o's
~ inexped.ent for US TO call q COW COW 49,.
Desiring a demonstrate OF l.SSc 49,
l regretted seeing you uhue v I.e,..sf and
amount Virginia paid 10Y nnn".lI's nub,ic
educational uurpOses. cmbIdC.DS 49,.
free schools. Since you insist t.ht s ~"
are right ia your statement 81 80
let Us consider the matter l"i - t,torost
In my statement regaro3ns NY ',.,,C,ed
ON our state debt have correctly qup -,
tie Auditor Of Virginia, aNu 49, - nv
TO his report for Netlt'I.e.'iv ,,r,,,t in
statement. You say that ! n "a ,o ~ ~ in
the lact that about SlOOtVV Is pi'iu a. ~,
tcrest on bonds held by lnsutu.lom25 81, -,
learning IN excess OF the interest hsln
would be paid OH the same bohJs -
Nv individuals ana. therefore, YOU -.
m a. an auuropriatiOn TO lAsliuuOHS "a
learning or for educational puiiJrSs,'
had nos forgotten the fact. but VIII a.
ceDt your correction, as lt j. 80 49,,
You will hear in mind that my "o'ei - ~.
- oar rho Interest on our state deOt
and our educational apprOptidboHa -.
expenses, including the expenses u ~ IL
public free schools, constitutes ~ .rI-
of our governmental eNpe nsesf ahN nhr"
4..I
OpJ and add The same TO TIE aiiiyu"e v,
educational appropriations, you NV ~
reduced tho aggregate OF t1ese w. -
penses one cent. ! Oh duiull til"'
i am correct In my statement Of The m
vestmcnts held by North Carolina ana
that only $SLic3 needs be 70 SEQ - ~5htt
ton TO pay the interest ON TIE S.dle ueD.
OF North Carolina, but you say virginia
might have had mere such investments
than she has. but Tor the fact tnat sne
allowed herself to be persuaiel 20 pa
with her holdings. That u true DIX Al
does not alter the fact that virginia mas
not the investments. AMI she must raisS
the interest on her State DEBT by d t1A@-
ton Of her people.
You say ] have Overlooked,t he iaet IN l
Virginia still owns an interest tn the
Richmond. Fredericksburg ana Pot"Insc
road. which yields 5000 FER annum. NV
statements are based on the report OF Our
Auditor L fail 10 find from his report
that ne received n dollar irolu IN" IN
vcstnent you name: but, TO the contrary.
IL appears that ne has paii the amount
Of interest stated IN my lette. OF MAJ
eth out Of the taxes pad ~ me pco 'ls
OF this Commonwealth. ! d:d TO,
attempt to state all OF the
holdings Of Virginia, but wts
speaking OF what We paid - taNal u:
Admit that Virginia has the lroprIty
and you are still wrong. the S9,Vv wou.h
fan far. short Of making UP the I'LL
ference in your statement.
PUBLIC EDUCATION.
As to appropriations for educational
purposes including public free SCHOOLS
my criticism and objection 10 your
statement OF May 9th was that you gave
the entire school-taX paid in North caro-
lima and compared it with our appropIlI
tons and State school-taN, omlttng All
mention of our tax for county ana plS-
trict free-school purposes. when - iar2tT
than our State schOOl-taX. IN your com
ment on my letter of May lth you say
YOU are advised that cities, towns, ana
townships IN North Carolina may levy
additional schoOl-taNes. bus the TACT Is,
that II they may. as a general RUE, at
least they. do not. and. therefore, their
taxes are less than In Virginia. You say:
I'VE have been discussing state eN-
pcnses only" / have not. and / think
II would be advisable for you TO go 1T
tie farther. our people are not thinking
Of state expenses only but they are
complaining Of the amount OF taxes they
have TO pay. If you are considering
taxes only. In Virginia there Is levied a
State tax Of 30 cents on every SlO0 value
OF property. the proceeds of which are
applied TO the payment OF the expenses
OF the government. including pensions.
and there IS levied further state TAX
Of 10 cents OH every 500 value OF pro-
pcrty, the proceeds Of which IS applied
10 the public free schools, state funds
and expended on the free schools, making
the aggregate rate Of taxation for state
PURPOSES only 10 cents on the SlCO value
OF property
In North Carolina the rates Of taxation
on each 500 value Of property for state
purposes t. as follows: For general STATE
PURPOSES Il % cents; for public schools.
is cents; for pensions. 10 cents. dklus
an aggregate rate OF - cents, winch -
higher than tho rate CT taxation ln W
rinia. DO YOU suppose the average TAX
uavcr considers this fact? Not az AT
lie considers the amount OF taxes ne las
to pay for all purposes ITO,
In North Carolina for state ana scnool
nlIrposes the taxpayer Is taxed - cents
on the SlC0 value of property, whlle IN
Halifax county. Va, for the same pur-
poses the taxpayer pays: tor expenses
~ government 50 cents; FOR State tree-
school fund ID cents; for county tfee-
ecbool fund. 10 cents; for district free
school fund. 20 cents. making In the ag-
ercgate 60 cents, which iS II cents n.suer
than the rates OF taXauoh III No''"
Oi'o''''''' TIE TWO RATES.
have often heard II said that In North
Carolina there Is a consutut.Q(la' ito
vision limiting the rate OF IaAht.oh 10 IN
or,onnt not 10 exceed Go 2-5 cents on the
en- valie OF property; but on examination
,o, will find that they supplement- 'ltI
revenucs by special levies, ana on an eA-
animation of the report OF their Auul.ol
., ,,,iii he seen that their capitatlon-ta&
~ 81 instead of $50 as in virginia, ana
- 70 II. ,,~onerty-tax Is from 50 10 20 cents
on the 500 value OF property Hs ,.'.'i,o -
az 9-9c. or less. as Is genelany suIPVvt,,ft
While their rate OF taxation ~ NS,y - -
,o,,-"r than the average rate 10 rama
~ NV less for interest on neb'
denominations 10 instt.Uohs % HHa ''.
~ free schools. peh7'"as, ~
- asvlums paupcrs. aiu O'",i
hoineS, -, 10 which We are subjected. "a
80 az n constitutional coHNthtlo
drauy comparisons between '.st''iia - -
W.rfh carolina. but II Inc! ""d mp,
- Nro,tb Carolina our STATE ueo' "H
49, r. n 10 paw the same amount We
- - interest. APPROPRIATIONS ',il" tint'
Tor educational purposes ~ -
lie free schools pehsi0us 49, of nn en-
ToyyiSons Under those circuma's htSs -
tovos in North Carolina would be sspnc'
than the taxes i'm virginia. VIZ ~,
cause Virginia has more N1Il,n - 10,
Nortb carolina and this faet pear nv, ~
to,ce of orr superior gOvefnmf III. Iuey
eev that our criminal EXPENSE ~ ~, ~
great. our Auditor reports US On ~
peuscs 81 last year amonhtlhN l." fror,
Vo receive from hire OF cohfits 10 n,
$4,000 to 5000 say........'.'''''''F' - al A.
From costs collected .....'..'''''''' 90, NJ
From fines collected ......''''''''' - =,
Making. in the aggregate. ..;;..i' S - tb a.
II We were 10 apply TINS lu''' '.,rer,ses
,,a,roont prO tantO az rr.mnai tAPF." -
h would leave sos 22g97 10 be PAD ny
taxation. - ,..r..onal
r~orarty amounting TO ssas.5t'o3o.'". -
~ ~ 1-2 cents on the 500 IN Vaine OF
propertg would yield s.s3 yA2I. or Il III ~
lie more than enough 10 pay the - ,n,'' 81
. exu.refg of the State. We miInt - o.