The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1897-08-18

Intervening special terms, less the
met levy for 1896? Wherein is the
1896 levy a fuu offset to the debt
reported, as contended by the
Gazette2 In what manner can it
be shown that 1896 levy has no
connection with, and no ref
erence to 1897 business? Butwhy
argue the matter?
AttendI Suppose the Sheriff
had an 1896 tax ticket for $50
against slow taxpayer, and that
taxpayer had an 1897 $50 order.
would you blame him for taking
that order and giving up the tax
receipt p Gazette.
Does this not yield the point2
Does not the Gazette by this Give
up the ghost?' ?' IF this admission
does nc make the problem as We
stated, 76,S09. 80, plus 1897 bust
mess, minus net levy of 1896. what
does it make2 If the levy for
9s96 is full offset to the debt
reported, exclusive of 1897 bust
ness (and the Gazette says it is
this way why should the Sheriff
do the $50 transaction with the
"sloas taxpayer" who holds the
$50 1897 order? Why, by this he
curtails the Offset by $50. IF not,
why?
TIE tctct as, that already large
per cent of the 1896 levy has been
paid out on 1897 orders, and when
the levy for 1896 shall have been
settled for IN 1899. the bulk of the
levy for 1896 will have been paid
out on 1897 orders. All processes
of reasoning and analysis lead us
to our former conclusion and state
ment that the debt is the sum re-
ported by the Commissioners at
last April term of Court. unless
the Court for the year 1897 does a
less business than the amount of
the 1896 levy, and whatever less,
in this regard it does, the debt is
lessened to that extent.
AS gentleman well remarked to
us the other day, that all the or
ders reported by the Commission
ers and the orders for 1897 are
'.out, not in" Yes, they are ostt
in the hands of the people and not
in, not paid off, not cancelled.
There is nothing to get them an
with, except the 1896 levy until
Nov. 1st, 1897, when the Sheriff
may commence distraining.
But leaving the subject of off
set. Why any debt at all? The
Gazette admits a debt of some
thing like $4,000. Why thissumf ?
Mason County, one of the best
counties in the State. collecting
each year about $4,000 per year
from her citizens for public pur-
poses and be in debt-even $4,000,
/ is state of affairs that needs ex-
planation.
Mason county, for the fiscal year
of 1896, creates debt of Sic, ,624.13I
(see financial statement published
in State Gazette of August 9Th,
1897, when all is peace. no cpl
demic of disease, no calamities of
any kind wherein public aid was
required-nothing but the usual
governmental expenses and fiscal
affairs to receive attention. Mason
county for the fiscal year 1895,
creates debt of S15. 5.490.58, (see
Weekly Register of August 5,
1856 "monstrous!"
The Gazette takes exception to
our proposition that 'the county's
paper should be as sgood as banks
certified check or draft" Upon
this proposition it says: at is
perfectly plain thatno such thing
can be under the law cit is per-
lfectly clear too that the levy can
not be laid for a surplus" Let us
see as to this. The County Courts
shall have authority to lay and
disburse the county levies."
| Constitution of w. Va, article
Is, section "a. Any authority here
to make debt? Any power here
to disburse more than the levy?
Here the constitution gives the
court power to lag levy.
j It does not fix the time of dis
bursement. Is there not clear
implication of power to lay levy
and disburse it in future year?
Is there not in this constitution
al provision full power to create a
surplus? Certainly there are no
cypress acords. or words that viii