Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1897-05-15
$2,414.00

The white population of Accomac,
by the last census is 17,547; colored,
9,730. In other words, while the
property assessment on the whites
is, per capita, about Sc cents for road
purposes, the per capita on the ne
groes is only about 3 cents. But the
per capita for dogs is, whites about s
cents, and for the negroes nearly III
cents. Out of this dog-tax fund, after
paying for all losses on stock, ex
penses of collection and disburse-
ment, there has been annually paid
over TO the several districts a residue
OF several hundred dollars to the
road fund of each district, by means
or which the supervisors have been
enabled to work the roads for q prop
erty levy of 20 cents.
Now, since we must have road
fund derived from a tax on some sort
of property, it only remains as a
choice whether we will limit the levy
to real estate and ordinary personal
property, and increase the rate of
taxation, or distribute the levy to in
clude dogs. l fail to see that the law
does any injustice to anyone. The
property owner, who already pays an
assessment tax, is not only indemni-
lied against losses of stock by dogs,
but is saved cents on every one
| hundred dollars worth of assessable
property. The law does no injustice
to, and works no hardship on the
colored people who pay no assess
lnent tax. They were previously
bound to'the roads for four days SER
vice per year, or So in fines, from
which they are now exempt. They
should be willing to contribute the
small share of dog-taX to the roads,
while the white people are paying
twenty cents on every one hundred
dollars worth of property for roads
alone, to say nothing Of school tax
district, county and State taxes. AS
matter of fact, the property of the
white people is paying over S16, 900 a
year for public schools, while the
property of the colored people is pay
ing only about $500. In other words,
but for tho dog tax, the colored peo-
pie of Accomac would be paying only
about $500 for both roads and schools,
while the white people are paying
over $4,000.
1t is difficult, then, to understand
upon what ground objection can be
urged to the dog-law by any fair
minded citizen, white or colored. By
special enactment, all dogs listed
for taxation become personal proper
ty, and have the same protection I'M
der the law as any other property
Stock has been Unidentified against
depredating ours. The roads are
being Systematically worked and
greatly improved; and the cost, to
some extent, equalized between the
races. And, as has been seen by the
foregoing figures, the tax levy on
property has been perceptibly re-
duced The only excuse then for an
objection to the law must be founded
on sort of sentimental prejudice; a
prejudice which has long since ceased
to exist in most of the progressive
States, and which the ver-burdened
tax payers of Accomac can poorly
afford to indulge themselves in. q
dog is both a private luxury and a
public nuisance While comfort to
his master, he is not only dangerous
to property, but even a menace to
human llfe-a fact with which the
people in Accomac, as elsewhere, are
just now painfully familiar. Why
then ehould the dog, of all other
property, be exceptionally and pre-
eminentIv exempt from share in
the burden of taxation?
GEO. W. LECATo.
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