West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1898-08-25
The Assessment Business.
Another Citizen Takes The Matter
Up aud Wants More Light Turned
On the subject.


Up and Wants More Light Turned
ON the subject.
TO the Editor OF The Argus.
sBeinK "A reader OF Doth cur county
papers have read up the con troyersy
between ex-Sncriff Shaw tand sMr.
BLAME In regard To tho fraudulent MS.
sessments of this county. THE letter
from MIR. Shaw, pu blished in Tho Jour
nal OF July s2s lis headed, AN Ex-
planation That Does Not Explain.'
Now, as "a citizen and taxpayer OF the
county, think every citizen and tax.
payer is interested In this smatter. not
in the war OF words between Snaw aud
Blank. but in an honest assessment o
the property of the county, that every.
one may be made TO slare his eoual
part Of the burden of taxes, and SO far
as | have been able To Judge from the
publications in the papers, sMr. Shaw
nor Mr.. Blank, either, explain The sit
uation. They may know Of what they
are writing, but am free To confess.
do not, ana think the maiDrity ,of
the readers of the papers do uut Now
we want Snnw and Blank TO turn ON
the light and Aet .us know exactly
where the crookedness Is aud how TINS
matter OF crooked Assessment began,
ana where II is likely to end. sSnaw
must have some grounds for complaint
or Blank would show itup in his re-
ply, and SO far As that part Of the con-
troyersy ns relates 70 Snerfffs aud their
SALARY II concerned, the people have
nothlng to 40 with IL unless they are
found taxing more than belongs 10
them, and Jnen let the people get after
the'n and IL they have gotten more
than tney are justly entitled To, make
them disgorRe at once and not put IL
OH aud tax aUout ~ until ~ gets TO be
an old story, 30 old that every ,boiy
has lost interest IN il. Now this mat.
ter of crouRed assessments has bean
Oefore the people Tor the last six years
ard does not seem TO Oe settled vet.
aud VINO is taxing any steps To settle
IT IL was said that one Of the asses
sors OF the West Side undertook the
matter ana got knocked out OF his 10
at the next election for his pains, and
the people generally do not know any
more about IL now, than IL Mensar.
shaw und Blank had never mentioned
IL or said there was not enough of
property returned for taxes in the
county.
Now, as Shaw says, let this be kept
before the people every week, NATL
there Is a 6nal adjustment OF il, and il
Shaw is right, he is entitled TO the
honor. and IL be is wrong and IL is
only wHter-haul when IL Is inyestf
gated, he has only succeeded In maxi
ing himself ridiculous aud he surely
KNOWS that, jndging from his experI
cnce, think IL ! am not mist1lS en-, he
has been aU asses or, menDcr Of the
eaun'y court, sneriH and perhaps held
other Ohicss AZ least foe tho last ton
years hc has had more or less 70 d.
with the pablo business. Now II he
got bis Information in regard 70 these
ihiugs bs rs charging the crOOkrdne~s
in while nc was in Office from the Oh.
pOrtunitics placed before him, from
access 10 puulic rec Jrds. g., he b. a.
little e. blame himself for not giving
them out 10 the people long ago Now
turn on the water Suaw. and if there
is anything rotten in Denmark, let us
know ~. rs you are in position 20
give ticts Tom your experience Of or
I'D years TIE people are going % de-
mtnd IT, now from sJinc one. and d.
VIII not be conf led - Preston county
alone. Neither ,Yili ~ be- coahued o.
the personality alone. bat th. realty
wil be looked after as well; and YOU.
shaw. viii have 10 take your medicine
with the balance. | have beard thc
same q llnplai0t IN other counties. long
ago Not in rc gard 20 the personally.
but THAT the realty WIS not properly
asscssel and almost everyone in
Preston county knows Of tracts ~ land
valued in the way Ot taxes 40 soc per
ucrc; bat - to che owners or their
agents an ask them 90 price it 90 you
and thev want e. 90 per acre Just ten
times what.thcv are willing so have it
charged for taxes Now III that is
e. insistant. the farm vtiueI 80 Is o.
per acre fDr tax "a must sell f1r $50 OJ
Dsracre. - equllizs it with the 5Jc per
acre land What IS the matfer with
tive man from tine State - Eeno2 Dd
a rock hit him? if sVc are not mis-
taken. the WORK ~ as-cssin the per.
son u property Of Preston county has
bsen done b. man from Reno two
thirds of the tinic for ihc last thirty
yelrs, on the West Side Of the river.
and II The shoe pinches in Reno let
them grin and BEER It ~ ~ 10 New
conner" is = williu ~ have an 40.
vestigstis tirre.tour h of the tax
piyers ~ bi cisif G. are