The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1899-03-22
TAX REFORM NEEDED.

W. are still hearing from the article
which recently appeared in The Times 0"
the subject Of taxation. and the PROOF Is
,,linr IN with each communication tnat
under our present system large numbers
~ citizens Of Virginia are lodging the
tax-colloctor.
But we believe that the officers OF the
law are in part to blame. We neileVe
that there would be more rigid assess
mont not only Of personal property ou'
real property in Virginia, if commission
ers OF the revenue we're more NgllahL
We have good reason TO believe that IN
many instances these officers are as art
f,l dodgers as the taxpayers. The trou-
HE as we have before pointed out grows
out Of the fact hat commissioners of the
revenue are elected by popular vote ana
II too often happens, we fear. that 'heH
greatest concern is TO be reelected rain
or than TO see that the State gets her due.
Tho practical politician is always pref
80 smooth individual He knows pretty
we'll how to get along with his consult
uency and. generally. he is all Things
10 all men. with the contentious tax
naver who believes that it is his duty to
return a fair list of all his possessions
tho dishonest commissioner of the rev.
enue is rigid enough. and tells him while
taxation is hard TO bear, yet as an oficer
~ the law he feels that it is his duty to
make every man toe the mark. But he
assumes a very different air towards the
voter who is disposed to dodge He asks
as few questions as possible, lets the
nropertv owner assess himself, and if the
nropertv owner has any pangs Of con-
science he can trust to the commissioner
70 lift him out of the difficulty. We do
not make a sweeping charge. We do not
mean to say that this is true OF all the
commissioners Of revenue. We have no
doubt that many of them are honest men
and attend strictly TO their duty, but
We say that our system opens the way
70 the grossest frauds. that it encourages
the taxpayer to hide his possessions
away and that it encourages the asses
sor TO help him to do it.
This ts no new subject. Everybody
who has Investigated the matter knows
that what we say is true and efforts have
been made from time 10 time TO have the
system changed. In the last Legisla-
,u-e Delegate Maupin, OF Henrico intro
ouced a resolution providing for an
amendment to the Constitution by which
commissioners Of the revenue should be
appointed by the judge Of the county
court instead Of being elected by the peo-
pie Mr.. Maupin tried very hard to get
this resolution trough. but it found It's
way into committee along with similar
resolutions and never saw the light Of
dav.
But the question is a live one and we
believe that the people are now thor
oughly aroused TO the necessity Of a
change. The honest taxpayers of this
commonwealth are bearing more than
their lust proportion of the public bur-
| den while the dishonest taxpayers are
getting off lightly We are also con-
sonal tax goes at least the poor
people of Virginia are paying
more, proportionately. than the
| rich men are paying We say that this
thing has been going on long enough
The people are supreme and what they
decree IS law II the people would rise
up in their majesty and demand an equal
| izati0n Of taxes. the reform would come
Members OF the Legislature are TO be
elected this fall and we urge upon the
people Of Virginia that no more impor'
tant question than this viii come before
] that body. Let the voters have an eye
to this when they nominate candidates.