The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-12
A SUGGESTION TO Mr.. MILLER IN HIS
FIGHT ON TAX DODGERS.


| man. has begun to take broader view
| of the question of valuing property tot
| taxation than he took when he was SIM
ply railroad official While we might
might not agree with him as to the
| specific piece of property which he
| thinks is not taxed ut its true value, we
are gratified to see him coming over to
the position this paper has been advocat-
| ing many years. to-wit that all property
| shall be listed for taxation at its true
value. ard that neither powerful corpora
| tons nor rich individuals should be per-
mitted to escape their fair share of the
burdens of government.
Since he has become chairman of the
finance committee of the Raleigh board
of aldermen, Mr.. Miller has felt the need
Of large sums Of money to meet the e&-
penses of government. and he has be-
come interested to increase the assess
ment of city property. In the board he
has pointed out certain property which
he thinks is not listed at valuation
that is high enough. Some of the best
citizens of Raleigh hold that the real
estate of Raleigh today would not bring
it's tax valuation if put upon the market.
In fact more than once we have known
property in Raleigh to sell much below
the price at which it was assessed for
taxation While we believe Raleigh
real estate is valued fairly in the main,
we do not agree with the idea that it is
property of this, as of all other cities, too
largely escapes taxation, and if this
board of aldermen will put in motion
Influences to secure taxation from all
property and make increase wherever
necessary, it would do great public
service. We welcome Mr.. Miller as !;
co-worker to make the taX-dodgers pay
their just proportion of public expenses.
and if Mr.. Miller will make the crusade
earnestly we promise that he shall have
our hearty corporation. We suggest
that it would be Il good thing If the
board of aldermen would have published
statement showing the amount upon
which every citizen i'm Raleigh pays
taxes. Publicity is one of the correc-
tors of public abuses. If the citizen who
escapes taxation knew that the amount
upon which he pays taxes was to be pub
licly scrutinized he would in nine cases
of the chief difficulties of securing fair
assessment is the feeling upon the part
of honest men that those less honest are
permitted to escape their share of the
public burdens. If all property was
taxed at it's true value. an increase i'll
the assessment would be followed by Il
reduction of the rate of taxation. An
| honest man feels outraged when he has
made fair return upon his property to
see that his competitor has been per-
mitted to pay a mere song by false
| return Publicity is one of the ways to
correct the injury thus imposed upon
honest men.
Now that Mr.. Miller has become, TO
quote ais language, 20 regard it "a shame
| the valuation put upon property we
venture to suggest that Il gentleman of
his broad views ought not to let the
| confines Of the city of Raleigh check
his zeal for right assessments. The Cor
| poration Commission will meet in RAJ
| leigh in few days to hear the railroads
object, if they have the face to do So to
| the Increased assessment made at the
July meeting. Nearly all the railroad
men will be in Raleigh with brilliant at
| torneys to plead poverty. Then will be
the Opportune time for MIR. Miller to
show to the whole world that mo pent
| up Utica tor Raleigh either contracts
his powers If his conversion is genuine,
let him meet the big bugs Of the rail
roads and tell them III is Il shame the
low valuations put upon property.
Here is the sort of speech we suggest
| that Mr.. Miller make to the Corporation
| Commission:
Gentlemen: 1t is a shame that prop
| erty is not listed fairly for taxation.
| Take the Southern Railway for exain-
| pie / speak Of that road because
know something about it. Go to the as
sessment of the Western North Carolina.
| from Salisbury to Paint Rock, see
/ you have listed it this year ut $4,000
per mile. l happen to know that the
| Western road has been bonded ana
| stocked for $4,000 IA mile, and yet. in
| the face of that fact which is of record,
| YOU have assessed that road. including
it's franchise, income, road-bed and roll
| ing stock at the small sum of $4,000
per mile. All other railroad property Is
assessed in proportion. Some much be
low this. 1t is Il shame. ] urge you to
| change this, and if it cannot be done
| now the next Legislature ought 20 be
asked to do it"
If Mr.. Miller will make 4 speech like
that before the Corporation Commission
this week. and back it up with the facts
and figures with which he is familiar. lie
II ,t.... Il VAIyf