Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-15
THE BVRDEy or TAXATION.


The investigation now being made by
the Mazet legislative committee as to the
| affairs Of the city OF New York is vicious
" partisan. II Is aimed at Tammany.
and little cOncealment is made Of its
purpose TO harry the Democratic party
and benefit the Republicans. But, not
withstanding this fact. 1t must be con-
fessed that the committee has brought
TO light important information concern
ing the assessment of property in that
city. No doubt as bad n condition Of
things exists in many other cities and
counties; but all the same, it is not
pleasant TO find that many of the persons
charged with the making Of assessments
I'm New York are incompetent, if not ras
cally.
The placing Of the burdens Of taxation
Is at best a difficult thing, and good,
careful. and conscientious men ought
TO be selected TO make assessments. OBJ
viously this has not been the case under
Tammany. We think it highly probable,
If not absolutely certain, that the men
employed under the reform government
there were no better. Any sort of men
have been thought good enough to dis
charge the delicate and difficult duty Of
assessors. The consequence has been in
competency. and shameless neglect. If
nothing worse
Nor have the methods Of equalization
i'm vogue there proved to be satisfactory,
Strange TO say, however. the taxpayers
as rule have never concerned them
selves much whether the laws were pro-
porly executed or not. If any good re-
suits from the exposures now being made,
they viii have TO be credited to poliu-
clans, and not TO the taxpayers them
selves.
Next year there is to be new assess
ment Of lands in Virginia. and after 1t is
over we shall doubtless hear much about
the errors and inequalities in the work
Of the assessors. 1t is difficult TO avoid
plumbers in valuations, as between pro-
perties in any given city or county, and
as between county and county and city
and city it seems a hopeless job. If there
Is a practical remedy for the latter we
do not know what 1t IS Certainly what
we have read about the boards of equali-
cation which exist in several of the
States does not commend that system to
our favor The members Of those boards
take good care of the sections Of the
State which they represent or are most
deeply interested in politically, while
other sections suffer in consequence. As
to the inequalities i'm assessments of in
diyidual property-owncrs, there is some
hope.
Next year our courts ought to be more
careful than ever before to choose pro-
perly-qualifed men as land assessors.
The best talent obtainable for the pay
allowed should be secured And then each
taxpayer ought to exercise the right of
appeal where he believes he has been
wronged But who is to protest against
under valuations? Nobody; yet the most
honest and capable assessors are Liable
to err in that direction, too. The "land-
grabbers' law" has made the Virginia
people more alert than they have ever
been before on the subject of taxes; but,
as a rule, taxpayers take no interest in
assessments while they are being made.
1t is only when they see their bills, and
find that they have been increased, that
they wake up and "kick." The news
papers warn them of what is going on, but
they give no heed until too late Such
being the state of affairs here, and in
most other sections Of the country, it
can only be said that real reform I'm
taxation Will never be effected until the
taxpayers themselves are fully aroused
to their interest in the matter.