Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-03-15
COMMUNICATED.
SIDE LIGHTS ON THE COMMIS.
SION OF VALUATION.

SlON VI NALUA llON.
If it was the purpose of the act crest +
ing the commission OF valuation to Sc
cure a better listment of personal prop
erty and to levy tax on personal in'
comss, there would be no reasonable
OF ection to it. The advocating of an
income tax j. an old democratic party
doctrine and will surely form part OF
the platform of that party in the coming
presidential election. Such tax is on
o! h. most justi6 abe, if kept within
It's proper limits, aud works less hard
shin upon The taxpayer, than any other
d.rec, tax that Can bs levied, at the
same time it is more difficult TO collect
because the property on which it is
levied is not visible and many
people avail themselves of the OF.
porlunity~ of lodging the tax collector
The present law exceeds proper and
re sonable limits by lai;t is drawn In a
yerv perfunctOry manner and was rush-
Z d through the legislature In such haste
that m ,jority Of the members OF that
BODY had not sufficient time to read It,.
much lees examine 1t upon its merits,
ard % Senators, after having voted
Tor the bill, found 1t neces-
sary to petition the Governo
20 withhold bis signature from it. Sec
tien OF the act providing for the taxa
;ion OF all capital and moDeys, whether
invested in this State or any other
State or country, used 10 business ID or
out of the State, is clearly uncoDstitu-
tiooal. No court 10 the land will ever
grant the State of Virginia the rig ht to
tax foreign railroad stocks or bonds, or
foreign bank stocks or government
bonds. not even located within the
90 boundaries OF the Stale, simply because
such securities are oaned by parties
residing in the State. But, If this sec
ton would provide for the taxation OF
the income from such investments. II
might perhaps be constitutional, al
though The highest court in the cour-
try, packed in favor of the privileged
classes, bas decided by majority OF
me such q tax is unconstitutional.
Section 6, providing for the taxing of
deposits with banks or firms or persons
is still more glariug abuse OF the tax.
ing powers OF the st,te and, II 1t could
be carried out, would inflict untold it,
iurv to our State, it would cripple our
larger banks in the cities and ruin the
smaller ones in the rural districts.
Such deposits in the large majority
of cases constitute part OF the capi al
invested in business of persons or firm s,
which capital is already taxed under
section 8 of this act and to tax 1t
double would be next to conhscaiion.
Besides this, a bank deposit cannot
be considered sn Investment, be.
cause there is no interest paid
on such deposits and they. are
only made as matter OF convenience
and safekeepiDg, subject to draft or
check at all times, and the fact that
such persons or firms have deposits 10
banks i, no proof that such deposits
form q part OF their own capital, but ou
the other hand may be part OF the In
dtb.edness OF such depositors, liable TO
b, withdrawn at any time. 1t is there.
fore a matter of imposslbility to list
for taxation any certain SUM OF money
In bank. because such deposits vary
from day to day. A very obnoxious
feature of the bill is the section proviG-
ing that the books kept by the commls'
sioner of valuation sball be Kept open
for the inspection OF the general public
| for 80 days during each year. This Oil
is odious enough, without requiring
citizens to reveal to the public theiT
nrivats business affairs. Such a thir 6
is not even permissible under monarchi
cal governments aud should b, much
less 40 under our free institutions.
Il ia furthermore reflection upon all
the revenue commissioners OF the state
! and shows that the Legislature was mol
willing to trust the carrying out OF 'n,'
ac, to the officers elected by the peop'e
for this very purpos'. The fact that
Mill of such vital importance could Dt
nsssed without proper consideration II
Sufficient proof that biennial Legislative
sessions of 90 days duration are too
short for a proper consideration and 10
vestjpation OF all the numerous Dill
presented, and in the interest OF puoiit
welfare such sessions should be extend
sd Under the present system our rep
reseniatives in the legislature, instead
of haipg our servants, are rapidly De
cr ming our masters because the pubic
win the exception of parties interested
who have schemes to promote for thu
purpose of filling their own pockets
nave no chance to ascertain what is &c
inc on 10 the Legislature. and ampi'
Tine should be provided for the publ
cation of a legislative record containing
sIi Hills introduced, thus giving the peo
M n,a a chance to iuterpose otj ection t
pofar,ous bile. There is little doub
that other bills detrimental to the pes
interests OF the State bave oeen passe'
Of which the public has no knowleos