The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-18

Ing their taxes. It IS unwilling to tsn-f
crease the revenues OF the State rim ply
To give the politicians more money 70:
spend.
IN the same connection the Page Cur
Ter says that the spirit Of all such laws
! Is class legislation Of the worst kind.
their object being to make the citizens
pay from two to three times as much
E taxes en- property of this character as is
paid by the holders Of other kinds q:
propeuty y. EFT Is a notorious fact" ADDS
our contemporary, that every kind OF
property not included In the list to be
appraised by the commissioner Of valua-.
ton is not assessed at its true va lue-.n
many instances not one-ha1f or evel
e-third-and why persons who may be
so unfortunate asSto have their posses
sions in this class should be taxed fun
value no reason can be found in the mind
of any just man In explaining its usa
of the phrase unfortunate possessions. :
the Courier says that tits a well known
fact that in many cases widows and or
phans have all their money invested in
this class of property. .the savings of 4
hard-earned competence, or the result Of
a wise provision of a self-denying hus-a
band or father. in providing a life insur-#
ance policy when he! he could no longer
provide for t11em.''
Taken together, the comments OF the
Staunton Spectator and the Page Courier
completely summarize and characts ria
this new. tax law. The financial affairs
of Virginia are in good condition. and
there is no pressing need for additional
revenue Yet, raid is to be made on q
certain class of property-owners, and q
large part OF the additional taxes which
it Is proposed to gather from property
owners of this class is to go 20 the, enc
hundred! and eighteen new of1ice-ho:ders.
created under the act. The office-holders
are to get - IL per cent. ofsell the taxes
collected, and they are to be paid upon
the basis of their assessment At the
same time the commissioners Of revenue
arc to get their same commission for the
work done by the commissioners of val-
uation. It is not proposed by this act to
tighten the burden of taxation upon any.
It is simply proposed TO squeeze the
owners of securities little harder. ard
to give one-eighth Of the revnue thus COLI!
lected to the new army OF office-:lolders.
not included in the list to be appraised
by the commissioners of valuation is not.
assessed at more than cne-half value.
This is true, except as. to real osta
values in cities. City realty, as rule,
is assessed up to its full market value Z.
It was a great mistake on the part of
the Legislature to have enacted this law.
1t was proposed by Senator Lupton to
create a tax commission, which would
take the whole subject CT taxation IN
hand and formulate system which w uld
as nearly as possible conform to the con-
stitutional provision for equal and Uniform
taxation Our whole system of ;aSati1n N
Virginia. is antiqunted and utterly I'M,
a matter of supreme Importance to have
had that system modern zed. Again, II
was proposed By: Senator Glass 70 ADOPT
the insrection/system in Virginia, 50 that
the State might see that her Officers
throughout the counties and cities were
doing their full duty, and were carrying
on the States business according to the
latest approved methods. But the Leg
islatere would not hear to it: Both Of
these measures were put aside, and IN
stead, a bill passed to create q large
number of new of1ice-llolders. and TO put
the screws to q single class of property
owners 1t lis no wonder that this meas
ure has aroused the indignation of many
citizens. Taxation in Virginia is not
equal and uniform, and it would be less
so than ever under the enforcement Of
this arduous law.