The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-01-17

4aS UNIV SSuA6J AS"opPAotSSA'aSAt "eAo
then taken up. Secretary Hazlett first
read a tabulatIon of figures, prepared
by Cashier Alex. Mitchell. Of the Mu-
tual Savings Bank. of which the fol-
lowing Is q synopsis:
1897. 1903
Raj STATE ISS .;isiss,s5. % sGoSas %
Real estate, per
Ps ssss ally. -: so7ss s ala,sos g
Total .iisiSl,os9 % ;ao0la1a %
Ohio county 1881. l&s.
Personality .,....3 S.ss,sSS q 5'sSeTiS o. o.
Really Really. city..... ls,Ss'S6S q ls55SS5o %
Total ..........ia.5 Ia, 40 % ia,s5s,a5o %
Ohio county paid about one-nlnth Of the
entire state taxes both years. The four
Pan Handle counties. Marshall; Ohio,
state taxes. In 1899 Ohio county paid near
ly one-seYentE Of the state taxes. OF Ohio
county's taxes, Slk per cent was on town
lots and bulldings IN the city o. Wheel e,d
inEs IN the country district. In 1857 the
four Pan Handle counties paid taxes on
a valuation Of 80 $50, lS5, with the yalua-
ton for the entire state at $i96,l9i 059; In
ton footed up $S3Til,6ls, and the state Mt
$2O0.l6T,l24.
Mr.. Brady said 1t was the fault OF the
business men that matters are as they
are now. It is the duty Of every man
to look after public affairs. One man
makes reappraisementfora county like
this for SSO0; no man could do the work
in the time given. and no man who is
capable viii do 1t for $500. The fault
ras existed for years; the whole system
Is wrong. Both political parties are
afraid to change the system. The
trouble Is that the politicians. and not
the business men run the states affairs.
Somebody here Is responsible for a tre-
uiendous Increase III Ohio county, while
there is no increase in other counties
Mr.. Brady read letter from Parkers-
burg ilwyer. in which he complained Of
the high assessments being made in
Wood county, about one-half or two
thirds of the actual value. In his own
case the basis was fully two-thlrds. He
had information that the re-valuations
In Huntington (Cabell county, were on
a basis Of one-thlrd to one-half. Mr..
Brady said some business property in
Huntington was as valuable as that in
Wheeling, yet Cabell county is assessed
like that in,adjoIning agricultural coun-
ties, Marshall is assessed like Tyler;
Tyler like Harrison, yet in Ohio county,
through somebody's fool efforts. prop
erty is put up to values near the cash
values, in some cases to entirely the
cash value, to more than the property
would sell for under the hammer, In
fact. The speaker did not know that
the assessor was to blame; II he did his
work honestly ne cannot be blamed.
The fault Is in the law, and because the
business people did not post the assess
or to do az the assessors are doing In
4hr other counties OF the state.
President H. P. McGregor OF the
board Of county commissioners. was
present. and addressed the chamber
He said that only one application had
been received for the position Of deem
NAL appraiser, or rather that a second
application was from man who was
Ineligible to serve.
Mr.. Brady said he had no fault to find
with the assessor; IT'S the way 1t was
done.
Mr.. McGrePor said the assessments
had been made on basis Of twO-thlrds
the actual value. He felt confident the
board Of county commissioners would
heed any application made before them
for the reduction Of inequitRbie ASSESS
mcnts. The speaker did not believe
the commissioners would reduce the as
ssssments TO basis OF one-thlrd actual
,,o,,,, ,,t,nr asked the question by Mr..
Brady.
Mr.. Brady-If you can make It two
thirds. why can't you make II one
third?