The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-12-05

erty in favor OF the owners OF the Wis
ible,',ss for human nature IFS not changed
. by the character the property owned.
It Is due to the increased ortunities
afrordet the holders OF invisible, ~ prop
erty that larger number Of this class
evade their Just taxation: This rs fevj-
denced by the great discrepancy between
the q a mount Of Invisible property re-
turned for taxation as compared with the
amount of VISIBLE How to adjust
these Inequalities is Indeed a problem, and
while this is a subject that naturaliy2has
received the attention of the Const:tu-
tionaI Convention. and in consequence
leaves it open SO far as legislative aeuon
Is concerned, still as they will necessarily
leave a large discretion to the Legisla-
ture, deem it not inappropriate to bring
this matter to your attention.
Land Assessments.
Another most perplexing question ever
disturbing legislative bodies is the In
equality OF land assessments. This IS
largely due to the fact that the assess
ment Is made for the whole State, bysmen
of each county, who, even though they
were perfectly impartial: in their 1uas
ment, would DC more or less influenced
OF a desirability of high assessment. and
low tax, or low assessment and a
high tax To meet this condition or at
least to remove 1t as source OF Justin
cation for the holders Of invisible prop
erty for failure to return their property,
in my opinion it would be best, when the
constitutional restrictions are removed,
for the Legislature to arrange for suf1i-
cient revenue to be derived from other
sources, as believe it can be, to meet
the expenses of government, and cease
to tax real estate for State purposes, and
leave this class Of property to the coun-
ties and cities in which they are situated
IS the sources from which to derive4their
revenue. In this way alone believe can
the question OF adjusting the inequalities
of assessment which now exists in>differ-
>ent portions Of the State be remediedl
The reasons for the desirability OF this
change are so manifest that they need
hardly be stated. In tina first place, even
though it left the lands unequallya as
sessed in the different counties OF the
State. as they are now. still it would re-
move all grounds of complaint on this
score because the revenues of the State
would be in no way affected. There are
other reasons Of great force that can be
urged in favor Of this system; among
them might be stated that it would cause
the real estate to be assessed at an
amount nearer its true value in all the
counties and cities OF the State.
While on this subject Of taxation at
tenticn is naturally drawn to that'impos-
ed on the railroads and other corporations
Of the State, for while all good citizens
recognize the great public benefits de-
rived from the encouragement and de-
- oSr vet Ie Yod
corporations, and no one in the State is
more willing than myself to lend them
every just assistance to promote their
welfare, yet experience has demonstrated
that by reason OF the great power they
have the capac city to exercise In the po'
litical affairs of a country. there IS {,
danger of constant tendency on their
part to avoid their Just proportion OF the
burdens Of government. They enjoy
great privileges and possess rights not
common to the individual citizen, and IN
consequence should be required to re-
turn to the State just share or the eX-
penses of government. based on the value
of their property as we'll as on the value
of the franchise or privileges that have
been given them by the State
In a report which I had the honor to
submit to the Legislature as minority
renor,'' of the Board of Public Works.
and which is printed in the journal OIL
the House session ls29-19o0, Document NO.
a. and in which I suggested different sys-
TENS for taxing the railroads, 1t Will be
seen that the total assessments on rail-
roads. other than street-car lines, was
$50. 500 sos, while it appears that these rail-
roads were earning per cent. on slo'.7
5os,5l1, and that several of them were
earning is to 50 per cent. on the amount
Of their assessment.
The total assessment on railroads, as
we'll as the increase in the value OF their
properties during the past tour years Is
shown by the following table:
Total Assm't. Taxes Paid.
Net inc Tax Total Tax