The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-02-03
Suggestions 10 the Legislature.
of Tho Times:

iIcItoT oil i no LINES.
sir,-Apropos of several editorials in
The Times recently permit NE to say a
lew words. Your remarks on State
economy as pertaining to salarfed officers
arc pertinent and sensible, but there are
several items that seem TO me rnay be
hcttcced and FOR the good of all except
The ofiice-loldcr. One is the annual as
eesstnent Of personal property by the
Commissioner of the Revenue Each year
n1l this property must be gone over and
re-liStcd 10 the annoyance OF the prop
uty holder, and TO the benefit. SO far as 1
know, OF none. If there should be a
Flight increase of the assessment each
e"aE, / believe the cost is fully absorbed
mr. king this annual assessment. To
many persons now 1T is merely 1nockery,
the same list or assessment is con-
tinued from one year 10 another, often,
without any I5retarGsc 10 new ASSESS
1ncnt- Others take from the former MS
:seysmc1H am amount equal 10 the de-
srcciation OF the value of their property
and continue the assessment. Once in
Two years is often enough for the assess
7,ie'lt of personal property, and money. l
believe, may be saved TO the individual
and county.
Another item that calls 10 my mind
for better economy is the too fire.
quent holding OF elections.
Inc numerous t1IectiOlS III IillS STAKE
have become a nuisance to many peo-
pic: SO much so that many good people
only vote ait some special or general cleo
ton.
County and State elections should be
held ut the same time and for the same
1ti-;rl OF Office All of the county officers
should be paid a. commission out of their
comfy office. except the judge, common
we4lths attorney, sheriff and Supervis-
ors- Every office and every institution
50 far as possible should be made self
sustaining. To be paid Z. commission
cut of the business of the office ought to
inspire a man TO more diligence in his
work, and furthermore have the effect OF
making those who have business with
the office and officer pay for the trans
action OF that business.
There is one more point as touching Ii
7lafces a certain gentleman Of Lynch
burg, ] believe. advocates a three-dollar
capitation trx on all male citizens Of a
majority age This new doctrine may
be all right for the man in Ly1lohburs or
other city, but it surely is all wrong 10
the country or rural people
To compel Il count-ylrian to pay as
much ca-itation tax as the man Of the
city is TO suppose that their advantages
are equal, which every one knows is not
true.
i ne man Of Ltlte CITY iicES Ills 1Iiu4 LII
post-office, G-ea, mail at his door,, stores,
court houses, lawyers, election precincts,
school. Cand the best of schools. physi-
clan and other things too numerous to
mention almost within sight often of his
home and in addition to this, a paved
street TO walk or drive to these places
The countryman. on the other hand, has
TO spend "a whole day often in driving
or walking 10 and from these places Of
privileges and necessities, and in add
ticn have a muddy road often to travel.
toll to 1say, and dinner and horse feed
bill TO pay It frequently takes hundreds
Of dollars annunlIy more from the coun-
TRUMAN to secure the same advantages IN
reaching good schools alono than it does
fti-cr,, the r1l.sn of the CITY Now, if the
man of the city has these advantages
and benefits he ought to pay for them
without a howl from his lips
Furthermore, to place a three-dollar
tsa,9itafion tax on all would be TO deiln-
oueritize perhaps double the number Of
..arf1tation delinquents that we now have
] am spanking in behalf of the farmer
and ,!sv lato-er, 1nr there as no class of
,,.ople in the whole country that earn
their bread and money by as hord toll
as they do.
Fishers Hill, va, January 50, 1901