Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-04
HERE'S A PRETTY MESS.
Uses TO RESULT IN SENSATION
AL DEVELOPMENTS.
How KANAWHA WAS ASSESSED.
THE TOTAL VALUATION LOWER
THAN IT WAS TEN EAR AGO
Although it Ought to Be Some Mil
lions Greater-A Little Investiga-
ton Disclosed an Alleged State of
Fact Which ene Upon a Num-
Der of Enterprising and Promi-
nent Politicians.
Special to the Register.

Eent fOtiticIahss
Special to the Register.
CHARLESTON, w. Va, February 8.
The bill introduced into the House
yesterday by Mr.. Martin, providing Tor
a reassessment of the real estate in
Kanawha county, promises to be the
most sensational measure of the entire
session. OF course the bill itself gives
no evidence of being loaded. but when
the time comes for its advocates to
make a fight for it, there will be things
said that will go sounding down the
corridors of time. An examination of
the books recently turned over by the
assessors to the County Court of this
county developed the startling fact that
in spite of the immense development
in this county during the past ten years
the real estate values would stand, by
the time the Board of Equalization
gets through making the proper exon
erations and equalizations. at about
nVo hundred thousand dollars
Less Than Ten Years Ago.
This caused great surprise. and those
interested, and who believed that there
should have been something like a mil
lion dollars increase began to loo
more closely into the matter. Then
the further peculiar fact was discovered
that while the assessment of a great
deal of property had been increased,
some of them as much as one hundred
per cent, there was also a great deal
that had been lowered, with no appar-
ent reason. II was found, too. that
while some property had been assess
ed at its full value other property was
put down at not to exceed five per cent.
of its value.
Interest increased as the examina-
ton was continued and the investigat-
ors warmed to their task. 1t was de-
veloped that the reductions were all
made in the assessment of the property
of a certain class of people; then that
it was in the property of a certain peo-
pie, and the large property owners of
the county. This looked more peculiar
and the investigation was continued.
Then the
Whole story Came Out.
1t was found that a combination of
enterprising gentlemen had gone to
the big real estate owners and repre-
sented to them that the intention was
to largely increase the assessment of
lands in the county on an average OF
one hundred per cent, and figured out
how much that would raise the tax OF
the owners per nnu and what the
total increase of tax would be for the
ten years for which the assessment
was to be made.
Now" they said, you pay us the
amount we will save you for one year,
and we will see that your assessment
is not raised" 1t vas a beautiful
scheme, and it worked. supposedly. in
most of the cases in which it was pre-
scented. Cne Of the largest property
owners in the county repealed the ad-
vances made, and threatened to eX-.
pose the combination if they did not
stop bothering him about it. But the
gentleman in question is the only one
of his class who has so far been dis
covered, while the assessors books
as they now stand give ample evidence
that the class that acceded to the pro-
position was largely more numerous.
Another strange thing is that in spite
of the matter, those who have been
made the benefciaries of the deal or
deals. propose to fight the bill for the
reassessment, although in doing so
they must know they viii cause to
be brought out the whole miserable
story of the debauchery of officials by
those who have made great preten-
sions of honesty in politics. and who
should be more concerned than any
other class of citizens in keeping the
county administration free from cor
ruption.
The opponents of the bill will claim.
in the fight they seem determined to
make, that
II RccSsesSment is Demanded
by a lot of people who want the rev.
nue. OF the county largely increased
for stealage and other purposes. and
also that it is unconstitutional TO have
the reassesSment made before the
lapse OF the ten year period. The
county officials who are among those
trying TO get the dill through disclaim
any desire to have the assessments
unduly increased, and say they are
willing to agree that the total shall
not exceed the total as it stood on the
books before the alleged reassessment
was made last year. In other words
they will be satisfied to have the land
assessed at the same figure it was ten
years G. while everybody knows
that the increase in value has been
very great. One thing, however. they
do think should be done. and that is
that an assessment should be made
whereby the small farmer out on
Poca would have an equally fair show
with the rich banker in Charleston.
Dual Suicide.