The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-29

sex ti.6o, westmorei nd 81, 60 they - !.
cnped N tbs n,.total y disability list. but
there are ,lfteen others who showed up
but very little better as their returns are
under $40 Tile greatest atiiour INT ri r't
turned ~ any one county was VI A 1ll's
marie S1,152,si. Chesterfield returned
s4b2ss and Bedford si4 who would 1'l'ltl
have supposed that there we're we're 60 M many ny
more prosperous met, Ii chester flel!d tina \
IN Bedford The total amount ley1e CD -
Nil tho cities 81 the Common was was
s4s,241.s2. OF this. Richmond paid more %
than one-halt, namely s2s,o8s4b. Lyrl lcl,-
burg, s5175.15 and, Norfolk, 14.be11.bo. +. \
The total amount OF income returned lee
BY colored people was, s2s, IS OF TINS tls'
came from Chesterfield. So from Char iat
lottesvle and SIC from Richmond. AZ AZ
together, we think that Chesterfield makes es
very fine showing, conpa ratively sp eaR-
Ing. 81 IL fss s.. ..8
SO mitch FOR the assessment OF l9o1,
Now let us see how the prosperity q tl ~
country affected the incomes OF our peo--
pie in 1902. For this year we fnd twenty t'.
seven lnsteadt OF twenty eght counties on
the Total disability" list. The disa oleo U
ones remaining the same except a A. IN ella q
and King George which had each return :
ed St and Nfiddlesex $3.50 Id 1901 dropped
out entirely IN Il 1902, while Caroline
Charles City. Nelson and Sussex returned '',ts
respectively $3.50 SIS, $50 and $3.50.
Craig stick to its 60 cents. There he e Is. IS
some wag OF an assessor In that county.
TO the ordinary mind there is some sort
Of relationship between capital and 81 \ IN n
come But that rs not true Of the in r.
vestments In Virginia, according to tho
assessors OF income. Let us compare
sone Of the assets with the returns OF
some Of the counties. 5 "a . ts 4, 5.4
Accomac has personal prop I.
erty assessed at....s........,....S Il ,6s3 4zS w
ana reel estate q assessed mt, IL. 1872 1853 90
!. total Of !. |. 1. $3.50 ZIG %
and returns an inc ONE tax Of. 20 = 9
Albemarle county. the next n
on the State list has personal =, 49, -
raoi esfa :, 4026 SIC 90
- 7, 7, . . \. !. \. !. /. ;5,e5s,s7s 90
and returns an income tax s o.. liV 70 90
X Augusta county has personal - ~
psope a.to - I. III, ISL 90
e, . i, /. !. !. , !. $lo,514, 574 %
and returns income tax..t.... ooo "
=, ,,,i,, ~ -, Bro,,n tv has per.
RoGk a,aIslr1y eou zee, oos %
s sun ~ 3. e47,979 90
VI /. \. 4. !. I, IL, 214.o42 90
eot.'i : :, -. .on,a fax los 80
And 80 the whole list Of counties might Mig Mt
he gone through with, each showing Eg som
surprising statement, but MI united ~ ~
confirming the utter consistency and and IN
competency Of the administration q th f
law Tor assessing and cole citing me N
come tax. SS a, 4. 9,
We dc not mean to make any in '1frl 9 ous
distinctions against the counties named
There are others Just as bad, but. some ms
have to be used for Illustration on y
We do not believe that the people g. O.
Virginia are any worse about about paying '7 :
taxes than they are elsewhere ! ana an
wa think the great trouble about the col
al ion Of an income tax is the inefflciency
II its assessment When the United e states AZ
had an income tax, there were elaborate ora
4 +,r,,ctlons given the assessors With
blanks covering all the conditions ms W y,
az ner, ence had shown would likely arise arise
and it., was made a serious ma ~ tter, 80 Il
lyirglna It has been made farce, q = I [1I
l3ther reason why this tax is not l'aio q ~
Virginia is the obscurity of the law y
+ha r legislature determines to continue
this income tax the law should pc cap 20;
GRATED as clearly as 1t was In the U JI1itfs
states statutes and then prolific re r
van,e would be derived and in the mos
absolutely Just and equitable way
what we desire to emphasize IS tina
t,ia state Is not only able to merely
meet her current liabilities but TO NEE zee
ali reasonable requirements TO keep ne ne
/ II the forefront OF modern progress IN
! 3stata Is rich and getting richer ever!
day. Her people have an abundance
Of money to meet all these deml1atnrl demands
.They are willing to pay it provided thel
4 neighbors are made to pay rs well a
themselves according to law but whe'
4 the law is VIGOROUSLY and scandalousll
n IGNORED by assessors and evaded by IN
/ tax dodgers. the whole system become 'se's1.f
rotten and It Is only surprising that tn
4 state gets SIS much as she does co ON.
ering the inef1ciency OF her fiscal 40
mi1i,tration. we do not mean the Az y
d,tor OF Public Accounts, but we mea
! the whole system from the Legislator '
\ down. BY common consent the dues
the State have been withheld and It
only where trust funds belonging to tn
helnless are held by courts or N som
!, other way 80 as to be accessible, this
tho last dollar Is eagerly wrun ing ~ CON N
! mIssioners who are paid per co 't'l
H Il ..l . VnrtV n