The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1904-10-19
Republican Text Book.

'ateu W Ooiooi anyone OF common
sense, whether he has lawyers
knowledge of the tax question or
not. For instance:
Tax reform. for which the Re- 4
publican party stands. means
equality and justice in taxation;
that every man. interest and
corporation should pay his or it's
just shares of taxes, and no more
and no less.
This is the opening and is truly
funny since the Dawson bills dou-
BILE the farmers tax valuation while
for the rich corporations Repub-
lican Board of Public Works will
do the job behind closed doors in
confab with the corporation at
torneys. 1t took mighty sight OF
nerve to put that paragraph in the
Republican text book since the
Dawson bills strike from the pres.
emit laws ALL TIE FARMERS
PRODUCTS NOW EXEMPT
FROM TAXATION. putting the
same back on the taxable list,
while they PERMIT THE COAL,
OIL AND GAS CORPORA
TIONS whom Mr.. Dawson promis-
ed to tax, to GO FREE OF TAX
ESl
Is that EQUALITY Is that
JUSTICE IN TAXATIONY
Again says this Republican text
book:
Under the new law the 35-cent
State tax amounts annually to
about S1.200,OOO. Six-sevenths
ofthis will be abolished, amount
ing to gross reduction of
S1.o00,0O0.
But new subjects of taxation
saddled onto the counties together
with doubled or trebled valuation
will more than make up this alIeg-
ed reduction, which, consequently
is only on paper. The text book
itself admits assess ments will be
more than doubled and in some
instances doubled twenty times
over, thus:
Assessing all property at it's
actual value will immensely re-
duoe the rate Taxes will be
reduced because vast amount
OF property now assessed at one
twentieth and one-tenth of its
value will be put on the books
at its true value.
Any man of experience knows
the tax rate will NOT be reduced
because of the increased assess
ment. Increase in the rate on the
contrary has always kept pace
with increase in assessed valuation.
1t was ever thus and ever will be.
Extravaganza in government as in
private grows upon that on which
it feeds Here is another fallaoy
in this text book:
Taxes will be reduced because
vast amount of property not
now assessed at all will be assess
ed under the new law. This
property is what is known as in.
tangible property. and consists
CT notes. bonds, mortgages and
the like. Millions of this pro-
perty is not now assessed at
all.
And the same millions will
manifestly continue to be hidden
from the assessor simply because
it MAY be SO hidden. How is the
assessor to know if the wealthy |
mans tax list is correct or not
it contains all his valuable invest
ments and intangible property ? |
Plainly it>can't be done, and Ger.
tainly there is no provision for it
in the Dawson bills. 1t is the old
problem of how to reach the in
tangible property of men known
to be worth sometimes hundreds
Of millions who yet pay no more
taxes than their poorest clerks.
whose little home and household
ELECTS cannot be hidden from the
assessor 1t is this very difficulty
hat has led government to wink
1t under-valustions of real estate
N order to even up matters for its
owners whose possessions are open
% the eyes to the assessors.
Therefore, it needs no demon.
'tration that when assessed valua-
ions are doubled or trebled or
more. it will not be the wealthy
'wner of intangible and easily con.
'ealed property who will pay the
increase. Oh, no, he will enjoy
whatever decrease in ratas tharo