Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-08-04
Whole State is Stirred Over This
Important Question.
SENATOR ELKlNS SATISFIED
Says the New System is as Good
and Strong as Can Be Devised
What Dillon Says

4
board Of public works, has precipitat.
ed legal controversy that viii probl-
biz have the effect to tie up large
part of the revenue of the state and q
number Of counties for sometime to
come. The pew tax laws require the
assessment OF all kinds of property
for taxation at its true and actual
value, and the county assessors, act
ing under these laws, increased the
assessments Of property generally to
about tnreefold its previous amount.
TIE 6oard Of public works, however,
went the assessors a good deal b. tier
when it came &c putting the yalua-
tons on railroad property, for it null
tiplied the previous assessment BY
five. This was thought to be all
right as general proposition, for no
body doubted that the railroad assess
ment had always been far too low
even as compared with other property,
but an analysis developed the fact
that there were startling discTepan-
cies in the amounts assessed against
different roads.
The Baltimore and Ohio was the
chief sufferer by what its officials
term the inequalities of the assess
ments, its property being placed on
the books at about $50 600 mile.
while the Chesapeake and Ohio was
put at little more than SCI, 900 and
the Norfolk and Western at $4,000
! The Chesapeake and Ohio is regarded
as the more valuable property in what
goes to make up the value of property
under the assessment laws, and the
reason for the boards action is hard
for the average citizen to understand.
The Baltimore and Ohio has taken
ofe the 80 counties in the state in
which any portion of its road lies and
the question of the fairness of the
assessment will be carried out in
| each. or made to drag along in the
courts many Of the counties Will be
seriously Inconvenience in the mat
! ter of revenue. and if the easements
shall be finally found to be too high,
the inconvenience will be increased to
the point of calamity. for the levies will
have been made on the basis of the in
| creased valuations, and there will be
very large deficits in some treasures.
What effect the anger of the roads
will have in the approaching election
cannot now be foretold. Possibly
none, for unless they are particularly
active, the fact that they favor one
candidate over another is likely TO
cause the one favored to lose more
votes than he gains by that favor.
1t seems certain that the campaign
| in this state this year will be fought
out on state issues. the chief among
them being the new tax laws Sena-
tor Elkins several months ago in an
interview. said the campaign should
be pitched on national lines. but
with the uncertainty that exists upon
the real merits of the new taxing sys-
TEN, and the dissatisfaction that it
| has stirred up. the people refuse TO
be interested in other subjects, and no
matter what the stump speaker may
wish to say. he will find his audi
ences wishing to hear him talk upon
the subject of taxation.
Senator Elkins has probably reached
that conclusion since returning from
his senatorial duties. In an interview
he declared that the new tax laws are
"as good and strong as they can be
made
State Tax Commissioner Dillon
emit opinion, for in conversation
with correspondent he said: "Of
course, we will have to do something
to raise more revenue. for when the
state tax is taken off property, as the
law provides, there will not be enough
money to run the government.
What method will be adopted to
make no the deficiency? asked the
correspondent.
"Oh. there are several that will
answer, We might have recordation
tax that would bring in large part
of it-a charge for the recordation of
every deed or other paper-and in al
dition tax upon the gross incomes
of public corporations. Or we can
mt hack mart of the direct tav on
property"
"Of course, said the correspondent.
sit is easy TO see that these methods
will serve, but what one do you pro.
pose?
THE one that, from all the circum-
stances, after full consideration.
seems best.
Holyoke Lawn Tablets.