Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-10-20

many and the recently made by
was overlooked to hoped coming Legislature
VIII correct this most grievous
You will find that practically all of the counties of
State the levyng bodies
pond with the increases the In
not 20 exceed 20 the 500 and the State
ao This gives We Virginia the DIST On having Uo f he
lowest tax rate OF State in the Union and this small
ally all derived upon property
values We have franchise income in this
state and with the exception of
tiers Of corporations and the coateraI inheritance tax All o
property values and when is considered
that the larger portion of from property va
uatons it is worthy Of find of levy
cedngy low Heretofore the havebeen from 50 90 to
high as $500 on the 500 valuation This rate detris
mental to our State foreign investor would always make
inquiry to the rate of taxation and the assessed
have tendency prevent capital from investing
he the present rate OF levy should and will have most
When the tax laws have been perfected when the
people shall have thoroughly understood what these reforms
sessed which will be the result practically present
should not exceed Of per- cent Such rate will not
only encourage investments but will have tendency make
people honest Every will feel he afford pay
taxes at such low and instead of hiding lodging
the past when the rate the oo he will openly and
board disclose all that he has and be willing to conr
butte upon every dollar.
There has been deal Of for people lodging
their taxes in the past Real estate in many
assessed at more than onefifth onetenth of its value
e rank upon him to return to the
all OF his Intangible property it would that he should
owned property of equal value Hence been game of
hide and seek for and honest
best ctZens felt that they only protecting
when they disclosed portion only of their intangible property
they have utterly failed it. The people been
permitted tax themselves The simply passing
deemed expedent under the circumstances having regard
d e law be aa
zeal change not in the law ITSELF but in its execution that
no wonder that it meets with some criticism.
This criticism from two sources the man who
vast and who has not been paying his share
this class whether he be or Republican to m
to the system and the apparent He
He has not been doing in the past to continue
AS notice of the counties Of the State their political
conventions have all declared against the law without spec
tying in what particular it Objectionable simply
an issue and take advantage of the saecton may
among certain Republicans that willing
some counties however especially the agricultural counties
will be supp rting this theory.
It must be understood, and is by every thinking man,
that the system taxation which undertakes place
property in the State the roll the
system that can be devised In other words when all
placed upon the books and subjected
nen ne tax problem has been solved That the solution
ally without seeing that the tendency bring about the
not be az m u vea or we tn
still rapid strides being made in that direction
than property Of the State on the
books for the 1906 nearly its full value than
can be obtained.
Some OF the newspapers of the State and newspapers
that claim to be Republican, take position that injustice
been done to the railroads account of the fact that their wall
uatons nearly appoache the value of the real
don't stop inquire whether railroads assessed
at more then their and actual value but draw
fir comparison and undertake argument
that stand point This argument If the real is
not up to its full value it must be and will be-
railroads increased materially year which
was only Just and proper All other property had been greatly
increased and brought to what
value, and why the railroads the way.
railroads which assessed highest in the State by their
net after all taxes costs maintenance of and equipment
have been pad That alone would Justify the
but there other For instance the bonded indebted
and the stock values stock being considered par
amount to $4,000 per me while the only
about 900 and the time the stock has been selling
the past at from 10 to 20 above This
colin Sttio fntl .a tlna. r