Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-04-21
DAWSON ON THE TAX LAWS
Speaks Of the labofs Of the Board
Of Public Works.
EXPLAINS TIE BIG INCREASE
Says Valuations In Berkeley ceuaty
are Helped BY Limestone Deposits
and Fruit Industry.

ana fruit industry,
Governor Dawson has given ont
statemenf concerning the result of the
recent tour Of the state board of pub.
lie works, wherein he goes into details
concerning the readiustment by the
hoard. The governor says in part
In the state there may be said TO
be SO republican and 10 democratic
counties; in IA there was no change
made bv the board of public works,
and of these, nine are republican and
five democratic. In two, Mononga-
lia and Morgan, reductions were
made. In the remaining 80 counties.
there were increases made. OF tn se
20 were republican aud l3 were demo.
cratic. This will show that the poll.
teal complexion of the county was
not considered at all by the board of
public works. Moreover. the conn
| ties whore the heaviest increases
were made are republican counties,
"The increases were made whore
| they ought to have been made, that
is, in counties where there have been
increases on account of coal develop.
ment. and where the previous valua-
tion was very low The greatest ratio
of Increase is In Mcdowell county,
and this is accounted for by two facts
first that the previous valuation was
very low, and secondly on account OF
he coal development. 1t should be
remembered. however, that Mcdowell
county hrs no farming lands, no towns
of value except the small town of
WEIGH, and no other real estate Of
much value except the coal.
In Barbour. Booue, Fayette, Lc-
gan, Mercer, Mingo, Mcdowell, Raj
eiph and Wyoming. the increas s are
due almost entirely to increases in the
Q al properties.
| AGRICULTURAL COUNTIES.
Under the head of agricultural
counties, might mention Berkeley.
Jefferson aud Morgan. OF these, the
increase in Berkeley is slightly helped
by the fruit developement and lime
stone In Morgan, considerable Of the
value comes from mineral property.
lincludina coal The other. counties
under this group are purely aRricnl.
taral. In this group the ratio OF in
crease is small. and especially in
those counties that are purely agricul
tural, such as Writ, Monroe. Jeffer-
son, Jackson, Hardv aud Hampshire.
This is as 1t ought to be, because here
tofore, the farm lands were paying
much more than their proportion OF
the tax burden and the developements
in other properties, coal. oil. gas, and
city and town, have beenr much
Greater than in farming lands.
is A FAIR LAW.
IF attention is given to the old
valuation and the ratio of increases
and these are considered in connection
with the character of the county. il il
believed that it will be admitted by
all intelligent persons that the pro.
| poriionate increase has been placed
whore II oT~ht 10 be in every in
stance.
Nothing is satisfactory that can
be improved. In that respect, this as
sessment is not satisfactory. but that
it is far the best and the fairsst-- ASSESS
ment Of real estate ever made in the
state is undoubtedly q fact. In
number of counties it can not be seen
low il could have been better done,
ard in the most Of the counties the
work was we'll done, and it is only in
a few counties that there is much
loom for improvement. IT the state
tax commissioner Office could make
this assessment over next year, they
undoubtedly would improve on the
work owing to the experience that this
work has brought them. For one
thing, the assessors did not have time
enough. Another thing to be noted
is, that the valuation OF coal. gas and
VIA ItVPtAtJ 40 OA1CCdAhkAJ ulHCulI.
and in this part of th, work the as
SCISSORS should have had the help of
experts 1t is particularly difficult to |
get at the value of undeveloped coal
lands, and especially where there has
been no recent sales to fix the market
price
VERY good work wss done by the
most Of the coonty courts, and this
without regard to their political com |
plexion. Perhaps as conscientious and |
faithful work was done in the demo-
cratic counties rs In republican coun-
ties. The county court of the demo-
cratic counties of Jefferson AID Green
brier, not to mention others, seemed
to be guided by spirit of fairness
and Of strict obedience to.the law. |