Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1906-07-27
Mr.. PIynes Strike Eack.


+ iitor Statesman:
My attention has been called to the
following clipped from recent issue
of the Martinsburg Herald.
Ex-Sherin Smith is receipt of let
ter from Tax Commissioner Dillon
stating that fruit trees are not assessa-
BILE as reported by the assessor of Ger
ardstown district, Mart Payne. We
have said all the time that this is one
of his old political tricks. 1.-The can sue
coed in making republican angry
with his party he thinks he has ac-
comDlished as much as if he had taken
a city. And it seems that he don't care
what he says or does just SO he thinks
he is advancing the cause Of democracy
i'll Berkeley county. But he isn't phil
ospher enough to know that this lind
of instrumentation will act as a
boomerang. The people are getting on
10 his tricks, and he is assessing theii
chickens, ducks, canned fruits and
wood-piles. If he tells yoa that Tax
Commissioner Dillon authorized him
10 assess fruit trees compel him 10
shgw it in writing. Mr.. Smith has the
letter; Mr.. Payne mas the wind. Which
will predominant?
The editor is young and like hum
ble-bee he is biggest when first hatch
ed. He will shrink as he develops in
intellect, at least he should.
Now Sir, we never told anybody
that we had instructions fiom the Tax
Commissioner to assess fruit trees and
we have not assessed them. The editor
of the Herald is doing just what he ac-
cuses us of doing. Manufacturing po'
litical material and he is doing so
through us as an instrument. lie at
tempts TO make it appear that fruit
trees are not assessable, and Mr.. Smith
the land assessor stated before the
state board of public works that he
had not taken the fruit trees on land
into consideration when assessing
land, set in orchards. Listen what the
Tax Commissioner says to me in let
ter which | hold:
"If the real estate assessor failed to
take into consideration the value of
fruit trees in fixing the value of the
and he failed to do his duty, AS fruit
tree. as | understand it Is part of the
real estate"
Now Mr.. Editor, that is Mr.. Dill
Ions opinion on the fruit tree assess
ment as expressed to me and any one
who doubts may read for themselves,
| hold his letter.
In regard to assessing small items,
will the Herald man say that chick
ems, cora and hay on hand, meat in
the smoke h ouse &c. are not assessi-
BILE?
Why, sir, Mr.. Dillon's instructions
to the assessors at his institute in
Charleston last fall were that they
should assess all and every species of
properly of whatever character that
had any value. Now sir, who gives
Mr.. Smith or his editor the right to
draw the line and say where the as
SCISSOR stall stop, what he sh all as
sess and what not?
People who know these gentlemen
will not be Influenced by what they
say for they are well known as polit.-
cal mountebanks who say anything,
are willing to do anything for parti-
san advantage. Note the humiliating
position in which land assessor Smith
was placed before the Board of Public
Works where he stated that he had
assessed the lands of the county at
their true ond actual value and then
was confronted with the fact that he
had just paid $4,000 for the Stuckey
farm which he had assessee at 50, 200.
NJ. l.. Payne.