The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1907-01-11

DuaIu winch ahaebbe6 tnH PROPERTY
now ~assessable BY the Board of Pub
lie Works should constitute this State
board Of assessors, whose duty 1t
would be to see that all property was
assessed, and all assessed by to the
standard. This same view Is ably urg.
ed in the report of Mr.. Dillon. the
State Tax Commissioner Nor would
the reasons for the existence Of such
a board be the less IL you should act
fayorably upon my suggestion that
the State assessing board should as.
sess more property than is now as.
sessable by the State board. ! would
have assessed by that board all prop
erty OF such peculiar nature as to re-
daire expert knowledge, which expert
knowledge we can not expect the
county ASSESSORS to have. generally.
| think It would be better If this State
board should assess all banks and
banking institutions, building ana loan
associations, and leaseholds. One of
the most difficult kinds Of property in
this State to assess is undeveloped
coal lands, Allow me to urge that you
put means at the disposal of the State
Tax Commissioner SO that he may
employ experts to assist the assessors
in vaiuing property of this kind. The
investigation made by the Board OF
Public Works in It's work of equaliz.
ing real estate values last year, show
ed that there was great inequality in
the valuation of this property within
the same county and among the coun-
ties; and the board could do little 20
remedy this state OF affairs, because.
as the law was construed, they could
not raise the vaiae Of any particular
property in a county without raising
the value of all the property therein.
New Sources Of Revenue.
Let tbs consider briefly from what
sources additional e may be
obtained. I suggest: From the in
crease OF license tax on spirituous
liquors. beers. etc. Lately in Ohio
the saloon tax was increased from $3.50
TO 81. 900 a year. Reports from eighty.
one Of the e~ightyeight counties show
n decrease in the number Of saloons
OF 2.213. and Increased revenues of
s4.913,9o0.i
From a recordation tax, along the
lines of a bill prepared by thet State
Tax Commissioners office. and intro
Gnced into the last Legislature, which
proposed that on deeds. contracts,
leases and the like, there should be a
recordation tax payable by adhesive
stamps furnished by the Auditor to
the county clerk and attached to the
record by the clerk.
From restoring al least to the old
figures the tax on the premiums of all
kinds Of insurance companies, includ?
ing bonding, surety, guaranty. casual
ty and others.
From an increase of the valuation
OF banks; the present law not hav-
Ing proved a success. for reasons Civ.
en- in the State Tax Commissioners
report.
From a progressive inheritance tax
along. the lines suggested by Presi-
der. Roosevelt, grading tax accord.
ing to the size Of the inheritance re-
ceived by each heir or other person.
From an xcise tax, like the Cole
Law Of Ohio, on the gross earnings of
all public service corporations, in
which I would include all coal mines
subject to inspection by the mine in
s%pectors. The rate of tax on the gross
incomes in Ohio was originally one
per cent. but was increased. One
objection to this form Of taxation was
that 1t put certain property in a class,
and 1t being easy to raise the amount
OF the tax the Legislature would like.
ly do it. and make II burdensome.
This could he avoided by a declara-
ton in the law that the rate should
not be raised, for. say, ten years.
While this woHid not be a legal oh
stacle. it would he a moral one. which
I have no doubt succeeding Lesisla
lures wouft observe. | prefer, rather
than a straight tax on the gross earn
irgs,. a smaller tax on the earnings.
supplemented by a tax on dividends.
This Is better. because fairer. The
gross cummings of certain of these pub.
lie service corporations as disclosed
In their reports to the Board of Pub.
lie Words are as follows: Steam rail.
roads in West Virginia, $37,416,000;
street or electric railways, S%1,570,0o0;
express companies, $4,000 in West
Virginia: telephone companies "a
number did not report any income}
$413, 900: telegraph companies. $780,.
900; water, gas and light companies
(many of which made no report Of
earnings or of anything .else). 49,.
10000. This does not include car.