The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1908-10-21
IHE III LANS

1
Now we come to decentralization OF
the new tax laws. Previous TO 1901. 4
when the first of the new tax laws
was enacted. the great bulk OF the
state county and mnniclpaf taxes in
the state had been raised of OF real
estate. Assessments were not equal
or uniform. AS whole they were
low and the rate OF levy was there
fore necessarily high
one special evil OF the old system
was that intangible property such as
notes. bonds, and money IN ba9tlS,
very generally escaped taxation The
reason was apparent With tax
on the dollar the owner of q note
earning only per cent interest or OF.
money IN bank earning only four per
cent felt that the tax rate WaS
nothing less than couhscation- The
tenn ptatfon not to return s1ch property
for taxation was so great that 1t be
came n custom, not to say n rule.
| to do so In the few cases IN
which It was returned for taxation
1.-THE high rate imposed a. heavy, bur
1 den. practically cutting in two the
income from such property. Either,
I thereforc, this class of property was,
mot taxed at all which WAS unjust tothe
lholder of reaI estate. or It was heavily
taxed, which was unjust TO the own
er.
Another great evil of the old sys-
tenn was the general and marked IN
| der valuation of railroad. street rail-
way. pipe line. telegraph and tele-
corporations owning public utilities.
widely scattered over many counties.
the escaping of taxation had been re-
duced to a science. SeIther.the state
nor the local assessors possessed ad-
eauate power to ascertain the real
4 a,.Nrss a-lv, 4 aa n
result of the loose and slipshod meth
/ cd then prevailing. mostiof this kind
of the property was assessed at from
one-eight to one-slxteenth of its real
value.
One other evil was apparent One
form of property, namely mining
Ilease=holds, being chatteIs real, had
become numerous in this state. in the
ten years previous TO 1904
Leaseholds were contracts OF
ownership under which many of the
great oil. gas and coal companies in
this state controlled their undevelop-
cd holdings. In recent years these ha
enormously Increased in value. They
We're bought and sold in the market
and were just as much property as any
other; yet, previous to 1904. not
dollars worth of this property had
been taxed. 1t was right. and proper
that this form of property enjoy
other property. should bear it's equal |
burden of taxes.
Now. how did the new tax laws
remedy the evils OF the old system.
explained above?
The essential principles of the new
laws were as follows:
First-Thc valuation OF all proper
ties at their true and actual value.
Second-The imposition of various
license taxes. sufficient to maintain |
the States revenues. the gradual re-
rnovaI of the direct state tax of IS
quishment of direct taxes by the
state to counties, districts and towns. /
the state reserving the revenue from
the Indirect or license taxes.
Third-The creation Of a tax de- !
partment. empowered and equipped |
TO enforce uniformity and correct
continued evasion OF the laws either 1
by county officials or by individual
tax payers.
1t is not possible in this article to
give the details OF all tax laws rs
they have been passed and amended |
from time to time: but broadly
spcakeing. AL have for their purpose, I
one of the three general objects above
stated. How have they operated, and |
what have been the results?
In 1904 the total value of all real |
estate and personal property. other
than public utll1tleS, IN the state, as
assessed under the old system, was
$232. 100000 The total valuation of
public utility property, by which we
mean the steam and street railway
lines. gas and oil lines, telegraph, tel
ephone and express lines, etc. MS as
sessed by the state board or public
works and the county assessors was
was S4O.OOO,OOO.
The State tax rate in 1904 was 90
cents for Stdte purposes and 10 cents
for school proposes and a total tax
OF $97J.9O4 was raised: of this $685. T.
900 whs raised from real estate and
personal property; and about SAL
900 from tho. public service corpora
tons. In 1907 the assessed value OF
all property was $93o,OOO,OO0, OF
which S252. 6IO.423 was public utility
property S6O.O0O,0oO chattels real,
and 62S.oO0,O0O other personal
property and real estate. The state
tax had dropped from 80 cents to 5
cents: and as n result the holder OIL
personal property and real estate paid
only $4,000 to the state governs
ment for state purposes as against
$S34. 900 in 1904. Tho farmers, NOR
chants and tho worlsinEncn of the ID
state, received the benefit of practice /
ally every dollar of this saving. Why? I
Because on the Increased assessment {
the owners of public utilities and chat :
tells real. which had not previously {
been assessed, paid taxes on $302,- Il
CLIO. aga. which ut five cents. amounted I
to $151,315. paid by them to support