Evening star., 1909-05-02

through travel over the road. which con-
stitutes the bulk of the business of the
company. and il would give to the people
Of the state the right to ride at two cents
a mile.
1t is believed that the state win COM
ply with the proposition submitted by
the road. and II is also believed that the
other roads of the state which engage
in through business. the trunk lines will
conform to the same scheme and thereby
retain their rates for interstate traffic
as they stand at present. 1t has been
intimated that If the commission declines
to permit any other than the straight
two-and- a -half-cent rate prescribed in
it's former order the interstate commerce
commission will compel the roads TO sell
tickets over it's lines at the same price
that obtains In Virginia.
Tax on Mine Output.
With the finances of the state at
low ebb. with the appropriations for vari-
Gus purposes drawing heavily on the
revenues. the financial officers of the
state are casting about for new objects
Of taxation. With one accord they are
discussing the advisability. the desrabil-
ity and the necessity for imposing a tax
on the mineral output OF the state There
Is now no direct tax on the coal mined
in Virginia. Some millions of tons of
coal are mined and shipped to other states
and a great deal finds it's way into the
markets OF other countries. This is true
of the steam coal found In southwest
Virginia. A tax OF two cents ton is
being discussed. It is held that this
Dominion by from $4,000 to 100000 an
nually. In fact II is difficult to say just
how much 1t would mean. as the Eir-
ginian railway has just been completed
and will soon begin the delivery Of coal
in quantities at Norfo.A. where it will be
dumped into ships at the terminals of
the company. The road is essentially
coal-carrying road. built for this purpose.
and penetrates one of the richest coal
fields in the south. The mining COM
OF tax on their output. The measure
was up last year and was defeated by
small vote. 1t will be removed at the
next session Of the legislature and will
be adopted.
Equalization Of Taxes.
One OF the demands to be made at the
next session Of the general assembly will
be for an equalization board to adjust
taxes. There are exaggerated discrepan-
cies existing at this time. Personal prop
erty in one city Of the state averages
about 8 head for each man. woman
and child. white and black. In another
under the same laws, the average is
only 81 per head. The two cities are
returns heavy taxes and the other very
light taxes. The same property Is en-
braced on the schedules, but the differ
ence exists. These will be pointed out as
one of the reasons for the necessity for
board to equalize things. State officials
declare that an equalization board will
bring to the state not less than 100000
year in taxes. If the board is created,
and there is an increase in the revenues.
1t will mean that the tax rate will be
considerably lowered.
Charles E Littlefe1d. special master
named by the Supreme Court Of the
United States to examine the debt ac-
counts between Virginia and West Vir-
ginia, will be here Tuesday to resume the
hearing Of that case. The matter was post
poned several months ago at request of
counsel for West Virginia, the accountants
in charge OF the matter not being able to
get their reports ready for counsel in the
case. Senator Spooner, John G. Carlisle
West Virginia are interested as counsel in
the litigation. while Virginia Is represent
ed by her attorney general, John B. Moon,
Harrison and Maj. Holmes
Conrad, as well as by Col. Robert Catlett,
assistant attorney general Of Virginia.
The hearing is expected to last some
weeks. Since the litigation was COM
menced the debt certificates have in
creased in value from about 10 cents on
the dollar to about IS per cent of their
face value.
Mrs. Swanson Recuperating.
Mrs. Swanson, wife of the governor, has
gone to Atlantic City by advice of her
physician. and will remain for two weeks
recuperating from her recent attack of
tonsilitis.
Within ten days the Virginia Base Ball
League will begin the release Of players,
the magnates having decided that no club
~I,o H. H.
men,. Each club has about twenty men
at this time. The teams are pretty well
balanced this season, but the clubs will be
to release some very good men