The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-08-07
STATE TAxES.

SIAIES AAES.
3i,sis Our Democratic friend and nelghbor
\ ID liecoming greatly agitatcd over the
amount OF State taxes paid by Marion
county For; some time tho hope has
been entertained by our Democratic
friends that there would be deficit
5gin the State treasury. but seeing that
there Is no longer ground for hope on
that score they nave now taken up the
i Dtnpr side md nre making some eS-
.straragant statements relative to the
amount of taxes that is being paid. 1t
fs a wonder TINT they admit that even
THE State tax rate has been lowered
from 35 cents to Is cents on the 500
valuation but that's conceded for the
facts are too plain for controversy.
They even admit that only $4,000 Is
nov raised for State PURPOSES whereas
by their own figures $4,000 was raised
) der the old law. They: don't go on
and tell their readers. however. taa1
81 ave cent levy now raised Is turned
hack to THE counties Tor school pu:-
sposes. According to- the State SuneT-
Intend ent's report, Marion county last
year received from the general school
&tnnd $40, 1o2.73 and when we consider
I tina t Marion Is one OF the richest coun.-
! ties in: the State and OF course con-
tributes a share of It's wealth In the
general distribution to poorer cou1-
: ties the people have no right to conf
Splnin. The. estimate OF $27 1000 for this
yparSis based on the largely increased
amount available for taxation in the
county by reason of this years revnlu-
alton. But aside from the fact that
tile Ave cent levy is used for school
purposes and the people gladly pay 1t.
there rs a more important matter
y viii hi. our friends have overlooked en-
stirclyt and that is the individual tax
Ticket. ~ There has been a general say
] Ing or taxes to the masses and the tax
tickets prove that fact conclusively.
According to the figures given by our
democratic friends the valuation of
property OF all kinds for taxable pur-
roses has arisen from ten millions ul-
i lcrstfle old regime to fifty-folr mil
tltons under the new. There Is an in.
screase sof nearly five and one-half
times over the old valuations. Now.
on that basis. all persons whose prop.
serty IS on the books ut less than five
and one-half times Its former vallla-
tiotl would, be ahead OF the game III
sthe general round UP. The railroads.
Eoil companies, coal companies and oti.
i er corporations with very valuable
holdings formerly assessed on n very
low basis have had the valuations on
their property Increased from six to
ten and twelve times In order to get
this general average of five and one
hall. The average tax payers prope"-
LIBERALIZATION hns Is a rule been about
doubled. Now. It doesn't take an ex-
4 PERT calculator to see what has hap
Jpened. The rlcn are paying n fnirer
tsEnhre OF the tnxes for the support OF
I the government now and although
kthei e may not be a deficit in the Stale
treasury as our Democratic friends
1 have been hoping nll along. the poor
1nnnis not being taxed to death as i,c
was under the old system. Marion
county doesn't object to payins $27..
900 into the general school fund and
drawing back over $4,000. SO long rs
the rich are footing gooL sanre If
the bill. The Democratic paper pub
iished OF a morning in Falrmont is get
into water over its depth when 1t
tackles the tax question and 1t will
]. find that the people are too well post
1 ed for It to deceive them. The masses
4nf the people care little for rnntlnS
over ny State tax rite OF FIVE cents
ON nm increased valuation SO long as
The individual tax ticket shows clea:'
bnlance In favor. OF the poor man. OF
course no one expects a corporation
organ to uphold q system Of taxation