The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-10
Impropcr AppIIcntlon.

a. year--that is, the tax would be dou-
bled on all purchases after reaching |
that figure.
Improper Application.
The trouble with tho States tax mat
ters, said Mr.. Craddock, is not with the
method but with the inaniciency of APP
plication. Taking, for instance, the
figures as to the different classes of
merchants. he asked If anybody be-
ieved that 10000 OF the 10000 mer-
chants buy less than $1,000 worth of
goods each year. Yet such Is the rec
ord He said he believed a number OF
small merchants actually think that
So is fiat tax for doing business inn
posed by the State and don't even
know that the tax is based upon their
purchases.
The cities. he continued, bear more
than their share of the burdens of tax
alton. Commissioners of the revenue
in cities know about what the eNpen-
ditures are going to be. and see to 1t
that the revenue is provided. How
ever. the commissioners in the coun-
try are not up against that PROPOSE
ton. and go along the line of least re-
sistance. Systems in cities, he argued,
lead to moro accurate returns
These are the days, continued Mr..
Craddock, when civic spirit Is being
cultivated, and societies for the good
of the community are springinE up.
Civic spirit is high In LynchburE. he
said, and there is no objection there
to paying lust and reasonable taxes.
| tIe asked the committee to cultivate
that spirit by framing fax laws that
are Just and reasonable and not to
encourage tax lodging.
+ Cities Pay Big Tax.
| The three railroads In Lynchburg, lie
| said, with their terminals and other
property worth millions of dollars, pay
taxes on only $4,000 worth of prop
erty. Not blaming the State Corpora
4 ton Commission for this, he said that
nevertheless there are four or five
business houses in that city, with prop
erty worth not nearly so much as that
of the railroads which pay more taxes
than all the railroads combined. His
own concern, he said, pays more than
$4,000 a year in taxes.
There are screws loose in our sys-
, TEN of enforcement of tax laws, he
r said a great injustice is done to
/, cities. The six cities of Richmond
Lynchburg, Norfolk, Roanoke. Peters
burg and Newport News pay into the
+ treasury about 100000 moro than they
!; take out, while all of the 100 counties
of the state combined only pay S6OO.o0t
more than they take out. In other
, States, he commended, merchants car
do the same amount of business at half
Q the taxation as in Virginia the taxes
there being levied on real estate and
Q personal property, such as bonds.
8 Among the visitors to the hall OF
It the House of Delegates yesterday were
Q Miss Fannie Bell Spatig and Masters
!. Emil and Harvey Spatig. of Lawrence
= VILE children of Hon. l. L. SpatiS,
II the member from Brunswick.
IS Mr.. Cooke introduced bill in the
= House yesterday to prevent the grant
j. ing OF a divorce unless both parties
l. have had at some time previously a
to marital domicic in this State for at
10 least one year.
te Williamsburg wants dispensary
A. The ancient capital of Virginia is now
Or dry. but her citizens have petitioneC
their representative DR.. II. U. Stephen
a son, for bill allowing vote on thS
question, and a measure to THIS etIec
Twas offered in the House yesterday. IN
i bill provides that the election Is to o'
called ,1pon a petition to the court o
one-fourth of the qualified voters
One-eighth of the net revenue of thu
dispensary is to go TO the State and tn
| remainder to the city.
- Another constitutional amendmen
= has made its appearance in the House
- This time it is local matter. MI
30 Coleman, of Spotsylvanla, proposs
- amending the Constitution so that
: Fredericksburg cases shall SO 10 III
~ Corporation Court OF that CITY, !
this end he would abolish the concur
-, rent jurisdiction which now pfeYai
-, between that court and the Clrcu
y Court of Spotsylvania county.
-, ~ For the protection or passengers ar
~ railway employees, Mr.. White introduce
~ in the House yesterday by request
~ hill recurring a standard of brak
a. and couplers and other appliances
- all railroad trains.
~ Revenue from tobacco manutact
ries Is aimed at by Speaker Eyre III
=. bill which he introduced In the Hou
yesterday. 1t requires that mailuia
eN' turers of tobacco shall mako reports
ON regular intervals to the commissions
Der ~ tho revenue OF their gross receip
leg Penalties arc provided for compani
Ses which fail to make these reports al
,ea for commissioners who do not get the
IS ON the tlrst 100000 or less OF Sro
ny receipts tho tax is fixed at LEO OF
~ pcr cent; between $1oOo.ooo a.
~. s2.Ooo,oOO, LEO of ] per cent. tor I
~ ~, first S1,ooo.oOo and lilo of per cei
a. a. for the remainder: for the third Sl,oo'
lie 900. 10 Of per cent; for the four
~ 100000. 80 OF / per cent; Tor
- NTH sl.ooo.OOo, As of per cent; mo
"S than S500O.ooo, l per- cent. This 7
is not to be in lieu of any person
property levy.
Mr.. Parker offered a bill making
i; salary of the president OF the auprel
:, Court OF Appeals $4,000 year, -
y moro than other judges this haNl
p been omitted un!ntentionally from
'e' previous bin.
4 Mr.. johnson, Of Russell. proposes
=, law to make companies building r'
:! 4 roads and such enterprises TO be ms
prompt in beginning work. or else
make them forfeit their rights OF w
a. A hoard of law examiners Is propos
20: nv Sneaker Byrd in ) blu introduced
sll l-- - III