Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-01-14
New Legislation.

question of the condition of the
States finances gives considerable
concern 20 the members of the senate
finance committee now in session
here and for the last month trying
to arrange the general appropriation
bill.
AS matter of fact, when Ii was
stated last summer that there would
be deficit this year, there was
great protest against the statement
and IL was denied. The truth Of the
matter is that the committee has re-
ceived estimates of the revenues and
the fixed charges, based on what has
Obtained for the last fiscal year, and
there will be deficit on March l Of
$50, 600. Tha information has been
set before the finance committee, and
1t has caused a shock.
Based on the last year, making
the same appropriations this year
the appropriation year ends March l,
-basing the rece ipts and disbuIse-
ment on those of the last year
there will be deficit i'm the appro-
priation year of 1911 of $3.50, 600.
These are not the figures of "A pessi-
mist; they have been furnished by
the finncial officers OF the State. 1t
is not theory; IL is n condition,
dlsagreeable as IL may be To the peo-
pie why pay the taxes and wish for
a reduction I'm the tax rate.
Just wnat the State may have lost
by reason of the wave of local OPP
tion which is now central in Vir-
ginia is hard To determine. That the
OLD Dominion misses the money
that came from the source there is
the senate committee has just about
decided TO increase the taxes on sa-
loor mea and 10 nearly double that
OF the concerns which sell liquor by
measure mot TO be drunk where
sold. " There are more than hun
dred OF these establishments i'm the
State, and 81, 600 from each would
considerably increase the revenues.
Senator George Latham Fletcher,
of Fauquier, i'm discussing the mat
ter Of taxation of sheep In his county
says that the county paid the assess
ed value of sheep when they were
killed by dogs. The result OF this
had been TO increase the value of the
sheep from 81 a head TO nearly So.
Senator Fletcher favors the restric-
ion OF insurance To the assessed val
ue of property. His idea is 10 enact
n statute whereby no person will be
allowed TO insure "A piece OF property
for more than it assessed value and
TO prohibit insurance companies from
writing such policies for an amount
exceeding the value ascertained by
the assessors, and also 10 provide
that at no insurance suit at law or
chancery shall jury give verdict
against company for an amount in
excess of the assessed value for taxa
tion. There are innumerable in
stances on record of property being
assessed fol 81 200 for taxation with
policies aggregating from one TO
three times that amount.
Under the constitution, the gener.
nj assembly may provide after 1913,
for a change in the taxing system OF
the State. 1t is possible for the gen
eral assembly to provide that the
counties and cities may levy and
col lect all the taxes fol the benefit,
and support of the counties and
cities, the State to receive possibly
as much as 10 per cent of the gross
col Elections. That is not positive, how
ever, and the entire amount may be
appropriated TO the county and city
governments. In turn the several
counties AMI cities wculdfbe called
on to pay all salaries OF officials.
| judges of courts, criminal charges
and the like. The State would have
the gross receipts from corporations,
franchises, licenses and other items
which are now paid into the State
treasury.
For this reason the matter of the
creation of a board or commission fol
| the equaliZation or taxes by this
general assembly is rather uncertain.
1t is estimated that $50, 900 would bt
required to put the board or com.
mission into operation, and NOR,
than a year would be necessary Il
get 1t in thorough working order
That would give just two years TO
the operations of the system of enua
ization, and it is regarded as doubt
full IL tie experiment, in view OF tn
possible change would prove profit
able. 1t is for this reason that Sen
ator Fletcher Is in favor of a schem
whereby the auditor will be yeste'
with discretionary powers and EN-
powered to equalize taxes after tn
reports OF the assessors and commits
siOners of the revenue have been re