The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-06
| TAX EQUALIZATION
BILL IS PREPARED.
Deed Books to Be Used as Bases
for Assessing Real
Estate.
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SENATE COMMITTEE MEETS
Body Now Carefully Preparing
General Appropriation
Bill.
.ENATE COMMITTEE MEETS.

Armed with tentative bill aimed
at abuses in assessments of real
estate in Virginia. the subcommittee
headed by Senator George Latham
Fletcher will to-day report to the
Senate Finance Committee plan in
! tended to be tho first step in the d.
rection of tax equalization. The whole
COMMITTEES will carefully consider the
| proposed measure.
| While the members of the subcom-
| mittee are not willing to talk about
| the matter in advance of action by
! the entire committee. 1t is known that
| 1t Is intended that valuations OF prop
| erty as shown by actual transfers re-
| corded in deed books viii be used as
| the basis for determining assessments
| in the quinquennalian real estate val
! uation of 1910 The action of the as
SCISSORS is to be subject to review
| ing body. which may accept or reject
their findings, but the tentative bill.
Ut is learned. does not contemplate
the creation OF State equalization
Committee Reconrencs.
The Senate Finance Committee re-
assembled yesterday after the holiday
recess, and met at noon in the court
room of the State Corporation Commits
sion. The members present were SEN
ator George B. Keezell, chairman: Sem
ator Edward Echols. Senator Saxon w.
Holt, Senator w. w. Sale, Senator Il. E.
Holland. Senator T. Ashhy Wickham.
Senator A C. Hartman and Senator w.
"A. Garrett The absentees We're Sena-
Tors y. d. Elan. Don p. Halsey. Geo.
Latham Fletcher and n. B. Early, Jr.
senators Elan and Fletcher arrived
last night.
o'clock to nearly z. the committee
!abored with the problem before 1t of
snort balances and long demands.
Without eauivocation the situation
was squarely faced. and there was no
controversy over the proposition that
some OF the appropriations must be
cut or more money must be secured
II Is felt that Ii some fair method
OF tax equalization can be secured the
state VIII realize greatly increased
upon any one, and merely doing ius-
tee to sources which have heretofore
not paid proper proportion of the
BURDENS "a Of taxation.
no new requests were heard State
Highway Commissioner p ST. Julien
wilson submitted some figures from
the records OF his office which had been
requested by the committee before adj
lournment was taken Just prior to
Christmas
Bill Being Formulated.
a list Of state departm and in
stitutions, with the amounts appropri-
ated Tor each by the last General AS
sembly. together with the requests
now being made, has been prepared and
Is before the committee. This list.
which cons titutes a sort of prelimi-
nary appropriation bill, is being taken
UP By the committee section by section
The needs in each case as presented
to the committee during the hearings
are carefully considered. It Is rea-
lied that in certain instances. notably
for maintenance Of the increasing
number of patients In the State hos
pitals. large appropriations will be
necessary but there Is no denial of Il
general feeling that strict economy
must be practiced.
Finally, It seems probably that some
sort Of bill. comprising the best judg-
Inent of the committee as to what the
departments and institutions should re-
ceive In he light of the condition oi
the state Treasury, will be prepared
and printed and laid upon the desk OF
each member of the General Assem-
bly, when the two bodies are called 10
order next Wednesday, Thus. in a
measure at least, the spirit OF the
Eolkes resolMtion Will be carried out