The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-05
GRAYSON LOWEST
. IN VALUATIO MS
Personal Property Assessed
There at Fraction OF mounts
Elsewhere.
WIDE INJUSTICE SHOWN
adjoining Counties Show Big
Difference, According to
Auditors Report.

Indicating moro forcibly than ever
the gross disparity between various
counties and cities in tho asscssmcnt
OF personal property for taxation. Dr.
u. :. Freeman, the technical 1nempc,
OF the state Tax Commission. has
worked out IN detail the showing made
In the last annual report OF tho Aud
itor OF Public Accounts. The state
mcnt shows the average valuation at
WHICH different subjects OF personal
property arc placed, and will be used
by the Tax Commission as a basis Tor
working on, more satisfactory
method.
The comparisons would be amusing
did they no; show the grave incuunli-
ties and unjust distribution of the tax
laws OF tho state. With no attempt.
~ enualization the same article II
valued IN different counties and cities,
would show q vide Discrepancy in as
sessment
Grnyson Gets Blue nibbnn.
It would appear that Grayson county
is the worst offender In the State IN
the matter OF personal property as
scssments Taking the schedule near
~ al the way through. Its valuations
are he lowest For instance. tho av-
GRACE horscN!n Grayson Is assessed n.
only Si9.71. While the average In Hem
rico is SI3.3l. in Brunswick s1S.S4. and
in Charlotte ST5.4S. While in tho city
OF Richmond the horse Is worth
sl01.3S.
Ia GraSson cattle arc valued at S5.14,
IN augusta SlS,55. in Norfolk county
s23.o6 and in Alexandria county sl?.61.
The vaua,io III Grayson is lower on
horses and cattle than in any other
county, but when it comes to sheep
II is next to the bottom, the last place
being occupied by Dicken son. whore
sheep seem TO be worth only Slug
each. while in Gra*son their value is
Slsl2. ON the other hand. the average
sheep is worth si.76. in Dinwiddic
$3.6S.
Cheap Hogs.
Asain, in the matter OF hogs Gray
son iliis tho lowest rupE. Swine thnro
arc worth only sl.16 each. whiie they
are rated 1T $40 in Bototourt, S4.oS
IN Campbell. $3.50 III Frederick ana
Ss.1? In licnrico.
Vehicles again find Cirayson. hueging
the bottom. They are valued ut s4.aS
each against s2i.25 in Rath So64s in
Chesterfield. SSo.oi in Elizabeth CITY
and Sl4a.i1 il iiichmond city
Watches arc worth only s15I In
Grayson. but, here again this county
takes second place, k'arroll being tho
lowest assessor in this respect with
a valuation OF. S1,22 Tho average
watch in Alhemarle IS worth stol7.
in King and queen s12.a7. IN Norfolk
county S2T9s
BY way Of making its valuation
unanimous. Gra5'son is at tho bottom
in assessment Of musical Instruments,
placing them at $l0.na each Tho av-
cragc musical Instrument in Charlott .
county is worth S2l2.S7. according t.
the tax returns. II Is not explained
how a musical instrument In Char
lotta can he worth twenty four time;
as much as one in Grayson
Wide discrepancies.
Taking at random two adjoining
counties, where conditions are practi-
tion or for some means Of requiring
counties Ia hear their own burdens Of
taxation becomes at once apparent.
For instance. he counties OF Wythe
and Pulaski might he chosen. Both
have good farming land on which good
stock are raised, both are on railroads
ana cqui distance from markets. while
but an ima sinary county line divides
them.
Horses arc valued on an average in
Pulaski al $3.50: in Wythe at s3l.23.
The result Is that whatever Tho re-
speciive county lcvics may he. Wytho
county horse owners only pay about
half the amount of taS for the sup
port OF state government that is PAID
by the citizens or Pulaski.
Cattle in Pulaski is assessed n,
s2o.60 each: in Wythc lass. Pulaski
county sheep arc worth So.90; Wythe
county sheep Sl.96 For hogs, Pulaski
county PAYS on an average valuation
OF sass Wythe S2.45.