Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-10-17

neretofore beenabte to meet all the expenses
Of county government ana occasionally
pay of some Of our bonded indebtedness.
Below are some Of the items tina The
County Court has paid out without n-
creasing onr levy since the 18th day Of
March. 1912:
This contract made this 18th. day Of
March 1910, by and between Geo, 7. Light,
party Of the first part, and Geo. N. Belts
hoover, party Of the second part, witnesseth,
tnat Tor and in consideration Of the sum Of
$4,000 casn in hand paid by the County
Court OF Jefferson to tine said Geo, T. Light,
at or before the sealing and delivery of the
CONTRACT. the receipt OF which sum of money
is hereby acKnowledged the said Geo. T.
Light doth grant, convey -eIease reiinouish
and set over to the said Geo. VI. 5eltznoove,
Jr., all Of his right, title and inDeress II anc
to the lease conveyed to himby s. W. Wash.
ington, executor, of VIM. Burnett. dated
March /, 1889, recorded in said county in
Deed Book q, page $40, to which reference
is made, the said offices situated in what is
known as Lawyers Row, on the east side Of
George Street, in Jefferson County. West
Virginia, possession to be given April 1st.,
1910"
Deed of1ease from s. W. Washington,
Executor Of VIM. Burnett. to Geo. T. Light,
March 1st.. 1889, conveying Burnett's unex-
pired lease on offices in Lawyers Row, the
same having been sold by Washington, Elk
ecutor, at public auction, and Geo. T. Light
being the highest bidder therefor became
the purchaser for the sum of $4,000. Re-
corded in Deed Book O, page 376.
March II, 1889, Geo. T. Light bought
Burnett's lease having to June 1st., 1914, to
run; 25 year lease at public cutlery at $2O2.OC
March IL, 1910, the county court at pri.
yate sale and although the original lease
gives them the right of condemnation buy
the same Burnett lease having but little
Over tour years otf,iife at $4,000.
We CANNOT help but believe that the
County Court thinks That values are ma.
terially .increasin :. II they will loo6 ect
Of their Court House windows. .:,ey ca2 see
the new Post Office Building, Toe new ore-s
House, new Telephone Building. ana IL
new Department Store-oyer one hundred.
thousand dollars worth of buildings on
property that few years ago was assessed
ut less than six thousand dollars-20OO pei
cent increase-and this is not an insulated
case. There is more and more building go.
ing on every year in Charles Town Ransom
and throughout the county, substantially
increasing our assessments year after year
and so it will continue.
Now to return to what our County Court
has paid for extraordinary expenses, with
embarrassing onrlevy. since March II, 1910
Order No. 100, Geo. T. Light S $50 .oC
Order No. 102. GIN. Beltzhoover, Jr., 200 OC
Order No. SO, Flank Beckwith $50 .oc
James NJ. Mason, Jr., .275. 0C
Total $1275 90
Various orders. in addition to these fol-
Construction and heating County Court
House, aggregating over 1921, 5O0.0O
Light, Beltzhoover, N JASON, Beckwith 1925. 90
Paid County bonds from Oct /,
1911. to Oct. /, 1912. 1000 90
Total, SOL, 90
Here is over $50 10000 spent by our Coun-
~ Courtin a little over two years, and the
sheriff's statement shows good balance in
every fund. From the fact that we have a
very material increase in our assessment
every succeeding year, our revenues are
constantly increasing aud the very action
Of orr County Court proves this fact con-
clusively.
Successful business men as they are, keen
traders. alive to the County's interest, and
dealing rs close for the public as they would
for themselves, they pay $4,000 cash for
7Bnrnett's lease, four years to run, when the
same ease sold at public auction, % years
to run, at $4,000. Thus by their actions
they prove conclusively the. material in
crease OF the assessable property of our
county.
Now he County Court did not make a
fair statement OF the financial condition of
the CouatY of Jefferson, and we quote their
own records to prove the same Now one
of the best business men of our County
Court, Mr., N. R. Roberts, told US that this
bridge could be built without increasing
our bonded Indebtedness or raising our as
sessment, and from the investigation and
search of the records and orders and for
what purposes drawn that we have had made
and from the facts presented to you voters,
to-wit, that since March the 18th, 1910,
orders for extraordinary expenses have been
drawn as follows: IN
Light, Beltzhoover and Mason $1,275.0OI
Court House addition over q, 10000
Paid on Bonded Indebtedness
from Oct. 1911. to Oct. 1 1912 100000
Total $31, IT'S 90
This has been done and can be done in
,Wo years without raising our assessment,
or they have proven beyond the shade "
'f doubt the material increase in our as.
This bridge can be built just like the ad-
lition to the Court House was built without |
Increasing our bonded Indebtedness. Our
PRESENT County Court is composed of farm
RS, of countrymen; now over Id of the |
ruly countrymen of urscounty are on the
asst side of the Shenandoah River. and It /
ooks like they are entitled to one member
+ the county court or they suffer taxation
Without representation the same as our
evolutionary forefathers. and their lords
nd masters are to weeks distant from
hem ct times by an impossible river, dur