The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-15

February II. 1912. your COMMITTEES
on LEGISLATION has made such inquiry
a. the limited time and the various
business obligations Of our member
ship would allow. and beg to report;
That we unanimously recommend
that the Chamber of Commcrce
heartily endorse the Byrd tax COM
mission bill blouse bill No. --)
and request and urge our delegation
In both branches Of the State Legis-
lature to give their votes and their
utmost endeavor to the passage OF
this bill.
"Alyo that the Chamber OF Com
merce likewise request and urge our
full delegation to give their votes
and entire influence against the White
tax bill. and Furthermore. that the
secretary OF our Chamber promptly
notify each organized mercantile as
! ISOLATION In Virginia OF our action
In these matters. with our reasons
! therefor, and that he urge on these
gentlemen the vast and immediate
Importance Of similar action on the
part OF their respective organizations.
Our reasons for above recommen-
dations put as briefly as possible are
as follows:
THE present methods of local as
sessments and fixed State levy on
the amounts returned by the local
, boards of assessors. is susceptible of
inequality and grave injustice as be-
tween the different subdivisions OF
our State.
cit il not only susceptible in this
respect, but gross injustice has been
and is being done under the present
tax laws.
LAS an illustration of the present
workings Of our tax laws. one county
or city having the game amount or
property liable for State taxation as
another, may make local assessment
! Of twenty or thirty dollars on the
hundred and another county or city
make q local assessment of seventy,
eighty or ninety dollars on the hum
dred.
The State tax OF thirty-five cents
per hundred would fall on each hun
bred dollars of these assessments
alike, though in one case a real value
of one hundred dollars could in the
assessment be represented ty twenty
dollars, subject to State taxation. and
In the other case, from seventy-five
to ninety dollars would be subject to
levy at the same rate per hundred.
This practice of making ridicu-
practiced until thirty -four OF our
counties draw from the State treasury
about $4,000 more than they con-
tribute in State taxes.
Many OF these delinquent counties
are among the richest In the state
and in some Of them more than twen-
ty-two Thousand dollars more Is spent
per annum by the state than is paid
to the state In taxes by the county.
III this Is allowed to continue, 1t
can only result in forcing the coun-
ties and cities which are now giving
in fair assessments, In seH-protection.
to reduce their assessments to meet
the practice OF spnh counties and
cities as are not giving in fair as
easements and the state may be bank
rupted by TINS practice.
1T the cities were inclined to this
method OF avoiding State taxation,
they could not adopt IT. as their neces-
sites are SO great, that on an assess
ment OF twenty or thirty dollars On
the hundred of real value. the levy
would have to be so high that the
announcement of the rate of the levy
would effectually prevent any new
capital from seeking investment In
them.
THE above state of affairs certainly
shows the crying need of new laws
on the subject OF taxation, and more
particularly a law which will. If pos
sible, make like assessment OF prop
erty throughout the State.
The Byrd bill seems to your COM
mittee to cover this crying necessity
and il liz, therefore. recommended To
your favorable consideration and
action.
while your committee has been
unable to study the proposed White
bill. some OF its provisions II carried
out would cost our city a Joss IN
revenue of S7p9.S40.00 as shown by
letters from our city accountant here
with attached. and We recommend
vigorous opposition to this bill by the
Chamber.
..All OF above Is respectfully SUBJ
mitted for your action by your Legfs-
latiye Committee.
fSigued) 1T PEYTON GILES.
Chairman"
The board adopted the report and
instructed President T. NJ. CARING
ton to appoint q number of members
Of the Chamber to cooperate with
the Committee on Legislation ON Sc
curing the enactment of the desired
legislation.
Major w. Mex. Evans. OF Rieh-s
mond. and H. NJ. Sackett. Of Lynch
burg, asked the board OF directors to
express it's disapproval OF bill that
has been introduced in the General
Assembly abolishing the State Board
OF Public Accountants. Without
dissenting voice the board went on
record as opposing the bill.
The board also voted its endorse
ment OF bill amending the bank
ing laws so as to give the Corpora
ton Commission power to permit tho
incorporation Of trust companies and
giving trust companies the right to
guarantee titles
A report Of the Committee on Leg
islation unfavorable to the Adams
bill requiring paint. r.cdi.cts 60. hear
labels Indicating whether they are
pure or aduiterated. was accepted by
tho board Of directors. the sense OF
the board being that such legislation
should be Federal.
Sent to Grand Juhy.
81