Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1912-09-19
FARMERS RENnFiTTED ay
CHANGE OF DATE FOR MAX
ING ASSES MENTs.
OBNOXIOUS ROAD AND HUNTERS
LIcENsE TAxES ARE BOTH
ABOLISHED.
COMMISSIONER w AGRIcuLTuRE
PROVIDED And OFFICE
MADE ELECTIVE.


If a Democratic legislature had done
nothing else beyond changing the be-
ginning of the assessment year from
January l to April ], it would have
been worth the cost of the entire
session to the farmers of the state
by reason of the passing Of this. bill
alone.
When the Dawson tax laws were
adopted, the beginning of the tax law
was fixed at January 4 instead of
April l. Under the provision OF this
law, farmers were Ioalled upon to pay
taxes on the feed which they had put
away in their barns to carry their
9stock through iintsB spring. They
we're also required to pay taxes on
the stock and insithis way a double
tax was piled upon the farmer,
In 1909, an effort was made in the
Republican legislature to change this
law, but it was not done and it re
manned for the Democratic legislature
to reneve the farmer OF this unjust
burden and save the agricultural in
terests of the state thousands of dol
lars with which they would otherwise
have been impropeTly taxed.
Taxes on Hunters Repealed.
Another unpopular law which inn
posed unnecessary taxes upon the peo-
pie of the state. Which was repealed
by the Democratic legislature, was the
law requiring residents of the state
to obtain a license and pay q tax for
1t before hunting at any place within
the state. This law also provided
that no person could fish or hunt on
either the enclosed or unenclosed
lands of Sny person without securing
written permission. The Democratic
legislature repealed the law requiring
license fee OF one dollar, and made
the other part BIT the law requiring
written permission to hunt or fish ap-
ply only to ;.enclosed or improved
land.
The obnoxious road tax of one cent
on every $500 worth of property,
which had been levied under an act
of the Republ IN legislature of 1909,
was abolishe ~ the Democratic leg
islature Of ~ Howard Sutherland,
Republican lee for Congressman
at-Large, " the Senate when
this law ~ spealed and voted
against abo h on the road tax.
To jzatikhe Farmers.
The ohiC &nmissioner of Agri-
culture wal ona hi BY the Democrat
ic legislatu unda8 Il There has long
been a BOD R,hi gTicultufe, but it's
operations verb cumbersome and it
accomplish he'd little. Believing that
the FARMERS sli0uld be given proper
encouragement Iand assistance iii de-
veloping the F4rmSng Industry, the
Democratic IGgt tire created the Of,
fee of commissioner of Agriculture
and provided at this officer should
be elected BY tlhe people. Senator.
Southerland, d the Republican can
didate for Cor FRESHMAN at-large, vot-
ed against this measure. "a ita
The establfs nent Of the Ttibefccd-
losfs Sanatorii b was authorized by
the Democratic legislature of 1911, al
though SIM r measure had been
defeated'b by Proceeding Republic
can Legislature
Another law which Is of benefit to
the people in hany localities is the
one passed by he Democratic legis-
lature prohibi 3 the selling or CIV
ing away of saine. 1t was repre-
scented that cocaine habit was
playing havoc .sh che men employed
in the timbe @mps in many sec
lions of the ST IA They were becom-
ing addicted to 6le habit through the
ease with VA the drug could be
obtained hundreds of them, it was
represents had become it's victims
This meas was introduced by Dele
gate J. Al kLaughNn of Pocahontas
county, WI III "a candidate for re-
election.
Amend Registration Laws.
Some va bic amendments to the
RnpfpfrQ ff1f rs