The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-02-16

TAKES FROM CITIES


TAX ~eie taken by surprise yesterday
when SaxoL w. Holt, OF Newport
Views, omered on the nooor Vt The
senate an amendment liking the
amount tor cities at 20 per cent The
proposition brought slolm of oppo-s
sitlon ana adjournment VAS tanen
without the amendment being voted
upon.
Ane original bill. offered by Holt.
distributed The tax on a tasis OF track
age ASSESSMENT. Cites that nave neie-
totore coiiected taxes on $S3.oou.o0c
worth of property would have been
cut off without advantage. The bill
passed the House in It's original form,
and was amen.ed by the senate CON-
mittee on hoaos to c1nf'am with a
substitute the committee drew and
reported for the Senate bill. An un-
Outstanding. reached after city nei,i-
beis saw they haa no nope OF defeat
ing the measure. placed the tistribu-
ton at 40 per cent. for Clues and 20
ps- cent for counties.
When the bill was called up yesfrr-
day At 1880 o'clock holt asked for
a Iostponsment for fifteen minutes an-
til he couia prepare an amendment A
hasty conference was held. anu Holt
announced that his amendment gave
TO cities Is per cent. Of the tax.
Il move" said BAR. Holt" that com
mittee amendments be rejected. and
that one ! hold in my hand be SUD-
stltuted."
Mr.. FeIkss objscts-
Folkes sprang TO his feet
Il understand a compromise was
agreed to-" he said, and want to
stand still AMI be kicked. You tell us
that unless We accept what YOU dc
tate we will lie kicked harder yet
nope the time has not come in VIZ
GINA when a man In the Legislature
can be told he had better keep Quie.
or he viii get a larger dose handed
to him --------------
Il understood q compromise had
been reached Now there has been
another compromise made that ! know
nothing about. You come here TO take
something from the cities. and give
II to the counties. But TO do IL YET
had to give something to the railroads.
This la the arst time n Virginia It
has ever been claimed that Il IL equity
to base tax on the length Of railroad
trackage In counties. and . shortage
In cities"
Il refuse to stand like a mollycoddla
because am threatened. Where Is
the railway rolling stock. ! have Jus
read OF = fireman losing his III pre-
tectiug properly. II n whole train were
to catch Are In the country and burn,
there would be no department to AID.
We protect the rolling stock OF rail-
roads. and you demand the tax liz
II right?
Says Railroads Are Behind Movements
Railroad attorneys In the Consu-
tutional Convention made IT possible
for this bill TO pass. They did their
work web and are enjoying the fruits
today. They saw 1t llrst. ! maintsin
that this charge viii remain unan-
swered. What sort Of percentage
is IS per cent? This Is no matter
to get of in q room and settle Ia
a few minutes. OF course railroads
favor the bill. In no counties il
the tax rate as high as In Glitch.
Holt ignorant OF Compromises
II know Of no compromise at 10
per cent" said Mr.. Holt. and never
agreed to any such proposition Tbs
bill should be passed az 1t vas drawn
ut first Allowing cities Is per cent
In generous. You people have en-
joyed the tax for ten years. The fair
thing to do would be to give II to us
for an equal length OF time. Rich
mond xets the Southern Railway ruii-
ing stock tax because there Is tin
sign on tho Office door that says
'Headguarters.' In my city OF New
port News we have trackage OF
5000 cars and there are on an aver
age Of 1000 on the tracks. Who
gets the tax? Richmond"
Says Counties Arc Already Favored.
Counties are favored In the mat
ter Of railroad tax now" declared MI.
Hart. who thought allowing cities
only 40 per cent. was bad enouyh.
Ia A~t
the bill Of all. This Is no small is
sue. We are asked to change this
basis OF taxation for millions OF dol
isxs worth ct pxepsrty. We ~. this
tax from q principal Of elementary
law Of Great Britain. Personal prop
erty tax 10 always collected where
man lives or where . corporation has
its head Offices.
Mr.. Holt says we have enjoyed
this tax for the past ten yeara. We
have, but meanwhile the counties
have enjoyed the tar on traekase and
dcpots. Neither 10 Of any value with
out the other. II company dis
poses of it's track Its rolling stock
IA vr iue lees. and gfce ,veTsa. d. gs5:
..Slf all railroad taxes collected In
Virginia counties are now receiving
80 per cent. Citi~s get only 20 per
cent. a,N you declare this - unjust
We cannot help your GETTING the
trackage. and yet you want to come
s'oro and take the rolling stock tax
also"
House members who rushed
through tire rolling stock hill Ia tn
original form declare they will ac-
cert no rompromise. hut Will stick
nut for the mAasnra Anuortionins tbs
tax - ~ h~st INTENDED. They say