Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-10-24
No TAX D0DG|NG
IN ALEXANDRIA
Grand Jury Finds That Re-
turns Of Commissioner
Are Correct.
CALLAHAN PRAISED.
Charges Presented by State Auditor
Moore are 'Unfounded is Finding
of Special Jury.

The special grand jury which was
yesterday charged by Judge Louis
C. Barley of the Corporation Court to
investigate the tax returns of Alex
andria rendered a report today at
noon, in which they found that there
were no violations of the law.
The report Of the grand jury to the
Judge of the Corporation Court will
be found in full below. 1t is a source
of qualification to all Alexandrians
to know that there has been no at
tempts on the part of our citizens to
evade taxation upon personal prop
erty.
The grand jury went into the mat
ter thoroughly and gave the books
of the commissioner of the revenue i
close examination. AS had been an
ticipated, they found no discrepancies
and nothing upon which to base
complaint. The grand jury also
speaks commendatory of Commls-
sioner of the Revenue Callahan for
rs, correct manner in which ne has
j 'ned his duty.
4 report is as follows:
s g,g Honorable Judge of the Cor
IN Court, Alexandria, Va.
iorable Corporation Court:
the members of the Special
.. d Jury, in obedience to your in
.tions have examined into the
fnal cases presented to US by
Honorable, GoFamonwealth's At
ney, and have reported to the Hon
lble Court the result Of our find
IS in each case.
Following your instructions, fur
her, we have examined the books
.ihowing'the amount, and the differ
Esal4t Finds of personal property IN the
CITY of Alexandria reported for tax
alton for the year 1912. We have had
rhe Commissioner of Revenue before
us, and have gone over with him the
different schedules Of personal prop
erty for taxation as reported to the
Auditor of the Commonwealth. These
exhibits are furnished by the office
of the State Auditor, and they show
the amount of personal property for
taxation as reported for from every
City and County throughout the State.
Comparing the tax lists returned
to the Honorable Corporation Court
by the Commissioner of Revenue with
the Personal Property book for 1912,
we find no discrepancies: further,
our investigation convinces US that
no attempt has been made by the
tax payers of this city to evade tax
alton. There may be a few isolated
cases, which have not come under
our notice, where improper returns
have been made. These we are con-
vinced, are the results of the misun-
derstanding of the law bearing on the
subject of personal property taxa
tion.
As to the failures of communities,
in general, to report automobiles for
assessment, upon which the Auditor in
his suggestions to grand Jurles IN
their Investigations, seems 70 lay par
ticuar stress, we find upon examin-
alton, number of machines enumer-
ated in the list furnished by him are
not assessed. Many of the owners,
however, named in this list are not
residents of the City of Alexandra
The residents of our own City men
toned have either reported their ma
chimes for taxation, or they have pur-
chased them. since February, 1872
the date on which taxes accrue conse'
Quently, no dereliction of duty on tht
part of the Commissioner of Revenue
or intended evasion of taxation by 10
cal owners of automobiles can b'
charged. We have failed to find
single case where this class of prop
erty mad been omitted, when it shou.t
have been listed for taxation.
We recommend that the City Coun
Gil be asked to change its law as t.
the time Of commencing the assess
ment Of personal property for city
purposes, and that the time be Sc
changed that it may conform to tn,
State Law. This change, in ou