The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-31
TAX REFORM IMPERATIVE.

y
.nvostiga,ion Of the grand jury which
las been in session there for the last
few, weeks The examination of the
personal property books Of the COM
r.issioners OF the revenue has yielded
hat additions source Of revenue TO
tho state. The tax-dodgers are sim
acins ferreted out and brought 20
BOOK IL vas no idle threat of Auditor
81 public Accounts Moore's when he
aeclared az the outset that the tax
c,adcrs and the taxpayers who had
...iS-akenly under-asses sed themselves
would have 20 come 10 account. lie
proclaimed war. and IN county after
county and city after city his dread
summons has been read. so that,
,1het her their original returns were made
~ fraud or mistake. the under-assessed
and the nonassessed have turned into
INC state treasury thousands upon
thousands OF dollars that would have
am in private pockets had there been
io thc office OF Auditor of Public
Accounts less determined and less
courageous man.
The people who in taxation have done
-hc things they ought not TO have done
and left undone the things they ought
20 have done are startled because
auditor Moore has ordered that all
taxable property must hereafter be
assessed for taxation according 10 law.
Heretofore. the tax laws have been
putty statutes 10 be nodded to suit
individual desire. People have lately
been rushing IN crowds to invest
in nontaxable securities, altogether
forgetting that such action. as tenn
porary oxpedient for evading the
assessor. l. valueless. Even in Rich
nond II has been estimated that in
TWO months $40. 600 coo has been invested
Tor the purpose OF getting around the
taxgatherer. Nontaxable bonds have
shown marked advance in less than
a month"; certain sign Of unusual
demand
Probably no surer sign Of the be
lief that Mr.. Moore is IN earnest could
be seen than the facts stated above
those relating to the advance in nom
taxable securities and the haste 20
invest in them. comments the Lynch
burg Advance. declaring that our
publication q these facts. itself ~
a service and adding that The
Timce-Dispatch Is 10 be commended
FOR rs work in stimulating more
efficient enforcement OF our tax laws.
The Virginia Gazette Is Of the
opinion that
state Auditor c. Lee Moore Is on
MS lob just how unpopular he be
comes depends upon just how honest
Tho public Is when II solemnly and
with great gusto declares Il wants
public officers who DO their duty.
No longer will the man who enjoys
=. fine income sit cOmpiacently on the
I'D % MS money box while the poor
farmer l. being mulcted out Of the
last farthlng claimed by the state
The man with . safety deposit box
fi!u Of securities IN some out-of-t0vrn
bank sometimes out-Oi-StateI VIII
either have =. pay his stipend 20 his
state or .persure himself. with the
chances Of being sent 70 jail And
with such an active public servant as
g. Lee Moore after him he Is very likely
sooner or later 70 be treated 10 few
months behind prison bars Auditor
Moore has no night 20 question law.
H. Justice or It's fairness. u IS only
ms duty 20 enforce -. Virginia owes
him q debt Of gratitude for seeing
nat her tax laws are given their real
meaning The tax Godger Will hate
niu ike 'pizen' but the real men Of
Virginia wiil applaud his course and.
Nhcn ne time comes, reward him.
Tho Gazette adds that she AK
avs q Virginia may be old and anti
o.afod and blrdensome. but the best