The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-07-15
THE JUDGES AND VARIATIONS.

III JUDGFS N VALUATIONS.
In the opinion Of the IIarr1sonbnrg Record.
Herald the Judges Of the State who have lee.
sured so faithfully on the duty Of more honest
returns Of property for taxation deserve little
or no credit for the Increased valuation iDdf.
Gated by reports to Auditor Moore. The Record
Herald thinks the results are caused by the
unickened and aroused consciences of the peo.
pie. The Ftr0iHiaH believes the judges did much
OF the work Of arousing conscience. In some
instances they We're notably fearless and frank
In going into details and not only pointing out
The Inconsistencies and defaults in the counties
in which they We're sitting. but in taking IN
special neighborhoods Of those counties and
showing where and how property owners were
doing injustice 10 the State and their fellow
citizens. These vigorous and sometimes rather
%scathing admonitions had obvious effect, The
people Of Virginia have the good habit Of Civ.
ing respectful heed to what Is said by a Judge
on @the bench, BY inherited instinct they re-
we're the office. Anybody can realize this who
has observed the intense attention given by the
people in a Virginia county court house to the
utterance of a judge-with whom personally and
in private life many of his hearers are on
familiar and some on unfriendly terms.
There was not only the effect OF what the
Judges said on the public conscience. but an
appeal to other considerations There was
strong suggestion of the prospect, uncomfortable
TO part Of the population, OF having returns
thoroughly reviewed and discussed by coed
1urics, composed Of men Intimately acquainted
with the facts and local and comparative values.
Men who might disregard the urging and re-
Dukes OF a Judge may be moved 10 pay some
additional dollars TO the public funds by the
fear Of having their estimates of their own
possessions subjected TO the scrutiny of neigh
bors and reported upon formally and publicly.
Commissioners Of the revenue. also, might be
epurred to additional diligence and regard for
The rights of the State by the thought of ad-
verse grand jury reports on their official
ronduct going into the permanent records of the
tourt, Such a report is likely to impair a
mans political prospects, The grand jury In
this State Is a formidable. sometimes a terrible,
yorce.
Virginia people. like people everywhere, fall
tnto and become victims Of habit and lax meth
DDS and WAYS. For that reason active, asgres-
Five executive officers are valuable and necessary
I'VE have had, In the last ten years. a series
OF what may be called crusades and awaken
sngs. Superintendent Eggleston led in a move.
snent for better public schools and more of them
and did great work. Highway Commissioner
Wilson has stirred the general conscience and
. sense to understanding Of the need for public
roads. The health department, dairy and food
department. the department of agriculture have
been active in arousing thought and have
brought great results. of permanent advantage.
Now Auditor Moore has pushed on popular at
tention the question Of tax returns and valua-
tions. He has had the cordial support OF the
courts and the press and has brought results.
When Virginia people have proved to them and
impressed upon them that there is good sense,
justice and ~propriety in any suggestion, they
will act on II promptly and generally.
In the matter Of tax valuation the judges
have peculiar opportunity for activity and for
cooperation with the executive department and
many OF them have been quick to give their
services, They are entitled TO the thanks of
the State. We agree with the N~cos-Reoord
that some permanent system for valuation
should be adopted by the general assembly. The
work OF d~eyistng md forming such a system
must be done with extreme care and will oe,
mand the best thought and studY that can be
81 plied. Provision must be made for the con.
slant changes in relative values. for decreases
and increases resulting from natura. political
and commercial causes. We can have no hard.
faSt fixed standards Of value 1t will not do