The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-12-20
REAL ESTATE MEN
URGE ADJUSTMENT
OF MORTGAGE TAX
Appear Before Senate Finance
Committee with Bill, Princi-
pie of Which is Approved
by the Majority.
Commissioner koiner Asks
Appropriation for State
Bureau of Mines. Peniten-
tiary + Funds insufficient, Says
Cohen.

Urging adjustment of what is
known as the double mortgage tax,
y. ii. Funsten, president of the Rich
mond Real Estate exchange, ad-
dressed the senate finance committee
last night. presenting "a bill which, he
declared. was designed to cure the
evil This. he pointed out. called for
fiat tax or SO cents on each slo0,
eollectibie only once during the life
or the rnortgago-upe It's recorda-
ton.
Not only would the bill do away
with the double tax. he said, but 1t
would tead to make taxpayers turn
In honest assessments.
Leroy Brown. who followed him.
described the present gystera of tax
Ing mortgages as the most obnaxlo gs
imaginable, and the greatest enemy
"a the prosperity OF the State. II
drives away many thousands Of dol
lars annually ard puts 81 premium on
fraud ana dishonesty. he declared. At
the same time Il put an imposition on
honest men.
West Speaks Against.
Senator West spoke against the
measure. declaring that Il was cal
eniated to relieve the rich man Of
heavy but equitable taxes, while the
a majority of the committee. how
ever. Indicated that 1t favored the
principle of the measure.
That the appropriation of t54. 600
allowed the peniieutiary last year for
maintenance aud support was
altogether inadequate was the
declaration Of Sam Cohen. member
" r15 board u dTFsctuFs. before tTe
senate committee on finance. AS the
high cost OF living increases ne said,
the cost # operating the State prison
Increased proportsopately. he declared.
The annual per capita cost was
Sia44s. He wanted an increase of
st least sa.0an per year. He pointed
out that the guards needed more pay
saying That most OF them receive only
ss5 per laonth. which was by not
means sufficient 70 keep the wolf from
The door. particularly If they were
married men,
Too Much Red Tape.
superintendent Wood complained
Of the red tape incident 20 getting
tailhrds cut II jaiis to work on the
public roads. He did not know the
trouble. but he could use great
many more men than he has on hand
al this sine. He said there are today
1880 men in the camps, and at work
or the roads. He~ advocated sl45. 600
Ter the road work.
'tYou give me s2,EoA per year for
the electric chair" Major Wood con-
tinued, land l spent $3.50 last year"
He went on IN explain that there
had bean a dozen executions during
the year Frequently. he said. there
are not n few persons in the deter-
ton cells awaiting electrocution They
have TO ne guarded day and night, and
that takes money.
one OF the things needed at thr
State farm said Luther Scherer, an
other director. II chapel fer the con
victs FL thought that $4,000 would
cover this expense, Value of the STATE
farm property was stated 70 he not
less than slSS.0o0 Captain Davis.
the farm superintendent said that
there we're about l4o cattle. thirty or
more horses and mules. and some
1f5 sheep en- the farm.
koiuer Asks More
Com missioner Koiuer, of the de-
partment of agriculture. after outlin-
ing In his report his accomplishments
Of the past year, stressed the necessity
81 an appropriation of $4,000 an
nually for certain improvements and
Innovations to be embraced In an
amendment to the present agr3c8l-
turai law He asked double this
amount 1iHuAAit iti eAlS gbf HtSfF VA
advertising the resources OF the State,
He regretted that the legislature of
1910 had seen ct to cut out the ap-
preparation for this purpose. Incl
dantaliy Mr. Eoiner called the at
teution Of the committee to the fact
that his department at present Is self
supporting so far as the State treas
ury liz concerned, practically all the
revenue neing obtained from coilec-
ton Of the tax on fertilizers.
labor commissioner Dcherty pre-
sented q report, brief but TO the point.
He asked an appropriation of s2,SoG
for his department of mine fnspec-
tion. created under the supervision OF
.he labor bureau, no allowance hav-
ing been made bv the Last legislature.
He itemized these wants az faliows.
Salary Of mine inspector. si;ao0 per
,ear: hotel bills of the Inspector. while
IN the roads 5000: travelling EXPENSES.
ESQ. postage, printing. etc. $3.50
Furthermore. he asked an add
fonal Inspector of factories at sal
,ry OF 81. 400 per vear with 81 90
Ser year extra for travelling expenses
and othar incidentals He now has
TWO INSPECTORS Of factories.
For Confciera.e Dead.
Mrs Norman " Rsnao1ph. repre-
senting snc HOLLYWOOD Memorial as
ISOLATION, appeared before the com
mitfee. end asked an appropriation
Of $4,000 for the perpe'nal care Of
the Confederate dead In Hollywood.
DIR. James r. Smith head Of the
Stouewall Jackson Monument corpor-
alton, ASKED an appropriation for the
equestrian monument which II ts pro-
posed to erect to the great Confed-
crate commander in Richmond. He
said $780, would he dunhcated, by
the city and this corporation.
John R. Grimes, messenger In the
State auditors office. asked for an In
crease In paw from s1,4n0 to s1.70o
per year Colonel John w. Richard
son. register OF the land ONCE. and