Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1913-07-18
REFORMS FAVORED
BY Mr.. F. M. MOSS
Suggests Abolishing Certain Offices
Which Are Not Needed Burdens
Of Taxation Unevenly Divided.


ofTaxatiOn Unevenly Divided.
Editor lthe News:-You ask
me % Anwser your question
"Wha ~ wrong with our pres
ent State Government"
Replying, | can only give you
a limited outline. In the first
place, l will say that there are
too many toll-gates for all of our
public funds to go through. BY
the time our funds reach the
purpose for which they were
intended they have paid such
frequent and heavy tolls that
there is little left to apply to the
original purpose itself.
There are too many Offices
created to accommodate political
friends. If l am not mistaken,
we have thirty judicial circuits,
and for each circuit we have an
examiner of the fiduciary of each
district who receives a salary of
two thousand dollars or above
that amount. Now, all this mat
ter could be well and legally
looked after by county clerks
for at least one-fourth of that
amount. The second auditor, |
think, could be cut out and m any
other minor offices.
In my opinion, for the purpose
of taxation, property should be
segregated. Let the tax on cor
porations and licenses pay the
expenses of running the State
government, and real estate and
personal property pay county
expenses.
This monotonous way our legis-
lature has of creating new offices
to take the state funds is being
carried to an extreme.
Our school system is in a
wretched shape. l think the ru-
raj districts, by which bulk of
the taxes are paid, get very lit
tie benefit from school funds.
For instance, we get some kind
of school six months for the low
er rgades and all the high
schools are built in the towns.
If the people of the rural dis
tricts get the benefit of the high
school they must send their chill
dren to the town at a cost of ten
to fifteen dollars month board.
1t looks like from what is go
ing on in the matter of schools
the voice of the people is en-
tirely ignored. Recently the
Superintendent of schools in Lee
county was appointed agai nst
the protest of 80 percent of the
voters, and very often men, en-
tirely unfit for the place, are put
in on account of some political
pull.
Really, l think the burdens of
taxation are unequally borne in
many ways. For instance, the
enterprising business men of the
county buy property, such as real
estate, pay interest on their
bonds, and, in addition, taxes on
the property they possess, but
really do not own. There are
many other instances of taxation
that seem unfair to me.
Now, in conclusion, while it is
generally known that | have
stood and do stand for many of
the policies of the Republican
party, | do not think all the re-
ligiOn belongs to one church or
all the good to one political par
ty. think this state neds just
what the nation thought in the
last election the Republican ad-
ministration needed-a general
over-hauling. And while / am a
Republican,, 1 shall give the Hon.
H. G. Stuart my hearty support
for next governor and l feel sure
with his superior business quail
ifications, high sense of honor
and justice, he will direct the
affairs of the state to a higher
plane, and bring about some of
the reforms l have indicated.
F. M. MOSS.
Burke's Garden, July 10Th.