The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1914-03-28
ASSESSORS SAY
tco.si.asd Prom rirss Pare,

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Hanks OF Wheeling. assessor OF Ohio
county. J. W. Docd. Of Marrlnsburg
member OF board Of review and equal
ization OF Berkeley county. and
Homer Meirose Of Huntington. asses
sor Of c4beIl county. The report OF
the committee was read by Mr.. Dodc
and was unanimously adopted
The resolution follows: ~
your Committee on resolutions beg
leave 20 submit the following report .
WHEREAS. Our experience a. IS.
SCISSORS has proven oeyond any doubt
that the number of assistants allow ed
the assessor 10 do the work in the
time required by law 20 make the as.
sessment h insufficient 20 secure a
proper assessment. and
WHEREAS. IL i the sense OF the
assessors In attendance 1t this con.
Terence that II has been very bene-
WHEREAS, The Hors. c. W. Dbl.
lon. A. y. White. T. &. Townsend. r.
;. Nichols. Septimus Hall. r l.. Long,
/ j. b Darst and others have contrib.
nted greatly TO the benefit OF this con.
ference by the excellent speeches
made and papers read. IL is therefore
RESOLVED; F1rst-That addition.
al assistants are necessary or-t the time
extended In which TO make the assess.
ment OF property
Second-That the legislature enact
an law requiring an annual confer.
ence n assessors. assistant assessors
and members OF the hoard OF review
and equalization. the travelling and
other necessary expense Of those at.
tending to be paid out OF the state
treasury. -
Third-That the governor be re-
mendations in his next biennial or
other message to the legislature.
Fourth-That the thanks OF this
meeting is hereby extended 20 the
speakers named and TO the Hon. Fred
Z: Blue. etate tax commissioner, for
his untiring and able efforts In max.
ing THIS conference the success IL has
attained.
Credit Due Blue.
Great credit for the success OF the
conference is due State Tax Commits
sioner Blue. The program was an
excellent one and was well prepared.
ana due TO the untiring efforts of Mr.
Blue. 10 was carried out according to
arrangements. Those in attendance
heartily commended the calling Of the
conference. II indicated the progres-
sive spirit of the present incumbent OF
the Tax commissioners office, and
the lively appreciation on his part of
the benefits to be secured through a
thorough equipped stan of assessors.
Among the subjects discussed were
the following: Assessment of real es-
tate-tarn lands and improvements: :
, city lots aud improvements: timber.
manufacturing plants: coal. coal
mines. ENDORSEMENTS. oil and gas: as
sessment OF personal property-tangi-
bic property othe rthan live stock (:
Intangible property: lease holds. oil
and gas: lease holds. coal: live stock
business beginning after the first of
the year and transients: collection OF
capitations; returns for assessment
purposes: deductions on account of
! assessment on banks: and building
and loan association stock.
The subjects discussed included all
the vital points in the scheme of taxa
| ton. and were of an informing char
acter to the officials charged with the
assessment functions. leading to a
greater efficiency in the discharge of
their duties.
Dillon Makes Address.
The principal feature of today
sessions was the address this morning
OF Hon. G. W. Dillon. former state tax
commissioner. on the subject THE
True Standard" Mr.. Dillon spoke of
the tendency to get away from the
true standard of valuation. 'If every
assessor in the state would do his full
duty" he said. the revenue in the
state, in my judgment, would increase
more than one-third." The assessor
Is handicapped in his work. he added.
by the lack of public support.
Mr.. Dillon strongly advocated the
appointment of all tax gathering Of
hcials by the head OF the tax depart
ment OF the state. He said their cleo
lion Is bad policy. because they are
sometimes influenced in the admins
tration of their Office for political or
personal purposes. The speaker said
! the legislature made a mistake in re-
ducing the number OF assistants for
the assessor in each county and also
IN going back TO the first of April for
the beginning of the assessment year.
Interesting Points.
Many points which have been a
problem TO many assessors were en-
phasized. Among them are the fol-
lowing: The property of contractors
which Ia in this state April / IL sub
ject to taxation. This includes con.
tractors in charge of the construction
of dams along the Ohio river and OF
railroads in the state High assess
ment means lower taxes for all. The
selling value is the strong element in
establishment OF valuation. Make up
the land books before April I. so far
as the blotter is concerned Buildings
in court OF construction on city lots
should be assessed according 10 the
. investment on IL al the time All re-
turns should be sworn TO before ac-
cepted by the assessor Justice can
only be obtained by strict compliance
with the law. The assessor is the
most important officer who has anv.
thing 10 do with taxation A citizen
has a duty 10 perform as much as an
assessor and he is as much AT fauIt
II Re does not make n return as the
assessor Is IL he does not make the
assessment.
!. W Dodd. Assessor: Nartfnsburr
Ecfklcy county.
J.. s. Dodd Assistant Assessor. Mar.
tinsburg. Berkeley county.
w. %. Lunsford. Assessor: Weston.
Lewis county.
O.. v Tarnssh. ". OF r. and r.. ITor-
uer Lewis county
John W. Smith. r.. OF r. and y
weston. Lewis county.
NJ ~. Nutter. Assessor. Harrfsvflle
Richie county.
W =. Nuttcr. Assistant Assessor. IIar-
risville. Richie county.
inEton.
Among those who attended the -,-
ference were the following.
John Anderson. Assessor: Reckiey. Ra-
leigh county.
a. o. carter. Board ~ Review ana
equalization. Wheeling. Ohio county.
C. \. inhL Assessor: f'artersburR.
Wood county
% Phillips. Assistant Assessor. Sin.
. certify. Wotyel county.
~ y Ifudrlue. b. ~ RI ana y
Greenwood. uoddrldge county.
ID, ~. larspns. Assistant Assessor.