The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-08
"P|EDM0NT" WRITES
ON TAX REFORM
GROWING SLOWLY, BUT IS WILL
ING TO HELP CREATE A
PUBLIC OPINION.
To the Editor virginian:

To the Editor virginian:
| Sir,-Tax reform for our old State OF
Virginia seems to be growing slowly,
and I would like to see 1t discussed
more fully In The Virginian. I think.
also, that you should continue the
series of special articles on taxation
that you printed year ago from the
pen OF Mr.. Edgar Sidenstricker. or
Lynchburg.
Ever since Virginia was Virginia our
people have been accustomed to have
every political move prepared and car
ried out for them by governing
class" or. later. by few leaders more
or less self-constituted. Since the up
heaval OF 1S6l-'65 It has taken forty
years to find ourselves" We have at
last gotten loose from the old ante
bellum ideas of democracy, that had
It's economic foundation resting on
chattel slavery We are now rebuild
ing a new Virginia on the safe and
sure foundation Of free labor, but we
are still hampered with this old tax
law that is entirely unsuited to the
year 1914.
The taxing power OF the COM
munity' Is a thing not yet realized by
us, for only professors of political
economy are supposed to know any
thing about 1t. and the subject and the
words and phrases used In explaining
the Incidence of taxation" are con-
sidered too deep and easteric for the
average man to understand.
Though we have a school OF eco
nomics at our State University. II LIS a
recent development for the State to
make any practical use Of the prin-
ciples of political economy and social
science that are taught there by DR..
Thomas w Page and his associates in
the University OF Virginia
In fact. go ingrained has the idea
become in Virginia OF government by
a class and so long has false de-
mocracy been inculcated. that the con-
nection Is lost between principles of
government and the thing itself
But I am not pessimist, and only
write these unpleasant facts to help in
starting public opinion towards the
needed work Of true tax reform" We
have DIR. Thomas w. Page as char
man of the State Tax Commission, tnat
will soon make Its report to the Legs
lature that created It. But who are
the leaders for tax reform IN Vir-
ginia, and what does public opinion
say should be done towards framing
a better law than the one we now
have that LIS 500 years old?
Answer: We have no leaders at all.
though some have shown a vague and
uncertain interest in the question that
has been really forced upon them by
dire necessity. and as to public opinion.
1t has not yet seen the cat" and con-
sequcntly there Is no public opinion at
all except the universal idea that
taxes tmy taxess are too high"
There 10 no public opinion, but /
will give mine to help form some, and
hope that other good citizens will
write their ideas on the subject. as
Mr. George E. wray. OF Chesterfield.
did In today's paper.
Our present tax law Is a copy OF
the English law. and adapted by the
fathers OF our Re- ublic. who were all
landed proprietors, owning chattel
slaves. There were no cities at that
time in Virginia, with land values as
sessed by the SCARE foot. No rail-
roads worth 100000 per mile. No
| franchise values in public service cor
porations worth millions Of dollars.
etc The expense OF government had
to be raised as bet they could. SO
they levied taxes on business trade. oc-
cupation. etc. and on the small value
iof their plantation land and farm
stock, etc.
| This custom OF putting taxes and
licenses on business. buildings. I'm
Iprovcments. capital. and on the
products OF labor. started rs q neces-
sity. but It has grown into a great
abuse, and, furthermore. there Is no
longer the need for It. as land
values' that started at zero In tho
time Of Pocohontas have grown to the
point where they alone will furnish
the tax basis for all the expenses of
CONTINUED on Third pnre