The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1915-03-05

bee 6gSa u.s. IL viii result in "a large tax bill
Hud ne therefore makes "a very conserve.
| NV" value. And so IL Is that a.. fIr.H
mat the farm lands among other lands
are taxed more than their Just share.
that IN" smaller dwellings and homes .,r
the middle class or what Mr. Iin..Ir
called the plain people" pay more taxes
m proportion TO their value than tho
MONIES OF the rich. and that other prom
'lN h'll I'm CumparatiN ely small amount
VIII generally pay more taxes than IA,
same Kind OF property which - held In
large amounts.
MAKE Matters Worse.
lheS" things alone coudcm the aI
Nalurem system. BUT when M. 1FF b..
These tho iuCcntiN, 60 uuuervaluy prov.
cry IN each county iu order that tff.
county may not pay more than its iIr-f
shait OF the state levy, We make q bad
cradle state taxes based upon IA. ssTI,
assessment at county taxes ~ b. of ir-
lerest 90 every county that its assess
Therefor. there came into existence
lh' policy TO raise the requisite local
5s ....SS.1 by high rate applied < low
amount might be raised for county utlr-
poses, the share contributed rs tho
county To- the state treasury should b.
made as low as possible In couunriepu
with that furnished by other cuuntiee."
The Tax Commission declared that
IN" Strirtr~t Injunction of law and tGt
most express oaths required OF tax puy.
,LH ana assessors have not awaited TO
~.
add the natural and effective way 10
81" ihal D. To provide the state with
revenues from sources with which the
counties have nothing to DO so that the
assessment tu each county for its pur.
poses win have no influence upon the
taxes Co Dc paid iu other countiea."
ANA while 81 o. 60 be said that no
u"uht much has been done under the
new tax laws hy tho state Tax Commis-
ths-" faults, yet the difficulties are in
h'r'Ht ~ the s{stem. The new tax
|fHF Is a.
the Tax Commission OF 1902. provided
Tor only one assessment IN each county
50 that there might be. as far as nos.
slhlr' one standard On each county. and
they placed the assessment year back
% January first. But the beginning or
me aNS.N in'ut wear has been changed
20 April hrgt and thus the too short
ilmr allowed On" ass ssors has still
ploy more assistants. aud for every as
sl~tant en- ploNed and 70 81 Impossible
that a considerable number should be
different standard. because scarceIv any
tw" men Will agree about the value OF
not nfty-hye different standards onlv.
but you have as many different stan
darls OF assessment as YOU have men
II b. quite within reason and Justice
90 say that every cont added 60 lew
for state purposes based ON such as
tc" and inequality among tax PAYERS.
We ought, therefore. 10 work back -
- direct lew fn~ state uu~DoseH
Quotes Tax Report.
beg Co. quote O. paragraph from the
report ~ the tax commissioner 81 1902.
swing tho conclusion. rftcr a discussion
Of the subject.
Early in its deliberations. tho com
mission war impressed with the import
ancc Of raising revenues sufficient for
general state purpose. and frr the
states share uf tho support 81 free
schools without lsyyiUg any tax upuu
property real or personal In tho state 81
that plan were possible. Slight invcsti-
CATION served fu prove that tho lcyyIug
"f such n tax resulted iu gross fnequq1i-
ties among counties and iu consequence
put hHrdrh hips upon some counties In
som" counties both real and personal
property are assessed az much larger
percentage Df their real value than in
other counties This % course resuIfa
assessed az more nearly its value paving
much more than their fair proportion ur
the taxes for general state purposes and
state school purpose 80 plan Inns
heretofore been employed by which vat
nations in the several counties on the
state could be made anything like equal
or uniform. As consequence Of this
want OF uniformity and equality In taNa-
ton results. 90 that while our
sfafufls appear t1 b. in accordance with
Tho provisions % our constitution that
taxation should b. equal and uniform.
DO" result reached under those statutes
81 not equal ard uniform. % seems 60
avoid This injustice le Co relieve property
from 'arutiuu for state purposes. Or
that Do done. characterization and over.
valuations lu one county would not iu
tcontinued on Page Hins)