The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-10-05
SEES NO JUST CAUSE
FOR COMPLAINTS
Chief Executive Says State Has
Cheapest Government and
Pays Less Taxes Than Any
Other Progressive Civilized
People In Any Country On
Earth

tdIUl
Governor Craig was asked this
morning by the newspaper men if he
would say anything as to the action
of the Corporation Commission in
raising assessments in a large number
Of counties.
IL would not mind saying something
on this subject he replied. cit is
very important, and deeply concerns
all the people of the State. The Cor
poration Commission does not ap-
praise property for taxation. 1t has
been invested by the General Assem-
bly, with power to eQualize the assess
ments in all the counties of the State.
mo one can deny that the burden
of taxation hould be eQuitably dis
iributed. If one county pay less than
its due proportion of taxes, then an
other county must pay more than its
due proportion. No county desires to
suffer this wrong or to profit by it.
1t is not denied that the property of
the State is not assessed at It's real
value. Under our present method and
custom of appraiSement the property
in some counties must necessarily be
assessed at q greater per cent of its
real value than is the property in
other counties. If this inequality be
allowed to exist, some counties will
pay less than their due proportion OF
taxes, and some will pay more. h
counties themselves are not in a po-
sition to correct this i%nequity and to
remedy this wrong. For this reason
the State Tax Commission has been
vested by the General Assembly with
the power.
Duty of Commission.
eff it should come to the attention
of the Corporation Commission that
under the appraisement made by the
counties an injustice was about to be
done, it is the duty of the Corpora
ton Commission to correct this in
equality by raising or by lowering the
appraisement in certain counties. A
responsibility has been placed upor
this Commission by the people. The
Commission cannot avoid 1t.
The Corporation Commission has
made an earnest and courageous eff
fort to equaliZe appraisements II
North Carolina, and the Commission
has acted after thorough investigator
and careful consideration. l hav'
carefully examined some of the com
plants filed with the Commission
most strenuously pressed. 1t has ZEE
shown on the hearing of these com
plants, to the satisfaction of over,
one who has given them impartia
consideration, that the complaint
should not AVE been made, n tina
the petition for lowering the assess
ment should not " been granted
IN some instances the people VIII
came before the Commission nav
frankly admitted that their conten
lions could not be sustained. IL ma
been apparent from the hearings tina
have been held that the Commisslo
was right, hat the raise in the assess
ment was demanded by equity an
justice.
No Man Should Shirk.
The principal contention has bee
that the Commission should not haN
raised appraisementS at this time Q
account of the depressed business COZ
ditions. This contention cannot I
maintained. This is the year deslt
mated for the q~uadrennial aSseSsmel
of real property. If times be har
if the burden of taxation be heavy,
man and no county should desire
shirk. If we stagger under the loa
every mar should tote his part. II
people of North Carolina love Justlc
They have an earnest desire to {
right, n when they consider tn
subject in it's true aspect, they W
not say that this raise in the a.
praisement was made at an inoppo
tune time. If inequity exists, eve
man desires the correction as soon
possible.
TT has been said that the people
the State are everlastingly opposed
h payment Of taxes. l do not o
aieve this. They are everlastingly o
posed to the payment of unjust tax
Each man is everlastingly opposed
nouip~ roora fhon hiC irYct nrnnnrfl