Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-22

tho city trcasurcrs Office to nay he
| taxes. He Just naturally hates i,
whether the taxes are little or big mo
man rich or poor makes no difference
| Add TO this universal truth the fact
that IN Salem the taxpayers house or
ms factory, or his store had i,si honn
/ burned down over his head and that
the city was now demanding that bo
pay larger tax on that identical prop.
cr'F, and you get some faint concep-
non OF tho feeling III salem
salem had never seriously ticpar,cd
from tho biblical sentiment apper,.in
ihG 10 It's name. Those old I,uritan=
"ho founded IL got ii out OF the second
verse OF the scv"nty-sixth Psalm. an
salem also is Ills tabernacle and Ills
dwelling place In Zion" salem was
one oil tho two cities that Afterwards
became Jerusalem. the other being
Jcbru and 1t means city or peace. :.
| for the few months following tho
action OF the commission in raising
taAes the modern Salem was about
~ peaceful AS prize fight The
i-told-y ou-so's'' were out in force. .rd
/ 'hc most popular paEtimc WAS dnmnin.-
the commission.
Needing onc-th!rd more money. tho
commission was confronted by two
! possible methods. 1t could leave ~
assessed value as II WAS and increase
the TAX levy. or leave the tax levy
1 ''''''N - VAC anu increase tn.
mchis. On some incNplicablc thoo-y
the commission figured that II /, ~,
! creased the assessments The fact tha,
/ IL was collecting more money wouid
not b" 50 kccnly folt by the fellow VINO
para IT. 1t evidently thought This
mo"'u DC more Indirect. aud. there
i"r" less objectionable This ,rrrod
out 10 he "A bad move II was hard
enough to have to pay more taxcs h,,t
10 reel mat tho city government had
tricd 10 TOOL you--and a lot Of pconle
icit mat way--was adding insult Ia
injury
,ln1pn!crs Pctitioncd for Change.
nc taxpayers got mad, not wholly
ol their own accord. however Tho
men who had always opposed the cor,
mission idea vcic charged with fo
me ming tn" dissatis faction. Here wn.
thcir opportunity TO discrcdit tho .on-
i1iss:on. They blamed the form OF .,y
eminent and the commission. ipsi,,d
LOT the fire. for the increase in taxes.
In three days 1000 voters signed a
Ieiition for n change from tho COM
mission plan back TO the old system
FRIENDS Of tho commission were fight,
ing. zoo, and trying Ia explain that it
WIS tho peculiar situation Of tho town.
And rot the form Of government tina:
! was 10 blame. That criticism ard
opposition were widespread is indi-
Gated by tho petition OF 1000 voters
SUCH a petition could not he obtained
| in such short time unless feeling was
! running high and wide
Nacn the contest WAS at its height
the commission brought more condcm-
nation down its head by the az
SCISSORS untactfuI handling OF con-
plants of property owners about their
assessments. The opponents OF the
commission system succeeded in ha wing
referendum called for last November,
for settlement Of the controversy at
the rolls. and they defeated commits
sion government by n scant majority
CT $50 in total of about 10000 woes.
Mayor and Eleven Aldermen.
Four forms of government were Of
fcrcd at the refercndum: the existing.
commission form: the commissior-
| city manager form: IA Mayor with a
Counc!i elected at large. and d Mayor
with pat OF the Council elected at
| large and part from the warls. Tho
| last form. WAS adopted Undrr IT, Sa-
| lam now has, instead or commission
! of five. u Mayor elected at large. five
Aldermen elected at large aud six Al
| derincn elected ono from cacn of six
wards. Under tho commission plan. all
| heads of departments were appointed .
| b. tho commission. Under the new
plan. heads Of departments are ar
pointed by the Mayor hut must be
confirmed by the Council Removals
can only be made by a majority OF the
| Council. on recommendation ~ tho
| NaNor. The theory Of Centralized an-
thorit" and responsibility is discarded.
| Instead. the business Of tho town il
| conducted by the Mayor and live Al
| dcrmcn. answerablc to tho whole city,
| and six Aldermen, answerable to their
| own wards.
| The old CITY Hall gang" at Salem
| Is haFpy, and the rcformers arc In the
d'ildrums. situation just opposite
| tha; or three years ago. On the othc.'
hand. the rcformcrs arc now the at
| tackihc party and the City Hall crowd
| is on tho defensive. Criticism OF c,ty
government Will come from the camp
| that spent three years defending cry
| governments. and from them, also at
| The earliest possible moment, will come
an effort to redeem Salem. AS they
| term il. from tho isolated distinction
| o! being the only backsidcr in tho