Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1916-10-07

lie then said no. but commenced TO
reprimand me for making per
cent reduction then asked him
where he lived and he told me Buck
harmon, West Virginia. and | do not
deny that said to him very empbat-
ically that did not want and did not
propose 10 heed the dictates from
anyone from the mckleberry and
bnekwheat fields Of Buckhannon 70
tell me the values of real estate in
berkeley, county; that | believed
was a past master over him in that
capacity in this county and our IN.
terview came to an end at once
Kind readers may ask who mott
fled the officials at Charleston that
the reduction was being made, who
wrote the letter or carried the mes
sage. who sent for Mr. Hough to see
TO it that your taxes should be made
higher in this county? l did not
Now let's come to a close. In the
Board of Reviews letter they state
that | reduced the property to 50 per
cent and they put it back to 100 per
cent Is this not considera bic
amount of presumption? Who is the
authority to know when all real es-
tate is at 100 per cent? Is not the
board as liable to err as the asses
sor, who visits the farm and proper.
ty before he lays value? The facts
are that the members OF the BOARD
Of Review have simply changed their
minds but have not changed mine
and as a prophet about what the
Board of Public Works was going to
do is better known by the report
which was submitted on August 9Th
and instead of putting back upon the
railroads the increase value of 1926
100000 that board reduced the rail
roads another $109.00000, making it
a reduction for the railroads of $326-
10000 or $76.000.00 more than a quar-
ter OF million Now MIR. Taxpay-
err believe that public office is pub
lie trust and If anyone can convince
me why less than one-third OF the
real estate should have this large re-
dnetion and the other two-thirds not
made equal | am ready to listen to
that argument but | think it will take
more than a Paul before King OF
Grippa to convince me and also to
convert you
Some political critic perhaps may
say that | favor the reduction for po-
iitical influence. want to say en-
that If this reduction had
have been made in 1913 from the rail
roads | would have favored the other
reduction upon the other two-thirds
| would have advocated it in 1915
but you must remember that the
Board of Public Works does not sub.
init its estimate to the clerks of the
courts until after the assessor has
finished his work of assessing II
that same political critic may | ask
him why were these reductions made
from the railroads perhaps that was
done for politics. | do not know why
but do know that it has been done.
In the campaign Of 1912 | made no
particular promises except that
would do my duty as | saw it but
want to say to the voters of Berkeley
county now that if am elected |
this reduction is made and | will give
you some facts why.
AS / already stated. it was not fair
to reduce one set of taxpayers with
out reducing the other. am now
going to call your attention to some
of the values of our s.ste rcounty.
Jefferson, No farm land in jefferson
county is assessed over $4,000 per
acre not even any of the Henry DAY.
export estate now owned partly by
Messrs. Wall and Burns. the Ebert
land just east of the show grounds at
Charles Town with fine orchard and
barn and | know it because / helped
TO build the barn. which sold some
years ago at>pubHc auction for S139
per acre. is assessed at $4,000. A
little further from town William Nc
Quilken with fine orchard. Frank Nc
Quilken, Staley heirs. ID. l.. Magrud-
er and Charles Lemen all OF this
land is close to our border assessed
from $1,000 to $500 per acre and i
could give many more incidents but
/ do not want to take any more Of
your valuable space. Some critic
may again say that | am advocating
raise of Jefferson county property
] want TO say that Jefferson county
is known TO have the best roads in
the state no toll gates and is get
ting by with values from - to 30
per cent less than Berkeley county
and she deserves to be congratulated.
but am looking to the future with
the Virginia debt staring us in the
face Is it right that Berkeley coun
~ should pay more than her share
and 10 orchard land in Jefferson
county is increased on account of or
chard over their farm lands? VIII
that not injure the sale of our fruit
land when II is known when we have
some fruit land here assessed as high
as $4,000 per acre.