Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-01-12
MAY T.F.RYAN AGAIN
Campbell County Case Likely to
Bring Another Call Upon Pocket
book of Multi-Millionaire.

Thomas Fortune Ryan succeeded II
getting rid of the state OF Vlrginis
and possible back taxes that ne may
owe by reason of giving up his lega
residence in Virginia. On the way tt
the supreme court of appeals is
case which will govern the Ryan al
fair, and if the county of Camphci
shall win in it's efforts to force the
United Cigarette Machine Company
to pay county and district taxes fo1
the several years prior to 1912, thei
Mr.. Ryan will be asked to produce
and to produce freely, to adjust the
difference that he really owed and the
sum which he paid to thu county oil
Nelson.
At the last session of the legisla-
ture an act was passed which for-
ha1e counties and municipalities 20
90 back further than three years IN
the collection of omitted taxes. That
there was a lobby in Richmond, for
that purpose is known far and wlde
"a lobby that was powerful, convinc-
ing, hard-working and the members
Of which are not noted for their phil
.nthronic work. These lobbyists
mingled freely with the legislators;
they talked with them; they appeared
before committees, and the bill man
aged to get through both houses In
spite of the fact that the attention
of the members was called to the
provisions of the measure. Persons
owning intangibles could hide them,
whereas owners of real estate and
personal property were made to pay
They could not escape. The man
who owned a house or farm worth
$4,000 could not escape, while the
man viii, 100000, of bonds, stocks
money and securities could evade the
assessors with ease, and this they
did, as reports of examiners of re-
ccrd show. The result was that the
most vicious form Of class legis!a-
ton was enacted. The man with the
real estate was made to pay up, and
the man with twenty times as much,
which property was paying handsome
dividends, walked away and pock-
eted his revenues and smiled.
1t is impossible under the constltn-
ton of the state to compromise
with persons owing state taxes. But
the legislature inhibited counties and
districts from going back for more
than three years. 1t was on this
basis that Mr.. Ryan settled, but the
has been raised whether the
general assembly can enact meas
ure which deprives counties and dis
tricts of their taxes. Lawyers o1
wide reputation and much experience
hold that such is not within the pro-
vince of the legislature; that TO at
tempt to do this is contrary to the
spirit and the letter OF the
constitution special privileges 20
none, equal rights to all.
Should the supreme court hold that
the counties have the right to I'M
pose and collect the back taxes for
all the years that they have been
owing, then Mr.. Ryan will face a
suit-in case he fails to pay-to COM
pei him to settle for the eight years
in which he failed to pay. And the
county and district rate is ve-y
much heavier than the state rate, so
that by the time all the taxes are
assessed and interest added. Mr.,
Ryan will, it is understood, be forced
to contribute tc the county of Nelson
and the district in which he has his
home more than S1,000,00O.