Jackson County journal., 1919-07-18
A LETTER FROM
THE GOVERNOR TO
Mr.. AVERAGE CITIZEN
My dear Mr.. Average Citizen:

you, extending over number of
years, leads me to write you this
intensely personal letter. l know
that you love the truth, that you
despise injustice, that you are al
robust champion of the square deal.
The possession by you of the cardi-
nal virtues makes North Carolina a
truly great State.
The most vital power of the State
is the power to tax, and you believe
that this vital power should be ex-
ercised with a full knowledge of the
truth. You believe that from this
full knowledge of the truth there
will flow perfect equality in taxa
ton.
For the first time in the history
If the State you. Mr.. Average Citi-
zen, have it in your power to write
the full truth and perfect equality
in the tax books of the State. You
have never been called upon to do
this before. Indeed. you have never
been permitted to do this before.
But now the General Assembly has
enacted a law that places the mat
, ter entirely in your hands. Tie
new tax law is written on correct
principles. The machinery for its
enforcement is adequate and appro-
pirate. The law is so written that
it will be easy for the citizen to do
right. But on you, Mr.. Average
Citizen, rests the responsibility Of
determining whether or not the
wise and just purpose of the law
shall be carried out.
Z Now. Mr.. Average Citizen, you
will receive Questionnaire and
will be called upon to swear before
God and to all your fellow-citizens
what is the fair market value of
your property. When you come to
take this solemn oath it will be
helpful to you to put to your own
conscience this question: If | did
not own this property. but wanted
to buy it, what would be justified
in paying for it?' and, again: If
wanted to sell this property, not a
forced sale, but in the way ane
on the terms that property of thi:
class is generally sold in this com
munity, what do really believe
could get for it?" The answer tt
these questions will point with rea
sonable accuracy to the fair marke
value of your property. This fai
. market value you must write dow
in your questionnaire, else you viii
cease to be Mr.. Average Citizen an
: become Mr.. Undesirable Citizen.
When you, MIR. Average Citizel
: tell the truth about your propert!
= it will do no good for your neighbo
:, Mr.. Undesirable Citizen, to tell
" lie about his property, becaus
when the books show truly whs
the property of Mr.. Average Citize
is worth, this evidence will clearl
IN and conclusively show what tn
ne property of Mr. Undesirable Citize
ed lis worth. The local and distri'
us assessors, when they come to
tn the value of property. will be 90
ne erned by the sworn testimony
n Mr.. Average Citizen.
And when you. Mr.. Average Ct
90 izen, tell the unvarnished tru
II about your property, that truth W
an wipe out every discrimination al
e. every inequality in taxation
North Carolina True values a
Y always equal values, but the gre;
est expert cannot equalize a SER
- of falsehoods.
When all the property in the Ste
shall be placed on the books at
. fair market value, many benef
will accrue to you. Mr.. Avers
Citizen.
~ /. You will have the great sat
- faction of knowing that the rect
written by all the people of
State is a true record and not