Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1921-05-27
,iALLANAN WANTS ALL
ASSESSORS TO WORK
THROUGH WHOLE YEAR
Denies Request OF One Who
Would Also Teach.

Charleston, May 24-State Tax
Commissioner Walter S. Hallanan
considers the work of the assessors
an all the year job" and is trying
TO break them from the old habits
OF deyoting but small part OF the
year to assessment work and per-
haps spending the rest OF the time
at something else He thinks the
matter OF assessing the property of
THE states citizens deserves the
most careful attention and that il
can not be done in haphazard
way with the assessors devoting
nine months or so of the year to
ether occupations.
L was for this reason the legisla-
fure vas persuaded to. change the
time of making assessments from
April / to January l. 1t had become
the custom among assessors to start
their assessment work the first of
April, to make their final reports
abt',t the last OF June and then pay
no further attention to the work UNI
I'll the first of the next April.
The fact that satisfactory assess
hnents could not &c made in this
manner caused Mr.. Hallanan to
recommend the change in the time
OF making assessments. The new
plan will now keep the assessors
busy from the first of January to
the last of June and Mr. Hallanan
IS trying to make it so they will de-
vote the rest OF the year to the
work OF familiarizing themselves
with values and properties. so they
may act intelligently when the new
assessment starts.
In emphasizing his views on this
matter. Mr. Hallanan has written
to one assessor, who had asked that
he be allowed to teach a term of
school. protesting against his doing
so. In the letter the state tax com
missioner said:
II am in receipt of your letter OF
May 16 advising that the board OF
education of your district desires
YOU to take charge of school for a
few months this winter, and in
curing whether or not such contem
plated employment would in any
way interfere with your work as as
Replying. | beg to advise that,
as a general proposition | do not
think it good policy for an assessor,
under the present law, undertake
the responsibility of a teacher in
the public schools during his term
of office; and for the reason, that.
We are trying, as you know. 10 get
out OF the old ruts in the matter OF
assessments in this state. Our
views of it Is that il property is
carefully and conscientiously as
sessed at its true and actual value
that the time Of the assessor will
necessarily be occupied throughout
the year, and for this reason we
have tried to fix the compensation
of the assessor on such a basis as
would fully justify the assessor in
tievoting all of his time to the work.
IF the public is satisfied that the
assessor is considering each proper
~ in his county as a separate and
distinct problem with view to as
pertaining its true and actual value
for assessment purposes. 1t will be
fully satisfied and there will be
very few appeals from his action:
hut If the public is not satisfied
that the assessors OF the state are
thus laboring with view to Just
and accurate assessments there will
be a great clamor, and justly so,
from people generally. Or course
am aware that there is a feeling in
some Of the counties OF this state,
and especially in the rural counties.
that the assessor can do his work
within a few months. And this very
idea was one OF the barriers which
we had to overcome in the legisla
ture in order to get increased COM
pensation and assistance for the as
SCISSORS"