The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1922-04-13

a difference of only one-tenth of one
per cent
Instead of proposing a graduated
net income tax, the Republicans pro
posed u gross sales tax of one-fifth
Of one per cent on all gross sales
above $4,000. This. like the Demo
cratic measure, exempted the small
business concerns, but makes it equal
on all others. The only merit that
this tax has is that it is easily
estimated and probably it is more diff
fcult 10 dodge than is the net in
come tax. As a revenue producer it's
merits are very questionable.
"The tax on coal, oil, gas, lumber,
etc, is placed where it belongs but the
basis upon which it is determined ia
entirely unscientific, and there is no
way OF telling what it should be 1t
Is the result of comp omise and po-
Hucal iockeying. The fact that the
bill was amended on Il compromise
increasing the amount 100 per cent is
evidence Of the manner OF tax legis-
latiye enactment.
ExPensc Fund is SwelIcd
THE other sources of revenue are
the direct levieS on personal and real
estate. This has To make up for all
the other sources fail to produce. To
do this, the tax commissioner has had
$4,000 appropriated to enable him to
have the assessors or the state re-
assess real estate, especially farm
land. He has done this in the face of
IN, a, a
ucts of from 100 per cent to 300 per
cent, and decline in the value OF
farm land Of from 20 per cent to 40
per cent. He has increased the values
by from 30 per cent to 100 per cent.
agriculture in West Virginia has
been on the decline for twelve or more
years. In 1910, there were 96,6S5
farms in West Virginia, in 1920 there
were 81 ,2S9. In 1910, there were TO-
O26,442 acres in the farms of the
state, in 1920 there were 9,569, 100
acres. This smaller acreage has been
increased in assessed valuation from
$2O7 ,O75,759 in 1910 to 1901, 3O9, 7O4
in 1920. The mortgaged Indebtedness
on farm lands in West Virginia in
1910 was 1882, $500, and in 1920
1t had increased to $11 DO, $500 or
an increase of 1904 per cent. The
debt per farm in 1910 was $1,000; in
1920, 1t had increased to S1,241.OO
While there was a decrease in farms
In West Virginia in this ten year
period the total farms increased in
the United States by S6,SG4 There
was less improved land in West Viz
In I,ar -,
In this ten year period farm mort
cages increased $5,613, $4,000.
'In face Of these facts It Is
perilOus undertaking to increase
assessments of farm land arbitrarily
in order to prevent a deficit due to
unscientific taxation of all property in
the state at its true and actual value.
"As we see It, there Is but one way
to 90 about this problem. The basis
OF taxation should be determined by
a commission made up Of experts.
Said commission should be absolutely
non-pa rtisan. The bipartisan plan Is
as bad or worse than a one-party plan
because it divides responsibility and
promotes trading"
This commission should have the
authority to investigate every indus
try, every natural resource, every
business enterprise, determine the
amount Of overhead, base farm values
upon the production Of the soil under
reasonably good management. and
then fix the basis for taxation as
bank fixes the basis upon which to
declare IT'S dividends. or a partner
ship determines the profits for divi-
sion.
"If the commission has to- sit
permanently and If it costs the state
fifty, a hundred, or even FIVE hundred
thousand dollars year, yet the
results obtained by a fair, equal
and just taxation Of all property Of
value in the state will justify the ex