Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1922-06-15
Republican State Tax Commissioner
Arbitrarily Takes Charge of As
sessment in Fayette County
to Boost Property Values
WAVE OF RESENTMENT SWEEPS STATE
Newspapers Rise up to Protest c. o. p.
Plan to Obtain Funds to Meet De-
fieit in Increased Operating Ex-
penses of State Government

In exercising the wide authority in
vested in him by the Republican legis-
lature to get the money" to meet the
millions Of dollars increase In operat-
Ing expenses of the state government,
authorized ut the last session, Water
s. IIallanan, Republican state tax com
missioner, has arbitrarily removed from
authority the duly elected assessor
OF Fayette county and placed in his
stead Republican trained mOney-get-
ting experts with specific instructions
to boost property values In Fayette.
The action OF the tax commissioner,
coming as an official announcement
from his Office, heralds the first open
break In the volcano OF resentment
against the program of the tax COM
missioner and the Republican state
administration which has been smoul-
dering In every nook and Granny OF
the state. Indications are that the
opposition Will not be confined entire
ly to Fayette county, but will spread
rapidly among the assessors in numer-
GUS other counties.
"Must Increase" He Is Ordered.
r. Il. Rookie Is the assessor of Fay
cite who declined to enter wholeheart-
eddy into the PLAN Of the tax commits
sioner to increase the assessment OF
property upon explicit instructions
from the commissioner. Mr. Rookie,
according to Fayette county newspa-
pers which, along with the majority
OF property owners of the county are
backing the assessor in his refusal
to carry out explicitly the edict of the
state tax commissioner, received In
structions from the commissioner that
he must increase" all property valua-
tions In the county. He was given to
understand, 1t is said, that the valua-
tlonS SHOULD be doubled mt least.
In taking the assessment OF Fayette
county property into his own hands,
Commissioner Hallanan has announced
that he Will send n corps of deputy
assessors from his office into Fayette
county. who are not acquainted with
local conditions, to see that the prop-
erty for taxation purposes Is proper
~" boosted. This additional heavy
assessment expense must he met by the
county court, Mr.. Hallanan says.
Discussing the plan editorially. the
Fayette Democrat, published by J. F.
Phillips. remarked before Mr. Halla-
nan carried ont his threat to take
charge Of the assessment in Fayette:
I'VE note with interest an article
which states that the assessments in
Faycttc county have been Increased
over six million dollars this year, and
that unless the assessments are given
further increase the tax commission
or will take charge of our books and
make the assessments To his own lik-
Ing, The reason given is that when
the valuation Is increased the levy
can he reduced. Some hosh,
"Stomachs Full OF Normalcy."
"Our stomachs have been filled with
normally and political trickcry. and
" our property valuation is to be in
creased, why not he frank and state
the facts To the people? Tho facts
are that the state officials are now
spendin" approximately thirty per cent
more Of tho peoples money in salaries
and other expenses in conducting our
state government than has heretofore
been expended"
Tho instructions going out to asses
sOrs from the tax commissioners Office
IT is said make no reference To de-.
creaSinG property valuations where
they might have been previously os-
sesSCd too high. II is obligatory uDnn
thc assessors 10 h0pg- Tho r,trS union