Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1922-04-28
TAXPAYER IS
BETWEEN TWO
CROSS FIRES
National Administration Ham
mering Down Value of His
Service. and State Govern
ment Rulers Boosting
Property Values

A'''''''-' 'lNii cow lllt' Val
ue ~ his services ANA PROPERTY and
The Republican, state administration
ana local governments "raiS;ny the
rates. and the assessed valuations in
"'Hr! /" meet III" deiici, in stat. op.
Grating costs rs The result nf high sal
aries. "NtraNHGaEce and WASTE the
taxpayer al IVES; VIRGINIA iS caught
between cross fires.
That is The opinion Of former United
VIII" has made Il close study Of the tax
situation and who discusses it durin.
the course Of an interview with a
Charleston news writer.
In referring I" the pan Of Stat. Tax
commissioners Waiter s. Hallanan,
winch Is NOW being put into effect by
count! assessors, 20 boost property val
uati"nS at Il time when the tax burden
! Is especially heavy and the revenue un
usual! hEhi. 10y increasing property
assessments with the promise ;hat some
time in the future that state leSisla-
tnre might lower the assessment rate
by authorizing Il constitutional amend
meni Tor the people 70 vote upon. Sen
| a'or Chiffon says:
Some May Be "EquaIized"-
THE word 'eQualizins' has Il friend
~ sound, but when it is used for the
arowed purpose OF getting more mnoey
Tor the treasury everything vanishes
but the sound. The taxpayers dread
the lottery OF Equalization that has
for its object the raising of more money.
After the process is over, some will be
'equalized,' some shaken down and
others black jacked'"
Senator Chiffon says the tax rate
and the tax burden in West Virginia.
Have reached the danger point, even
FOR prosperous times; but for these
days of 'nornalcy' they are ringing
alarm bells that spell calamity"
The issues of the coming campaign
| nave beer made, Senator Chiffon SAYS.
In the state. we find the highes; tax
bill ever presented to the people, and
II comes with the apology that more
Is needed and with the threat that if
fhe assessment now going forward does
not produce more. then probably the
legislature will be called into extraol-
binary session TO provide means for
| meeting a deficit. Since the las; lesis-
! laturc was Republican,, by n two-thirds
| majority, in both branches, and has
been controlled by that party from
1913 till the present time, and never
forgetting that the Democrats have not
controlled both branches since 1898,
there is no trouble to fix the blame or
praise for this condition. When one
examines the pay rolls of the various
departments. and notes the regularity
| and persistence with which salaries
| have been raised and new offices Great
ed, one of the chief reasons for the
size Of the tax bin, The apprehensionS
o! :; deficit become apparent. The ec.
fcrt /" increase valuations on the as
| SCISSORS h"kS j. subject 10 many criti-
| cSIuS.
Hammer Down Earning Power
'Thc>e are days Of national de
| flaiion. promised in the Rrpuhiran
platform on which Mr.. Hardin. was
elccted--"ne promise that his admin
| iStration has kept. Values are going
down. when measured in money. Now
since the taxpayer must pay in money,
| he is shocked at the suggestion that
tn" national administration is ham
| merln% down the value of his services
and property, thereby weakcnin" his
ability to pay, while the state admin
| istration and the local governments
are raising the rate and the assessed
valuations.
"tapItal is alarmed labor is sick at
heart: tine farmer is discouraged: the
business man is forced to wait and
hope. II requires no sage To comprc-
mend that taxes are sapping VIVA; IT.
tie life 'deflatiOn' has left in industry.
To add to the distress railroad rates
are so high as to be almost prohibitive.
This is the time to reduce, not to
raise salaries, and taxable values and
rates. Economy Is now a joke. The
budget system at Washington has In
creased appropriate as II did in
West Virginia. Congress, like the leg
islature, has found means to evaIe il.
Nothing in the way OF appropriations
has stalled Congress, except the al
lowance to the soldiers, clearly and
fairly promised them, and Justly due
them in equity. They fought and risk
ed their lives for Our liberty. Thst is
oil sufficient; bat when their pay, as
soldiers, and the average wages OF
those who were not mustered in, are
put side by side, tho justice OF their
claim rises to the point that precIudes
all arguments, except the total iuabil-
ity o. the government IN uar put
when one observes that the railroads
owe the government 700 millions for
borrowed money, and that some of the
railroads are demanding over bill
lion dollars for 'daInnnrS rndcr ..ny.