The times dispatch. [volume], January 11, 1912, Page 4, Image 4

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
Bullae** OSic*.U* B. Main Btretb.
South Richmond.ION Hull Btrael
f>*t*rsburf Bureau....10!? N. Bycatuor* Btrc.t
byaebbura; Burcav.1U Eighth 8tr**t
8T 11 AIL On* SU Three On.
fOBTAOB PAID Y.nr. Iloi. Mo*, Mo.
Pally ivlib Sunday.It.09 R? ll.W .M
Dftlly without Sunday.... 4.00 1W LOO .?
Cundajr ?dltlon only. tw LOO .H .24
$y'?*kly (Wednesday).LH .to .3? ...
By Hmw-Dl*patch Carrier Delivery Ber?
tie* la RIcbmoDd (and auburba) and P*J
?nbura*? On* We**
Dally with Sunday. II cent.
Daily without Sunday. 10 cent.
Bunday only.?. t c?olt
Entered January 77. 190*. at Richmond.
Va., a* aecond-clai* matter under act of
'?'">K> ???* ut March ?. 187?.
TH U R8DAY, JANUARY 11, 1 'J12.
THIS GOVKRXOU'S MKSSACSK.
Comprehensive and constructive.
Governor Mann's message to Hie Ren
cral Assembly transmitted yesterdaj
must. In wealth of practical sugges?
tions and outline of progressive roH
cles l>e pronounced an unusually able
and commendable State paper.' Touch?
ing the whole Held of legislative sub?
jects, it has the merits of conciseness
and force. constituting admirable
textbook for the guidance of the Gen-j
erul Assembly, showing it the way
wherein It must walk and the Work
that it must do. The message, a
whole, will receive the unstinted ap?
proval of the people of tho Stale, nor
will they full to applaud the practical
and patriotic services of their Chief
Executive.
Confronted by a concealed deficit
aeon after his Induction Into office, Gov.
ernor Mann wisely took the people in?
to his confidence, revealing to them
the. true state of the public finance.
Tho financial puth which he has had t.i
tread has been one of the most dlffl-l
cull which ever lay before any Gov?
ernor of this State, hut he has con?
sistently laid bare to the public his
knowledge of the financial affairs ofl
the Commonwealth. In urging that |
appropriations should "not only be|
well within the resources of the!
State, but should provide for the ac?
cumulation of a surplus of not less;
than $.'iOP,000," tho Governor has nd-j
hered to his policy of publicity, urging]
a conservative and economical finan?
cial policy on the part of the l.egtsla-)
turc. The limit which he would plac*]
. on appropriations for the next two:
>ears Is sane and wise.
in hi? declaration that "the prison
population must be profitably employ?
ed In healthful work without com
petition with free labor." Governor
Mann sets up an Ideal to which all
aspire, but how can the prisoner:- be
profitably f inploycd without competing
with fre-c labor? It seems to us that
the beet, use to which they could be
put would be breaking rock for the
public roads and working on those
roads The mental and physical h^nlth
of the prisoners demands that suitable
employment be given them, and the
? use of such unfortunates for private
? stain'is justified only when It Is clear']
? ly demonstrated that the securing of
euch gain Is incidental to the health
and welfare of the prisoners.
in his recommendation that the Con?
federate pensioners shall he fully alii!
promptly paid out of the State TreasuryI
by an enlargement of the pension fund.!
the Chief Executive recoirnlzes the in j
extingulEhablc debt which Vlrg'nln
owes to her former defenders, and his
suiiBcstlon 'should receive favorable
action.
The adoption of n more efficient nhd
business-like system of accounting snrt
disbursement jo/ appropriations for
the use of ..sta.v>-IttHtltutloha emi?
nently desirable. The recommendation
for a special accountant In the Depart?
ment of Public Instruction is along the
saiuc line, and both suggestions should
be adopted. Anything that will cause
the business of the state to be tram*
noted more economically and more ef?
ficiently Is to be heartily commended,
and Is in accord with the governmental
reforms spreading over the country.
if the Governor's reconunendall
that all saloons be. closed lifter sun:
woul<i eistet anything substantial
th.: direction of solving tlie liquor qti
tlon. It would
would not Hi
a measure oi
well regulate
myriads of f;
mon and Otiten
most wek
adoption
evade the
hours f"r
ban be bes
eomtnuhttl
differ In
oStlon .at
Nothing
vent lite
territory
id
KUluled ?>
t hctaselvi
ernor Mann outline? w-.?id slippi,
mcun that Instead of ?--t-:^ttr.;j from 'tri
intr?stato point the buy r would ot .
or from some place without Hie Split-.'
with the reauJi thai iho liiw would In
ineffectual. '"l'h< greater the distit't
iho less the li'iuor that win lie onto-.
ii.d,'M thinks the Governor, Mit tho ??>:
pericncc of the world i? the greater
the distance, tho lijrget the order. !
Wise and most salutary I? the
Governor's recommendations ?.< some j
provision for "the custodial cnre of th- :
fceld.-minded. There arc at least !.
,.'(00 In th< H.tiito and. in.iny of them ir0
women. The mental condition of nueh
unfortunates is Irani) mit ted to their
progeny, and" because the women mi
particular cannot protect themselves,
tile State should take care of the
feel>16*inltided and prevent further
propagation oi an undenlrsbP speciei
Action In this mutter ought t" do
monev to Die State in tin; future by
preventing tho necessity of tho State's
having to take care of another genera?
tion of iveak-mlndcd people.
1'iibllc sentiment thoroughly en?
dorses tho recommendation of the
message with reference to purer nlec
tlone and hotter safeguards, espocinlly
for primary ejections. The suggested
limitation of the amount to be ex?
pended by u candidate to one-hall of
one year's salary of the office to which
' he'aspires Is a good one. and should bo
written into law with the ounltlvo
feat uro appended.
Doubtless* there Is much In tho eons- '
plaint voiced in the message to the
effect that the public school system Is
.not reaching bach Into the smaller
communities, but In the circumstance*
the system of public schools Is the
best that can be employed. Consol'da
tlon of schools In communities sparsely
settled has boon absolutely necessary
for good schooling; the little reel |
j schoolhouso was one of the greatest
drawbacks our school system ever had.
' It should ho remembered that Vir
? ginla has mad,, wonderful strides in
.education: the Tlinos-Diyputeh, which
' has beer, tin- leading and most ag?
gressive advocate of education in the
: South, called attention to the fact tli.it
, in a few years Virginia jumped from
j the thirty-fifth to the seventeenth
place on tho list of States expending
money for education. Groat progress
1.; being made, and In no distant time ]
out educational system will fully de
VelOp the schools In every community
to the desired degree.
Another wise recommendation by.j
Governor Mann urges llic appointment
of it committee of tho General Assem?
bly to purchase a part of the Ford's
Hotel lot. owned by the city of ntch
mond, as n site for tlio erection of an
ofllce building to properly take care of
the State ofllccrs, who are already
crowed In tho Capitol and annex or
crowded out completely. An additional
bulfdlng Is sorely needed, and tho pur?
chase of the site Indicated would be
wlso and beneficial. The site could
never bc purchased so cheaply an now.
Ab is advised lr. the message. all
printing and stationery for State de?
partments should he purchased t
through the public printer, who Is a
thoroughly competent man. who could
doubtless save much money by becom?
ing the priming purchasing agent if
the State.
Unquestionably, amendments to the
State banking law are heeded. No
motive should be required before a
known Insolvent bank ran be taken in
charge by the State Dank Examiner.
The supervision of State banks should
resemble us: much as possible that of
national banks.
No doubt It is the duty of all to
sustain as far ag possible the militia,
but the Governor's recommendation of
a law making It a misdemeanor for an
employer 10 dismiss an employee be?
cause the latter belongs to the State
militia and attends to his military
duties Is hardly workable. The result
of the passage of such a law would
simply be that employers would not
employ men who belonged to the
militia. The law cannot pay whom an
employer shall hire, anil there the
matter stands.
Very properly Governor Mann re
serves Iiis views and recommendations ;
on tax reform for a later message.
* pkssimistic xotk i:ii?ni .iapaxJ
Following disturbing anil
heartening revelations of Japan's an?
nual balance shcot, a distinctly pose I
mtstle press tone comes from that
country?a tone carrying other dis?
turbing and disheartening rovclatloiir,'
and ?.?veil, possibly, prophesy of far
worse i<t ciiine. No longer can Japan!
? 1.ailed the ir.n l of Ilght-hchrtcdhess
' ami freedom from care. "the. lanil of
': cherry-blossom brightness, when: the
' sunshine throws no shadows " lilsr
{ in the scale of vvorld-powerlsin and thai
responsibility of maintaining that poal-l
I ilonl together with the cost. have nie-i
I liiinorphoscd; and are metamorphosing,!
; the very nature and temperament Of
I the people. The pendulum having]
I swung to the limit of exultation atidl
I self-iAdifideiicc ami hoi>e. bus for j'jine]
tliiie been moving in the opposite di-j
'; rectloti. Indeed, it has passed op l|>
j return tin- centre "f the arc- the per
; peildleuia'r of calm reasoning?and U
|*(raveling to the other extreme ..r
rnmiisoiii'SS. discontent, depression
hopclesiiii. .-.v.
over 10,9.00 persons committed suicide
In mi!'-! In r-si ii [!?? tie. burden of till *
lioiiMl indebtedness, high InSciitlcin iiel
itioreiiHluK tu.rtitltity |i . bul. :i?
bttilnjt t? em of. the leading .In pa It
'hi; jhit>ors, Iho number of erlmlunls
Japan in liilnsr rapidly rni?meiilc.l b>
ilie dliilcyiUJi of obtaining the ncc-ssi
ties nf lite. Thla paper, the .Mal?loll
l.' i I the criminal ClllSKOS have tier.mi
s?> ?? >? tit thai iho prisons cannot hoi
Ilium, and lhat innnj' persons arc be
in;-. I'l-Ua/iini >?n?i Mit in ?] inohn lipon Ho -1
spread political mntt ihn? ph-vnlle.
?I ii.- nlore M" ? Hi' imd iiinsi !tcrion>
in.i mi esttit Ion i.i :ii!s ix I lie tinniistiik
ai>l<- sympathy ?;' ihe Japanese masfs
?villi ih<- Chinese revolutionist?. Ahipnty
? ill - t'orriinon ill-" nt japan, Is'
staled* liiere i- an ominous and grow
inn iluniniii) fur -i niyi'o ropresrntfiMvo
government,-than now exists, ii being
j iM'uutiiwl tliat I'm- present order Is
a iiseiiflorrepresentu tl ve government
niitl ilia! in- really the '.tile of the o'hlr
plrci t- st,ii in Mi?- hands of' the elans,
wh.o v 01 k under a thin veneer of c.ott
itil itloiial form That this statement
j;i's not a more bosv, or an Illustration
of the wish's being fathor to tho
thought. Ik conclusively testllled to by
(he fact thut the Knkumln, the setnl
official govornmetit organ, thinks It
necessary to solemnly warn Japan
against the danger of permitting a re?
public to bo established.
Another thing that gives cmphosls
to the statement, und proves that the
sentiment in favor of ti republic Is
something not to bo reckoned with
lightly, is tho demand that has arisen {
among the people for extension of the
franchise and for "party politics." for'
the purpose avowedly of breaking tho
grip of the clan autocracy. Of course,
prediction as to the llnul outcome
would, at this stage of the situation.'
be rash. With Orientals morn than
with any other people reaction Is
liable to end in rcrcactlon as the re-1
suit of tho reinsertion of tho Influence
of tradition, which deep down In tho'
Japanese heart makes for reverence,
for the divinity of the throne. This it '
would not bo safe to dony despite thei
comparative Indifference with which'
was received the disclosure of tho
recent plot to assassinate thu "divine" j
i?inpcror.
Nevertheless, there need be no great j
surprise, particularly should the Chin-,
esc movement for u republic succeed,?
or even should tho struggle be pro?
longed much further, if Japan Is tho;
scene of the next great internal storm'
in the world's history.
AUUlilSII T11U Fl?l? SYSTKM.
I lling on ihn fee system has been
Spins on a long time, but Governor
Mann, In his message yostorday, short?
ened the lite of this vicious parasite
in our governmental scheme. By his
condemnation of this Iniquitous form
of olllclal graft he has done much to
brock down a mo3t unjust and uneco?
nomical draft, on tho public finance. ,
Tho system is rotten to the coro; It
discriminates between two men of
equal ability by paying one ten limes
us much as tho other; it cvultn a mere
clerk above the chief Juugo of tho
Statu and puts a mediocre Troasuror
over the Governor.
Immediate ubolltion of tho tea sys?
tem seems Impossible, und hi that event
Uiu plan suggested by Governor Manu
is the best, lie would make the salary
policy apply at llrst only to tho cities
and cuuntles containing: moru than
-'J.t'OO inhabitants. Thcru are thirty
one of these in tho State. "This plan,"
says the Governor, "would not invoivo
uny possible risk to the finances of the
Stute, but would Increase our revenue
and would correct most of the abuses
complained of, and could be gradually
extended until uil of tho counties wouui
be brought under its operation." Fur?
thermore, Governor Mann points out,
this change could he effected at this
session, which would not bo the caso it
the reform were made applicable to all
eitles and counties. Following this is
the logical und forceful recommenda?
tion ol an act providing lor the pay?
ment of salaries instead of fees in tno
cities and thirty-one counties having
more than Jo.uOu inhabitants.
TUo existence of the fee system is a
cause of great unrest among tho peo?
ple of Virginia. The system Itself is a
monstrosity, an Inexcusable and anti?
quated scheme tor the enrichment of a
few Individuals at the expense of tho
Stale and the people, if the Genera!
Assembly will wrJto Into law Governor
Mann's rcoominondailon it win rid tho
Commonwealth 01" a mighty injustice
and a festering plague on the. body
politic. The system must go.
I Queries and Answers
??Tlu! llciilh-Dnbncy Latter."
We have hud a groat many re?
quests from the iiubllo for copies of
ivhal is known at; tin lleath-Hnluncy
letter, which wo are unable lo supply.
In response to this demand, will you
rt-publlsh the letter, which uppenreu in
The Times-1 >ispatch. several weeks
II. M. SMITH, .111..
President Woodrow Wilson Club.
My i o ar Heath.? We <11<1 not have
chance when I was with you to have
our talk out nbout the Initiative,
referendum :;n<l recall; It may be
worth while, therefore. In view of the
Importance of the subject, for mo to
Kumtiiiit'l/.c Homew.linl more formally
what t said to yoU in scraps.
in the first place, with regard lo my
aw it state of mind, 1 surroiwlered to
tie facts, as every candid man must.
My whole prepossession?my whole
rciisoiilng?-was, against those things,
llliil when i came into contact with
candid, honest. public-spirited men.
Who could speak twith regard, for ex
ainple, to Oregon) froin personal oh
servatloii und experience, they lloorcd
in, tiat with (heir narration of what
had actually happened. I foUn<| In
l|tc men who had advocated thes.
things, who had put them into opera?
tion, and who hod accomplished things
by thorn, imt critics or opponents of
r< presentatlye government, but men
! who were eager to restore it where
it had been lost, and who had taken
i successfully taken?these means to re
< over for the people what they had
; unquestionably lost?control of their
; own affnlrs.
In short, they we:,- not trying in
change our Institutions. The Initiative,
referendum and recall w.re in their
i ??yes (iis they arc In mine) merely a
I menus t>, an end?that end being the
restoration of tue control of public
opinion, w ii. r. opinion already coli* I
in.is. where there Is now actual, icon-I
nine ruprcsentntivi government, as 1
believe then i-: In Virginia und In the
Son Id in general, they nrn not noo.es-!
'.iy. Knelt State must judge 'or Hseif,
I .in not see how it eo?ld fie made a
: I, inet of national policy. The people
will. In my opinion, demand these
measures only whore they are mil'.1
ti ily necessary to ialte leglsluiIon and
the control tit administrativ? action
nwaj rrom Fpeelul, hopelessly en?
trenched interests, They are no gen?
eral or universal panaceas!
The recall .f judges I am nhaoluto
1} against, ami always have been. It
i-: a reihed?, fur a symptom, not for a
! disease -Ihe disease lining I lie c ontrol
I of the system by influences which gen
I era) opinion lias censed to control.
11 Interested me very much to find
I tiiat oven In Oregon literally no one
i thought of fliese new methods of nr.
? t:?.ii as a substitute for representative
Inolitutlons, but only as n means of
i simulation and control. Thoy are a>
I <ievot.-<i to the Idea of our represents
i live Institutions as are?and are
i hont upon real Ulna these Ideas in
I practice. Thai ts fnelr conscious ob?
ject.
! .\-. for the recall, It |s seldom u.-e.l
1outside tin municipalities, i do not
remetnber an instance of its use on u
State Officer. II t:i merely "a gun ho
Ihind the door."
faithfully yours.
S'oobnow wilson.
The Legislature and Tax
Reform.
I. The Land Tax.
Of all the recommendations made to
tlic legislature by the Tax Commla
clou, none Is more Important than
that for the equalization of the land
tax. 11 affects a tax sound In thoory.
1 wide In its application, fruitful m Ub
revenue.
The problem of reforming the land
tax Is not simple. The lands In Uho
Commonwealth arc assessed at little
more than $177,000,000: they are worth
at leusl $S07.00O.OOO. Once In live
'years their value for taxation Is ?lo
terinlne?! by special land assessors,
and the vnluullon then llxod remains
for live yoars. The men who do the
assessing- nro appointed by the courts
for that particular work." They may
loo experts In valuation; thoy may be
skilled In assessment, thoy may be
utterly untrained. Once thoy arc up- I
pointed thoy do practically as thoy j
please. There Is no olllcer to super?
vise thorn; no authority to roqulro of |
them anything more than a porfunc- .
lory observance of the law. If thoy
want to obey the law, thoy have only |
the text of the law before them. They ,
have no trained, responsible superior
to whom they may look for advice. |
livery land assessor la his own ad- i
visor, his own ruler. Where he starts 1
to assess Hinds at their full market |
value, as required H>y the Constitution;
and by statute, ho has none to support]
him in overcoming local sontlment for |
a low valuation, lie is at the mercy i
of bis neighbors.
What happens is exactly what might
be expected. Irresponsible, untrained, i
unaided, unprotected, the land assessor
generally puts the Interest of his lo?
cality above the interest of the State
and makes an assessment which In no
sense represents the true value of the |
property assessed. In cities where]
there Is a heavy demand for revenue,
and where there Is a strong sentiment
for a low, tax rato, the assessor gen?
erally values property at more thiin
half or Ita fair markot value; but In
the counties where the calls upon the
treasury are fow and where there 's
no sentiment for a reasonable tax rato, |
the assessor often values land at 20
per cent or less. In some Instances
lands have been locate,! iby the Tax
Commission assessed at about 5 per
cent, of tholr markot value.
Thus Inequality is established. One
citizen pays on a valuation of 75 per
cent., another on a valuation of 18
per cent. The resident of Tannor's
Creek District, Norfolk county, pays
taxes on at least 80 por cent, of the
full market value of his landB-, the
farmer In (Jrayson or Floyd county
pays on not more than 20 per cent.
The taxes of the former are, there?
fore, four times as heavy as nro those j
of the latter.
From Hi's condition maQv of the
deplorable fallings of our ilnunetnl sys?
tem follow. It Is because of this In?
equality and their desire to escape
the legitimate burden of taxation that
more than thirty counties are u posi?
tive liability to the State. It <s be?
cause of this Inequality that the State
lias to maintain a tux rate of 2S cents,
when It might easily lower the rate to
20 cents. It Is because Of this in?
equality that ghe land tax. wbleb
should he Ilm most valuable an<| pro- I
ductivc of all taxes, yields less than !
?-?o im r cent, of the revenue of tho Com- I
mouwc.a,lth.
To restate the ease: T.ocal officers are]
subject to local Influence; local In- i
fluencc demands a low assessment: a. i
low, assessment means a burden on
other taxpayers; such a burden means
'Inequality. Inequality spells Injus?
tice.
Manifestly, tho work of the Tax
Commission unil of the Legislature,
acting op tho recommendation of the
Tax Commission. Is to correct tho evil ;
at Its source?to secure nflieors who
will make an honest assessment, at a
uniform valuation, throughout the
Commonwealth, if this can 'be dono
the rest Is easy.
Dut hero one meets certain very
serious obstacles, fn the first place, the
assessment must bo mods locally, if
not by officers responsible to the lo?
cality. Only such men, when trained, '
are capable of mailing an assessment
In a county; no others know the value
of lands, the comparative fertility of
farms, the thousan.) und one consider?
ations essential to assessment. In
correcting an ovll, therefore, the Stale '
must proceed towards the education
of Its local officers and towards a
policy which will make, them respon?
sible without removing them frobi the
people whose property they assess.
The second obstacle Is thnt of money.
Tho work of nsttossinont is most ex?
pensive. Michigan spent almost $200,
anr> in assessing her railroads; New
York annually spends millions in as?
sessing. Kvon If it were possible to!
assess through State Officers, working I
the entire State, the process would he]
very costly. In the present condition of
tho State's flnar.ee it Is not possible
to Inaugurate any system which will
require a great outlay of funds.
With the necessity of reform and its
direction obvious, and with tlx- limi?
tations just mentioned, the Tax Com?
mission had to devise a system that
would accomplish the desired reform.
Tho method which they have recom?
mended is simple and, as experience
has shown, can he made most effective.
Its operation will be as follows. For
iwi) years prloi to the assessment
ear every transfer of property re?
corded Is to !?? accompanied by a
sworn statement showing tho actual
valuable consideration involved in the!
transfer. These statements, for oh-j
vlous reasons, are not mudo public,
bill arc kepi i,y the clerk. When the;
assessment year arrives the executive',
ofllcer of the State Tax Commission I
will tro to the county seal, examine,
the transfers and find how many !
acres of land wer, transferred during '
the two years, lie will also find outj
what the total valuable consideration;
was. and can ihn- secure an average;
per acre. In .p.Pig this he will not
consider the value of any buildings
transferred, but will make his cstl-;
mate solely on tho value of the "bare |
land." At the same time he will In-|
quire Into the character of tho sales';
recorded. M for any reason, ho finds
that the lands Sold during tho two
years were, in value and fertility.;
above the average of the county, he
shall re, ord that fact. If be finds that
? boom" value* have inflated the nyer- ?
age he ?'hall take that fact Into con-'
sideratlon. In the same way ho shall,
.apiifer with the citizens of the county .
and learn from them at what rates]
lands arc selling.
When this Information Is in hand
It will be presented to the Stale Tax
Commission, met in special session for
Abe Martin
'm i. ia most pop'lar brands o' In?
somnia Is laylh' awake,"trylri* i' figure
out some way t' .voak a railroad. It's
a wonder women don't shut a car dooi
occasionally list to show off.
THE LONG WINDED BANQUET SPEECH,
_By John T. McCutcheon.
(Ooprrfcbtc mff: Or Mm T. MoCntcbtco ] 1
^^^^^^^^^^^^
^^^^ F rT^6N
&tc&t/4- g?e' Ki H'." .9 I ? TV?rt\< minutes
Unit pur pone. At this meeting the rep?
resentatives of the county or any pri?
vate Citizen? can appear ami aigue tlic
Justice of tli?; tentative value per aero
llxcd by tin: tax commissioner. Upon
tills evldonCQ the commission can tlx
a rate, or a "county per acre average."
Thus, it It iliuls the lands In. SUV, Gray
son county, are Boiling at $13 an acre,
It will enter an order requiring the
land assessors of Grayson county to
show an average of that amount" per
acre. The assessor will still huvo tho
right to equalise assessments In the
county, hut he must do bo In tho
knowledge that he cannot change, the
average for tho county. If he returns
Ibooks showing less than tho average
his pay is withheld, his office Is for?
feited and the assessment Is mude by
a special deputy appointed by tho
court for that purpose. The Improve- I
merits on the property are to he. as?
sessed according to standard rules io I
be adopted by tho Tux Commission. 1
Such rules are now in force in other
Slates, and by requiring tlie uniform
assessment of certain classes of struct?
ures, by allowing a standard rat? of
depreciation, etc., they have secured
uniformity.
In the cities the proposed procedure.)
Is soinew.hat different, for acre aver- .
ages, can, of course, play no part: I
frontal values are the real consldera- '
tlbll; Accordingly, on the basis of the i
transfers recorded, the Tax Commis?
sion will ascertain that land on a
given street, within certain areas, la J
Selling at, say, $2.000 tho front foot. I
The value, of 'buildings will be de- I
ducted, an average frontal valuation i
will be secured, which will bo the.
basis of assessment. Jn effect, the
whole city win be divided Into cer?
tain assessment districts, each with
an average per foot frontal valuation.
This wjll place limits on the locul as?
sessors and Insure the State tho same
return from IMehmoim as from Roa
riokC, from Newport News ns from
I laliville.
It will bo observed that this plan
meets the situation except for one
tiling ? it does, not provide for proper |
assessors. is such a system to bo I
Intrusted to unskilled land assessors,
chosen by the court, paid $2 the day. I
and subject to local Influence? Such I
a policy would ho suicidal?the state I
would not be able to enforce Its own .
law. No matter how good tho law, its |
enforcement by unskilled men would 1
be impossible.
Accordingly, the commission pro?
posed a very simple expedient?the
abolition of land assessors and the
assessment of lands and Improvements !
by commissioners of the revenue. This :
is reasonable, and that a contrary sys?
tem should ever have prevailed seems
curious. The commissioners of tho
revenue, who are to bo removable for
cause, who are In effect State officers,
whose pay can Irie withhold and whose j
lime is constantly occupied with the ;
work of assessment?these arc tht> i
men to assess lands. If they bo prop?
erly instructed, be held to a strict ac?
countability and be sustained and up-|
held by wise laws, they can give Vir?
ginia a proper assessment.
This system Is not experimental.
Neither Is It final. It represents the
step in lax reform which every
State must lake in passing from the
slough of Inequality to tile firm ground
of uniform valuation. It has been
used in many States successfully; It
Is simple; it Is Inexpensive; It meets
the situation. Kquullty will be In-I
cvltnblc if this plan, unmodified and'
unomasnula ted. ho given tho approval I
of the Assembly.
Another good result of this plan |
will be the speedy reduction of the
tax rale. A uniform assessment of
lands in Hie Commonwealth would]
mean an assessable revenue of more i
than $:i, 100,000 from this source. No
one would have the people pay this'
much tax on lliolr lands. The extra]
revenue would be diverted In it re-|
ducllon of the tax rate, to n maximum|
of jo cents. The local lax rate would ,
be reduced accordingly. Virginia could 1
advertIso lb Iho world that tho day.;,
of heavy luxation were pus!. She could
offi r them an aggregate tux rate of
not more than I per cent, of the total |
valuation.
Could Virginia make n stronger bid
for prosperity and power':
[>. H. I'M 110 KM AN.
La Marquise de Fontenoy
GrtBATliY to the relief or the Duch?
ess or KUtortrland, and of all the.
numerous relatives of herself]
and of her husband, her sue-1
ccssor In the title will'ho, not a dusky'
beauty from India, young Lord Slaf-i
ford having 'icon cured of his Infatua-l
j tloh for the d,.lighter of the Indian'
Maharajah of Cooch Bohar, hut a very
pretty and altogether charming Kng
llsh girl, well known In Canada, where
sho spent several years with her par?
ents, at Ottawa, and In the United
States, which she frequently visited,
i-'or the fiancee of the Marquis of St'af
fun) (whow brother, Lord .Vlastittr
Lovoaon-Oowcr, Is now visiting this
country) la Ludy Eileen Butler, just
turned twenty, und who Is the elder of
the two daughters "f the Curl of
Lunesborough. military secretary to
Lord Grey, when he was Governor'
General of Canada, and also for a time
on the stuff of Field Marshal the Luke
of Connaught, when the latter WS i
governor-general of the forces. , .
Lady Lanosborough. a slcpdaugtur-t ?
of the gallant Sir Herbert Btcwart,!
who wus killed by the pervlahcB while
leading the attempted rush across the
Uayudu Desert, to the relief of Gen- |
? rul Gordon ut Khartoum, was one of
the celebrated beauties of the London
Great World, ut tho time of her d< - j
but, ban retulned most of her good
looks, which have been Inherited by]
Lady Kileen. The DUchcSSes of Suth-|
erland havo all been remarkably hand
some women, renowned, Indeed, for'
their beauty?with the solitary excep?
tion of the second wife of the latc
duke, popularly' known as the Blair
Duchess, but. who, having married a J
commoner. Is ho longer either a peer- ;
ess, or legally entitled to style her- !
self duchess. In leading Lady Eileen
to the nltar, tho future Duke of Suther?
land will therefore be following In a
worthy fashion the traditions und cus?
toms of his predecessors tn the- family
honors and estates, In this particular j
rtspoct. I
Lady Eileen belongs to a family j
which In notetl for Its love of horses |
und of dogs. Indeed, the fifth Carl of j
Lunesborough had a Newfoundland I
which was so deeply attached to him, |
that whon he expired, tho dog died of'
grief two days later, in compliance i
with tho wish expressed by tho peer
some time prior to his demise, his
canine friend was burled tit his feet. I
In order to admit of this being done,
tho tomb of the Earl, at Swlthlahd, In
Leicestershire, was constructed in such |
a fashion that th- lower end thereof
projects a few Inches beyond tho bor?
der line of the old village churchyard,
so that while the dog reposes at his
master's feet, ho lies, not within, but
Just a fow Inches without, the con?
secrated ground.
Lord Lunesborough is a soldier by
profession, lieutenant - colonel of the
Coldstroain Guards, is u consovatlvo In i
politics, and served through the whole:
of the South African War. tie la de?
scended from Sir Stephen Butler, who
settled In County Cavan In the reign
of King Jnmes, and whose grandson,
Urlnslcy liutler. was created by Georgo
I. Viscount Lunesborough, after serv?
ing him as gentleman usher of the
itlaek Itod. and as colonel commanding
the sovereign's Irish bodyguard, known
as "The King's liattlcaxe Guard." lie
was a patriarch in his way, having a
family of no loss than twenty-throe
children, by his marriage with a Dub?
lin heiress, of the name of Catherine
Pooley,
Lord I*mc-sborough has two country
seats, namely, Lunesborough Lodge, his'
ancestral homo in County Cavan. and
Swithinnd Hall, in Leicestershire,
which was brought Into the family by
the heiress of Sir John Danvers, moth?
er or the third Karl of Lanosborough.
-Shortly after his accession to the
earldom, he became involved in a some?
what sensational suit against a clergy?
man, tho riov. J. Murray Dixon, rector
of tho Parish of Swlthlahd, In which I
Lord Lanesborough's estuto of that J
name is situated. It wus for the re- I
covery of sums amounting to several
thousand pounds, which it appeared I
that the clergyman hud obtained in 1
some fashion or other from the late:
tsarl, who was far from rich, und had. :
moreover, a number of children fori
whom to make provision. All the I
testimony went to show that tho late
earl, who was a man of very unbusi?
nesslike habits, hud allowed himself
to bo induced to lend tho money t<
ihe clergyman, who hud used his influ?
ence, us tho old peer's Spiritual ad?
visor. 10 obtain the Icon-. Lord
Lancsboruugh hud neglected to leite
any statement In writing froth tho
Vu:'on. to the effect that the money
was merely a good-natured loan, and
on the strength ot tins tho clorgymun
advanced the theory, after the eatl
dcalh, that the payments' which lie
had received had boon glitt. Afior li
lengthy trial, lh" clergyman was ill
teuted, and condemned to puy tho lull
amount which ho had obtained frnm
tlf? lato earl, into hl? ?t?te, bcsldi
being roundly scored by the presid?
ing judg-.
It may be mentioned hero that th"
nuke of Sutherland wus so much do
llghtcd with tils visit to his proporo
in ihit provihco til Alberta, last fa;
and With his stay with Lord D?S
bo rough, and some other English nun
Scotch friends, at the house which
ho bad built for himself there, thai
lie lias arranged to come out with thi
duchess next autumn; in fact, as soon ut
tho London season is over, and to
live several months there, entertuin
Ing a succession of house pintles. In
fait. Canada will in ibe future Sec ??
gooj don I of the Luke und Duchess oi
Sutherland, and of Lord and Lady
Stafford, the young marquis sharing
tits father's enthusiasm on tho subje? t
of Alberta, and propo-tng to spend ill."
hone) moon there.
From friends at Stamboitl comes the
Inside and rather nmuslng story of
Hi.- capture of iho Gorman engineer,
Richter, by ?Turkish" hrigarirls Just
fall, und of his being held for ransom
?which may sorve as a pendant i"
my b iter of yesterday anont the re?
turn to Macedonia of Miss Kilon Stone,
who after being kidnapped by bandits
ten years ago. In that Turkish pro?
vince was ultimately ransomed ai an
expense of some $"0,000 to the. United
States Treasury. It now turns out
thai Kleiner was captured, on Turk.
Ish soil, not by Turkish, but by Greek
brigands, Who, when TurklsTl troops
were sent In pursuit, Hod across the
border, and sought refuge on Greek
territory, in tho vicinity of Tlrnovu.
Tho ransom dutnandod for Richter
was no less than $200,000, and the
brigands assumed thai the Turkish gov?
ernment would hasten to pay. in order
to avoid any trouble with tho Kaiser,
whore friendship and support, the
Sublime Porte, was so anxious to re?
tain in Its difficulties. The leader of
the hand of brigands was a Greek ca
officer of the namo of Eustratlsdl.s,
who, had spent four years In New
Vork, talks fluent EnglHh, with .1
Bowery accent, and has nn American
police record. He had arranged that
one-half of the ransom was to go to
the Greek Naval League, for the crea?
tion of a big Greek navy, and the
other moiety to be shared between
himself) and his band. In fact, ho
posed as a patriot, and was an Inti?
mate friend of the Greek Governor of
Tlrnova, with whom he used to stroll
about the streets of that town every
evening, while Richter was hold cap?
tive by Iiis band. The German govern?
ment learned of this, withdrew Its de?
mands upon the Sublime Porto for the
immediate release of Richter, and for
tho payment of whatever ransom was
necessary to bring about his liberation,
and turned Us attention to Athens,
where a very brief and curt com?
munication of the Kaiser's envoy to
tho Greek foreign minister had tiio
result of Rich tor being instantly re
leased, without any ransom at all, and
with a handsome pecuniary solatium
for the sufferings which he had un?
dergone.
(Copyright, 1012, by the Brent w oo.i
Company,)
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