Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1856-04-03
From the 0. s. Journal.
Paying Taxes Twice a Year.
and Turpin.
Adjourned.

Paying Taxes Twice a Year.
There appears to be determination on the
part of the loeal press. and the local politicians
to msleAd the public mind in relation to the
provisions and objects of the bill now pending
in the House providing for the semi. annual
collection of taxes, And an effort Is TIM,
made to bring pressure to bear on the House
to defeat the bill, n
Let me call attention to this bill. Il is rem.
resented that it will double the expenses of du.
plicates. This is not So 1t will require only
Ione duplicate, and will impose no additional
labor on the Auditor, only 10 add one column
to his duplicate, giving the one half Of his TO-
tai sum charged to each tax payer, and two
settlements in year instead Of one.
1t will, 1t is true, nearly double the labor of
the Treasurer, but this officer will then have
nearly one half the year to devote in the main,
to bic private business, and his fees are annie
to pay him for double the amount of labor be
now performs .I.
County officers, and seekers Of county Off
ees, are poor authority in matters of this kind
The people have been burdened with enormous
taxes and every effort of Legislature 10 decrease
these burdens, raises howl among this class
of men if il either lessons their fees, or increase
their labor. - i
Under the present system Of annual pay
ment taxes about nine millions OF dollars are
drawn from the circulating medium. This
leaves the currency pretty much in the condi-
ton that the old fellows Title COW was, after he
MIXED seven large pals of milk from her; that
is, not much left At least one half of this
money lies idle in county. state, and township
treasures for six months or more. Why sheuld
this money be taken from the people before the
government needs,it? To allow each TO with. |
hold the payment OF one.haf from December
to The following June may appear like triAing
matter 10 each individual-but tits To the ag.
grsgate result we must look. By the semi
annual payment, the currency Of the State is
not all used up, and business crushed by the
withdrawal Of nearly the whole circulation to
pay taxes, .
Besides it is not necessary that any man
should pay his taxes in two payments, but he
must pay one-half in December, and is aIlowed
to defer The payment of the other half. And
it leaves every tax payer to judge for himself
whether il is his to pay the whole or
the half bis taxes in December, and if he
thinks it bis interest to defer the payment for
six months who has q right to object? If the
government were to tax its people more than is
needed, every one would complain, and it is
just as wrong to tax them before the money is
needed to meet the calls Of government.
The billunder consideration does not disturb
the provisions of the presentlaw, in relation
to the time when the property shall become
delinquent BUTT changes the time when the
Treasurer elect shall go into office. They go
into office on the first Mondey of March, and
as this cuts of one quarter Of their terms l
suppose this is one of the great causes of COM
plant This was absolutely necessary to make
the system. bee- vi.
l think the bill as passed by the Senate needs
a single modification; it is this II any tax
payer should fail to pay hiu first semi-annual
instalment at the proper time, that the Treas
ur should be required to proceed to collect the
whole tax charged against such taxpayer, by
diStrant as now. This could be effected by 40
amendment of the last section Of he bill as it
passed the Senate regard this as meas
ure which promises great reliefto tax payers;
besides being just in this. that it allows tax
payers to retain the possession of and use their
money till it is needed for the public use. C.f