Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1869-07-29

duccd to pcnury is obliged to surren-
der his home and his all to some
monied shark who steps in and enjoys
we'll cultivated land with good roads,
bridges, &C., with this fund from redeem
ed lands as cash on deposit ready on
call. Verypleasent for him but Of small
use to us to whom it really belongs.
The personal property tax is, if pos
sible, in worse condition still, for pro-
viding you are personal friend and
supporter Of the county officials, it is
moro than intimated by those who ought
to know, that no effort is made to COL
lect, and the result is large per cent.
age finally entirely lost either by
death of the person, loss Of property or
removal to some other State.
This, all admit to be bad and unsat-
isfactory condition of affairs; but say
some, "What's the remedy?"s Simply this,
do as they do back in America: let each
township have the collecting and dis
bursting of its own taxes; each school
district its school tax, and each highway
district its road tax. Make your real
estate holden for personal property
tax and vice vcrsa your personal proper
ty for real estate tax. Make your COL
lcctor and his bail personally holden
for the full amount, Of tax put in his
hands, to be collected by fixed time
with reasonable limits as to circum-
stances beyond his controD with full
authority to levy on all property real,
personal or mixed belonging to delin-
quent taxpayers aud make an absolute
sale of sufficient to sati'fy tax and all
costs Of course allowing town author
tiles to abate taxes of those in destitute
circumstances.
With this arrangement I see no
reason why each person and all proper
ty should not pay its just proportion
and at the proper time, and then our
/
debts could be paid, our orders at par
or nearly so,and with less expense than
under this present complicated system.
You ask, why give towns, school
districts, &c., the collecting Of their
taxes instead ofa county collector? For
several reasons, more particularly because
with towns both officers and masses
are interested in having the taxes
promptly collected and properly dis
bursed and the officials are under the
immediate observance of their con-
stituents and their faithfulness or nell
gence is known and noted. With
County officials it is not SO, and the
tendency is for citizens elected to
Office from one town to be jealous Of all
rival burghs so that at best he plays an
indefinite part. or more often one Of po.icy
inimical to their interests. Again by
paying at home it would be great
saving to those at a distance in both
time and money. Probably thousands
might be saved in this county annually
By this system you would save the
ekorbitant sum annually paid for county
printing likewise for building Offices
and incidentals.
| To you denizens Of metropolitan
county seats who appear to be Of opin-
ion that all outsiders ought to come at
least once year and pay tribute to
your mud-hole cities, this arrangement
may be distasteful and you pronounce
it impractical, and in our sparsely set-
tied towns especially inexpedient. But
has not each organized town all the re-
quisite officials necessary, and capable
Of doing the business at less expense
and more properly than it is now done,
thus keeping their money At home?
But I apprehend breakers here. Now
this will never do. What will become
Of your one-horse political satraps that
are so wont to feed at the public crib
and manage the county funds As though
they held them in fee simple for their
own, and their friends aggrandisenent? ?
I say it with shame but there are some
among US taxpayers, who, like the dirt
eaters and white trash Of the south, de-
light and glory in their servitude to
their lordly oppressors who At the same
time sway them at their will and spurn
them with contempt
For one, I would be in favor of re-
firing these august gents. If necessary
to support their dignity At public e1-
pense would it not be advisable to be-
stow an annual pension of from one to
two thousand dollars, rather than that
they should thus help themselves at
their own pleasure.
| But say some, are you not rather too
severe on your county officials? Do
they not transact your county business
in an upright, honest and legal manner?
/ Allow me to state a case and then
Judge: Last fall the supervisors of
our town directed the county auditor to
levy as q special tax to meet bonds
issued for roads and bridges built in
1866, sum amounting to over 81, 300.
These bonds we're nearly all held by
one individual, probably all except one
$50 bond that was, or is yet, due. OF
this fund, except this fifty dollar bond
Il >-l 49,.