The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-01-03

consideration and disposal questions of great import
trust the future financial policy Of this great city.
II LAS been customary, for years past, TO charge
~ on us the grave derellctlon oi not levyiog tai
and this charge has been repeated 30 often, In, as
well as out Of, Councils that we ourselves almost
believed IL TO be true, until late report OF your
Committee on Finance developed the astounding
fact that from to 10 per cent OF the taxes levied
now due and unpaid could be collected, we would
have surplus OF s02 1923 62, after paying all out
standing warrants The same report shows us that
the levy for 1870, with income from other sources,
will exceed the expenses for said year by 81 S06 "a
taking as basis the amounts appropriated to the
various departments, and, in cases where no eppro-
priatons have as yet been made the amounts asked
for, and letting the taxes in arrears offset the out
standing warrants. III therefore, deficiency occurs,
t will not be caused by insufficient levy, but by
efficient collection, to the correction Of which
ask your most earnest attention.
careful examination Of the last financial reports
OF New York, ST. Louis and Chicago, has convinced
me that the time allowed in our city for the settle
ment of unpaid taxes is entirely too long, and that
earlier resort to the sale of the property which
taxes are due is not only advisable but absolutely
In New York the taxes are due and payable on
November ], and all unpaid on the succeeding June
/, are returned to the "Board OF Arrears, depart
ment especially charged with the collection by legal
process. AS q result the total Of unpaid taxes
real estate from 1s41 to 1s66--twenty-1ve years-s
In Chicago the City Controller, after recitng de-
tails OF valuations and rate OF taxes, reports, on
aggregate the Of t3 225 0e4e5 of which there
collected on the first day Of April the OF s2s67
csc 81, leaving balance uncoected on that day Of
b7,44434, large amount OF which has since been
paid into the city treasury from sales OF real estate
and collection from personal property taxes"
In the report Of the Auditor OF St Louis can find
nothing to show how delinquent taxpayers are
looked AFTER but from the fact that the Auditor
plains that not than so per cent OF the current
levy and 10 per cent OF the taxes In arrears col
lected that 600 funded In 1S67-6s for
rent expenses. and that he figures deficiency, in
1862 100000 should suppose their practice to
be greatly like ours. ....f.'r .ItF
Now II the mode OF immediate legal distrsint,
adopted in New York and Chicago, produces such
excellent results, should not adopt the same In
Philadelphia? To state this question Is to answer IL,
and hope that the first work Of our Committees on
Finance and Law will be the drafting OF an act Of
Assembly for. this purpose, the passage OF which
should be at once prt ssed upon the Legislature.
Whilst considering the question OF the more eff1-
cent collection OF the taxes leviedwe should endea-
vor to find other legitimate objects for taxation and
thus relieve the real estate of our city, which now
Why should not the manufacturing wealth Of this
property, pay its proportion Of taxes? In New
sI569 54'S1 while the total tax OF Philadelphia real
estate and personal property, only t7975 563 I9
Here is q means OF putting money into the City
Treasury practically inexhaustible, and when we
ask the Legislature for legal aid In our financial
affairs, let us also demand the power Of taxing all
classes OF our citizens for the support Of the city
government.
The annexed table may give you some food for re-
dectOU -