The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1870-01-24
Collection Of TRIes--SuEgeStiOns for
the I4RZfSlatUFe,

the Legislature.
76G EaifOTT u ~ Lai1LaSaav.
We have no many collector Of the
tAI0. II b inoOlVenient % the people,
and unnecessarily expensive. AL tAIes,
StGtF, county and township hhnlld he col
lected BY one person. As il Il, the tar
IAyeE does not know " whom TO pay his
tAIeI, and is harrAssed first by one and
then another. He has no direct means II
aseertaining the precise amount ~ be paid
and never knows when be Is done paying
1t Is now difficult GOr the resident and
almost impossible for the nonresident
land holder 10 ascertain 10 whom, when,
WheEs aud what amount OCtAx he i 70 pay
on his properly; and yet, II from any
CAIlse hs tRjl To pay his State, cuuDty OF
township tax his land Is forfeited and lnt
10 him. This host Of tax collectors, whom
no man can number, under our present.
system, Is NOT only tncOnVrnient bat is oyr
pressiYe on the people. Each collector
receives snIne compensation and in the
aggregate the amount is enormous Under
our present arrangement the COmmis-
sioner Of the Revenue i required, at the
expense Ot the people, To make out copies
Of his books not only for the sheriff hut
for each lNWnShip in his county The
township collector necessarily makes q
sepcratG vet nf receipts for the tOWnlhip
taxes, keeps sepcratc accounts Of monies
paid To him, makes sepeTNIe lists Of real
estate and personal property deIin.
quent for the nOn.paymsnt Of taxes,
and scpsrate lists Of lands unaaCer.
lAinGhle or improperly charged
all at which unnecessary accumulation Of
labor must be paid by the people In some
way. All those things are required, at the
same time, U be done by the Sheriff in
collecting the Stats and county revenue
The Sheriff while collecting the State and
county revenue could, with little more ID.
Dor To himself and greatly Tn the cOnven-
fence Of thn taxpayer, collect the tax
levied for all purposes Where the public
employ ten men 10 do the work Of one
man, each day they arc ~ employed that
their labor and industry Is Withdrawn
from productive pursuits, and the wealth
Of tho State " to that extent diminished.
1.-THE eye OF political economy, policy
that il productive Of such results Is suicidal
to the true interest Of the State, COLLECTORS
Of the Revenue should bc intelligent and
trustworthy men, They may each give
bond; hut the bond Of a public officer is
not ut all times sure guarantee against
all dclinquenCics. There Is scarcely
county in the State that has not eXpc-
ricnccd loss by one " more Of il collect
ing OtlicerS. All experience teaches that
the more responsibility Is divided, the less
actual responsibility Is retained. Let one
officer collect all tho taxes; and the
Sheriff d Tie county NiOUM b Tint C6ioer.
lie Is an officer we cannot dispense with;
his other duties put him in immediate con.
tact with the people, and he can collect
the whole taxes cheaper and more salts.
ihctOrily than any other one or
more OftlCerR For the office of
Sheriff we want and must have
good men but It will be impossible 10
obtain such men for this office with their
present compensation. The Legislature
will find It necessary To increase the com.
pcnsati0n Of the Sheriff for tue collection
Of State and County tax, and so further
mul6t the Taxpayers, or what Is wOnSe,
have in this Office incompetent and unlla.
bic mcn-Or in tho manner suggested en-.
nance the cmOlumGntS Of this office. III
the Legislature persists in requiring that
many men shall be employed to do the
work Of one, the people in some way are
necessarily required 10 bear the burden.
CElEkAjlED, January 81.