, 1874-02-09

luL lkluuu u ullllEGll, HuE AHQ u Iu0 GtuLH uHu
County aud Town Trcasurica whoBo interests ho
llas sworn to protect
GAIT. PHILLIPS.
The reporter next lad tnik with Capt. Ed
ward Phillips South Town ARGcssor,. on tho
,1nunicativc, and nude statement, tho sub
stance Of which Is as follows:
The whole curse Of our present assessment
system is TINT tho men ontoring upon the town
offices afc for tile most part, without experience.
mon he omploya aro too often afflicted with the
Same diaoas6.
THE NEW ELECTIONS
Hhonld be hold In November uniform NTH tho
stato and county elections. Tint would give
time to tho Assessors to go through the business
houses during tho dull season, for merchants
will not talk 9sscBsmont with any ono while they
aro up to thoir eyes in buatness."
WHEN TO ASSESS.
Roporter-What would be a good time to conf
mence the duty Of estimating propetty for az
Capt. phllips-Tho lat Of January, or, may:
JANUARY would DO preferable IN overy way.
You see that as wo atc now worlting-the com-
rncncen.ent Of tue assessing process beng set
Tor May I've cannot get u fnir estimate Of per-
sonal property. We cannot do Justice to all
partleH.
Roporter--I1ow do you explain that7
Capt. Phillips-Thia way: At the beginning Of
@ 81 the gres9t rygooas and olothnE honyes oa.
yards are, comparatively spealting empty, while
the millinery trade, and other occupations Of
TINT kind, are in full blnst. What is the result
Tho dry-goods and othor establishments got OF
with nominal tax, while tho unfortunate millt-
ncrH arc taxed to tho utmost cont. You 500 how
unjust that is
NOVEMBER ELECTIONS.
Koporter--What advantage, besides that you
have stuffed, would !ou dorise from an election
Capt. Phillips-1t would give us At least sir
months to do our work in, instead Of six weeks,
which would be great matter. Wo could get
pretty fair returns In that tmo. Az tue thug
atands now, 1t is physically impossible for the
business ruaks no tolrrno vi I'LL, and We aro
compelled to assess according to wIlat wo COLI
Hidor fair. With groen hands, rs wo mostly
have, VIC arc badly ablo to do what we ought to
during our limited tiine for work. Tho term Of
oflico should be extended ut leaat five years.
That would give tho Assessor timo to got &C.
uuaintod in his district and would ronder all lH
deputies efficient:
CAPACITY or DEPUTIES.
Reporter-Ars tho class Of n>un you employ aa
deputies competent for tho work assigned
them
Capt phllips-How can they bo, except in
rare cases They are employed only for short
eeason, and aro generally pretty hard up whom
they aro put On; They are only Just commsnc
throws them out, and another crop OF green
hands Is tito result. I think tbs whole system
is hurtful to tho interests Of tho city. When
our mon 80 out first they b1undcr ail tho time.
plant and trouble como, and oach succeeding
Assessor has precisely the samo difficulty to con-
tend with.
PAYING TAXES on ONES INDEBTEDNESS.
At this point a very respectable gen.
tlenaan, named Anderson, camo into Collector
Cleary's office, wllero tho interview was in
progrcss with ono Of the Collectors official
noticcn in hia hand. Said Mr. Anderson:
"Hore I'm down for $4,000 worth Of per.
sonal property,-that Is what really have paid
for, but have cit, 900 more on hand, Which
that7"
Col. Clcary-You have got to pay tho aasoss-
mont all tho zane, according to the Rovonuo
law. ANY property III yonr possession, subject
to your control, iR taxable, Nlother you owe
money OH it or not
Capt. Phillips-Col. Closry ia correct, hLr. AM
Mr. Anderaon-Oh, don't want to fight tho
thing only think 1t somewhat unjust don't
SEQ what il tho logic OF making mo pay taxes On
| something from which layo, 10 far, derived no
benefit.
col. CIenry-We cannot help it, sir. Wo must
net aa tho law dictaseB.
ho ]ittlc moro liberal In framing their Revenue
lar, look upon It as fraud. Howoyor, Ill
pny tho nmount ; there's no uso IN d man alllk-
ing or complaining while tho law oxista.
Tho gentleman gayo his check for tho amount
of his tax and left the office, looking profoundly
lisgusted with tho Springfield sololis.
IN. RoDnEnTua' y1EWB.
Next entered Mr. Juliug RodbertuH, one of tho
oldest Assessors III Chicago. Fla listened for a
moment to tho drift of tho conversation, and
| said
"Thore Is no doubt tint thia wholo system
needs an oyorhauling. 1t iB OH false basis.
Tho Assessors for the State and county taxes
ought to have long terms Of office, and ought to
bo alio to employ men Of ability aud standing,
ut fair salarlos, to act as deputies: No man Of
my brains-unless ho can't help hin1self-is
going to fool away his tmo as q
deputy Town AHsossor. I don't blamo him.
I have bud more or less experience
of this work during the Inst dozon years. Tue
ioro up my plans In despair, The next year /
did better, but, from want Of experience, skip
ped several parties. Among othorr, omitted
LONG JOHN YESTwonTM
u return, 80 notified hin. It wus almost in1-
poaslbla to rot at ltm-sonot.aes la waB ut tho
fremont House, aud sometimes i'll that out-nt-
tllo-way building Of his. We'll, We oyerAau!otl
him at last, and. then lo made q state
mont that I'o lad only about 92.000 worth Of per-
uonal property, wleroas many Of his neighborH
positively stated that ho owned ten times that
n,no,lnt. But what could wo do? Ho Ind sworn
to the amount of lily property, and that sottlod
it. In fact, we Ind no titAo, during tue M Short
term OF oilicc, to make proper Investigations.
Wo can do nothing in a regular way until VIC OK
tonil the period or Office"
Mr.. George VonHo'lon, the City Collector,
gave expression to:yiowH somewhat similar.
GENERAL. DEHuNOIAYIDN
Then enBuotl desutory uolyorsntion, IN
which Mossrn. Phillips, llodbortun, Cloaty, aud
Fol1Iollen denounced the country Momlern Of
the stato Legislature aa hoing Jealous Of Chi