The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-05-23
DELINQUENT TAXES.

| the Republican, Of May %, are taken up with
lists of those who owe taxes of this year to the
city, with the numbers of their respective bills
and the net amount owing by each.
The number Of delinquents is about seven
teen thousand and Eve hundred. By careful
count we find nineteen hundred bills of 5000
and upwards. A tax Of 5000 represents prop
erty assessed at $4,000.
From this it will appear that by far the
larger part of the taxes owing to the city are
due from the classes who are rich, or COM
paratively comfortable. We have not had
time to analyze the lists, with the purpose Of
ascertaining the proportions in which the
different classes Of delinquents are indebted,
but when made that analysis will show that
three-fourths of the taxes now unpaid are
owing from wealthy citizens or corporations.
The delinquent list of city tax bills of Au-
gust, 1873, was thus carefully analysed. Out
of $4,000 taxpayers, 1925 owed less than
500 each. There were 1916 whose bills were
not over SIS. 1882 owing from SIS to $40, 1880
owing. from $40 to $40, 2233 owing from $40 to
$40, 2SO7 owing from $40 to 500, 1913 owing
from 500 to 5000, 6l5 owing from 5000 to
$500, 446 owing from $500 to s4OO, 229 owing
from s4OO to $500, 463 owing from $500 to
$1,000, and 325 who owed more than $1,000.
There were 1863 whose bills were more than
$500 and who owed then more than three
fifths of the amount of the delinquent list
while the remaining 11,541, who owed less
than $500 each, owed the smaller fraction.
A similar examination of the list before us
will undoubtedly show similar proportion
between the amounts due from delinquents
who are rich and those who are comparatively
poor.
A further inspection of the delinquent list
shows that there are 526 persons, firms or
corporations, each of whom owes taxes Of
1875 to the amount of five hundred dollars or
more, ranging from that sum to figures as
high as nineteen or twenty thousand dollars.
The unpaid bills of these 52s delinquents
amount by computation in round numbers
to $757, 800.
The assessment on s119, 29s, 5O4 at two and
half per cent was s2,9S2,4 62. On thi,
there was paid in March $500, 1852, in April
1924, IA. and in May to Monday, the 18th,
s18l, 1852 total payments to that date 81, 0O8,-
1913. There have been reductions made on
tax bills to the amount of S11,54
There have been assessments made against
unknown owners to the amount of few hun
dred dollars. The premium allowed on pay
ments made amounts to about $50, 900. These
amounts and the cash payments leave the
81, 92O, 900, divided amongst 1850 tax
debtors. Five hundred and twenty-sx of
these owe $751;, 500 of the amount Of the de-
linquent list. One thirty-fourth part of the
owners of property which still owes the taxes
of 1875 are delinquent tax debtors for two
fifths of the entire sum which remains due
and unpaid. Three per cent Of the number
of debtors (all taxed $500 or more) owe forty
per cent of the entire delinquent tax debt for
1875
Among those whose tax bills unpaid for
this year are $500 or more we note o consid-
cradle number of large bills due by corpora
lions and wealthy citizens. Two hundred
and twenty-eight Of them owe bills of more
than $1,000 each, while bills of $4,000, $4,000 or
$4,000 are numerous. Among the larger bills
are the following amounts: 1900, $1,000.
$500, $4,000, $500, $4,000, SIT, 500, SIS, 400,
$4,000, SIT, 100, s35.sOO, $1,000, $4,000,
etc.
very considerable portion of all the bills
which are over $500 are owing, as we person
ely know, by those who could pay them
without other inconvenience except the loss
of the interest on the amount.
From this examination, which has been as
thorough as time allows, we are more than
ever convinced that the Urge majority Of the
back taxes OF the city are due from the
wealthy and large owners. One-eighth in
number Of the delinquents are debtors for
more than four. ffths of the amount due.
What the wealthy citizens, firms and corpo-
rations do with the sums so withheld from
the city treasury it is not our purpose here
to inquire. We are free to say also that the
tax is entirely too great; but now, in justice
to the city and in fair dealing with those who
have already paid up million dollars on this
years tax, wealthy delinquents ought to come
to the rescue.
For ready money, NJ. L. Byrne & Co. offer
greater advantages in their immense assortment
Of dry goods than any other house in the United
States.