, 1876-02-10

LOOK INhttT cAfl 10 Hill error 10 tno A0uItS OIL |
thfs question, aud cau 11y popular voto abolish
this n1pcnH!sn relic of township organization. a
Taxation Try thu nshtezn IT tho tounnhlp orgnnl- !
zntou lava In adapted nnlv to an Intelligent agri-
do attend to*n ncet,ngA aud nnreonaIty and!s
tho Hills and lofy tho Lakes wlIerH iho phuple
have tuo ti'ne mil tho inclination to attend to !
thetr own hIlairs ami ll.oRe 81 taeir AeiRl'bors
and where they can AMI flo taik their hs.cs4
ments aud those Of tlieir neighbour with au liz
teII!Kent knpwledgo of the vah,n Of eael, mat,s
Rio tnuthoa Of collection Ia only
ulapted to such community where oach fnhn
Collector calls, aud IN mot tnconrlnienctd by
having no fixed place Of payment. 1hs ryatcm
~ .ot adapted tn county containing 4 larEG
amt spend with linn tho time tho law rc9ulrer.
Not ono In hundred Lns All intelligent
ea nf tho sa!ue Of hiR ncislibor'h property so
that he can tell wheslor ho is a*ser.eu I'ropor-
.ionsscly 100 high Or bis nesehbor proportion
atcly too low, aud not ono In nhundred has ttnso
to cot,,iuct sich m investigation. Such al iu-
vcBs,gatiou IL easy 10 tho country, Whero tl'Gfo
nro hardly four tax-paycrn to tho aqnn,fe .s, niue,
with al ,tor proporty at horne. but dlt!icult Ia
town whore tiorc nro over 1900 to tho s4nsro
milo. III tho city, lur,llr one III q thousand
LnowH Of can know Of stn short meetings ~ re-
visa tho assessments aud correct tnc4halislcs,
and The tribunal p5o.ilea is not 1T for that pur-
pose. .....
In citiea 1t Ii impossible for The Collector TO
call At each rnhns acside1'ce aish tue warrant,
and II no did he could hardly aver hnd tho
taxpayer a. lone: 1hn Collector, therc-
fore. keeps hlA Office. recovlng tho money
over tiis counter, al,fl receives substantially
the same compensation with thn country |
Collector who goes Around 10 the farm-
houses for tho tsxos. Each ono Of these cnm-
bronn Steps adds great expenhe. And. ~ they arc |
unnecosnary. thcJ adj unnecessary expouso to |
Cook County.
by tho Law for co,lptics not ut,'er townrhip Or.
gnnizatiol ia US lertect ~ tho City IaK-Comtns-
nioncr syn.cul and. With tgLt amcntlments, can
| t,e ma.le be.tt 1t makes tho Treasurer the An
nH.ts.anta, d permanent plscs Of business. re-
| puHitory Of nlapa and all Information touching
property. and Opportunity TO avail h1mholf OF cz-
periencod labor. With asight amendment per.
tho regular Assessors, tLat could givo redress III
thoae hard caHc5 which nso applying in vnn 10
tho Courts, md for Which there Is now no rem
cdy; and 100000 4 year could be sasod IN
! Cook County on tho B!uG!e Item OF copying.
Tho Bere.al detn.la for which tlcfe is not space
i'll this artico seeln " show that nearly Or quito
million dollars nnnually can be saved TO tue
taxpayers Of Cook County ny me ao9llslon o.
towt,ehip organization, slight Amendments 70
tic LAWS, and tho cttlciencT Of tue revenue
| service greatly Increased
Tho ctnpty Treasury and unlsWfnl dobt OF
81, ,5po GtH il OWING to tho adoption Of temporary
e1podionta, instead OF 8 system for providing
mea1,s adapted To the circumstances or tho city.
Theeo expcdionts have boon Of two kinds. The
frat arose from spending tho appropriations
| uyery wear before tho 1uotcy WEE collected. For
len ycssu and moro It has boen customary for
the city to Lolrow considerable asnountH at rates
Of interest yaryfug from 70 II per cont 70
meet tho Temporary want. Zen y Eeass a hgo,
when tho average loan Was 81, ,000, ,00o. sho
rnto 10 pof cent. aud the average time ak months
oaca yoar tho interest to 10 rroTieed must haze
been s6o, ,0o0 year. which was not Included IN
tho appropriation nor 10 tho loyy. II u clear
that now s3GO.0uo must be annually paid on tho
~, 500 900 Of unlawful indebtedness, besidce any
, nddtional interest and commissions On Buca
s,ma as must 10 temporarily borrowed for cur.
reut cxpetsoH nf tho year. This interest account
a,ono mist alroa dy Layo amounted 10 the total
unlawful dobt. -..
Tho other kind OF temporary oxpodiensH con-
sist in ,anpesng with Legislation for special Or
smPoFary s5p il pqH4''' ly5 m.ae A' ne" aow syte@ %
alaptod to its requirements. m ssnpera.
. tive Necessity. Tho official powsr o. me
CITY prevented passage Of the nccoeBasy laws ~
! tho winter Of l51U-'7I, ard drove hundreds OF
Tic ont loyal c,,lzons to contest the atenpt to
nerpctuStc D aystom which tho Constitution was
INTENDED to destroy. That attempt cost tue city.
/ directly aud indirectly, nearly u mot quite =
Was that tho city couiu not wat Until the aEsteln
| could bc no! at work, protenBe which wah fhise
tu fact, and thu collection suffered greater DE-
aya tLau 1t could haso experienced had the
lu ISL tie .uruing of the ta1-books furn!she'
!, {ust,ticnlion for temporary Jaw. but that VA.
pertuittsd 10 oxp!re by its own limitation batott
ar tompe;o.y exeea ~ 70 e,'y saAvs ,saa o1a ~
o | tain Vi, but -.os repealed by tile General los
h Jul, j, 1919. Notwithstanding. tho repeal
), the u,ty took-- tho risk OF rroceeu!ne
n u,'er rcphsled law from the beg'nninp, TO tb'
il ouJ Of tar taxes Of that yesr. Tho suhterfnig
= nat d to 1rl.ify tho courso was ,preteuAo tha
e Tho. city vas limited to = percentage 10 SINAI
tltt it could mot obtain tho necessary Iosenu
nl,oo tho State assessment. Every one who ez
r. a.n,uII kuew that tue Limitation WAS reponle
= i,y tlu t;cueral Revenue law. mud the claim Q
= limitation was II rresens". Tho proceeding COS
as tho city moro than half million, nnd Hnp1ecse
IL it to tiio peril that at hny tsmo during the yoa
n. any Court Ut chancrrY would have heon houu'
ii to forhut tho proceedings 10 collect tt q bill! ha
T. ioeu fled and thus tnatantly lnve stopped the CT
known as llll 800. But bofaso enaesiug It. til
Legislature, tired Of thcso continual bIeaches
H. Tho eystem which 1t had been tllo policy ot th
" State to establish, required to bo convinced TIL
i, | tho Etato aAeeAsmont was fur below tho CITY
10 scsBtnout anil that tic city assessment was b.
low tho nctuhl yalaes.
Convinced of this, the members Of tho Legi
1atu,o required tho members Of the Uohfa
nj County, aud TITUS indirectly n!ll 800 cost Il
mt tsutn,y Bono SG90.DU0 year. Wll 300 "
,ot moro abos.iyo than It's prodeccssors Even Il
,;r County Court felt compollcd to reiuso 70 .
''f urpn ii, There WAS then abundant time TO rr
ccea under tho general law to oDtaIl, the TAI
IN, Of 1874: hut, instead Of that, tho city attcin
rty cd to proceed ns If it hal . law..relyans
~, snch an amendments ~ could be gotten throuf
cn the i.es1!at,.ro to deliver tho city from ,,
ss' peril, which 1t l.al wi!lfnlly, incurred. 4
on amendment WAS obtained, but II VIVA snch o.
md NJ coue,ltuted suicide to tho act, and made
,otr impossible al execution even i constitutional.
Up,or 4hose circumstances there hah been
% power in the city from 1870 t. the present tlt
NY 10 COLLECT II real estate tax. Tho taf aeea5 y
nj tho certificates tho city ulds nre NOT Hofth
led palcr thoy arc written on for any loneat p'
~ nose. because thoy arv wholly voi1 TAoy, {
ma 10 ,lsoa ouly at laud-sharks use hucN c!oaaS
6ae tIis,resH thoso who Aru compelled to have t
10 nlonJ reu,pyel without delay, and must
III ~ What tho holder cliooacs to oxtoEt:
!e. ne. Tl,eso Temporary expcdonts ~ 'csialat!e
''o ;' these attcnpta to ovauo or oat"it tno Eone
a- nojjcy Vi tho law, are calculated to ra!ao oppo
tiuu. and furnish abundant and important G's
hit uoNe tot tno e.N ;ssh ~ ri ti,o notoTata for
ia nhsn u. a. osa1 a,'H inancrste iouaI s,r,crI