Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1877-11-30
COUNTY TAXES.

II is no unfrequent occurrence 10 hear some
one inquire, why is it that there are SO many
defaulters among our tax cOilectors2 and we
have frequently heard Illuminated that dishon-
esty was generally the cause. It would require
but little attention from any reasonable man
to the manner in which our taxes are collected
to discover at once the prime reason for this
state Of affairs in the county. Because tax
collector is a defaalter he is not necessarily
dishonest, nor has he necessarily misappopri-
ated the funds handled by him. The CHEF and
direct cause of the inability of the collector
to turn over ut the end of his term the full
amount of taxes levied is the failure OF the tax
payer to pay his taxes when they become due
According to custom, the collector makes IL his
duty, although is not legally requirsi of
him, to call upon every taxpayer and demand
the amount levied against him Upon such cal!
we do not hesitate to declare that there arepot
one-half Of the taxable pcople in the county
who are ready or willing to meet the demapd
They say, Ego thy way and call upon us a
more convenient stdSDI anu VIC Niii otNAiN "flu
you"
Now many persons who have the money y
their pockets at the very time, but wish TO uS
i, for some other purpose, presume to ask del
lay, simply because they have been gratfedl
in that respect in the past. Others who really
have not the money, but who could re al Y
raise It, do not choose TO take that trouble and
permit the year 10 expire with their taxes I'M
paid. The collector, if lie insists upon the
the immediate paymen, and threatens to sell
their property, is denounced as haid-hearted
and cruel and informed that none of his pre-
decessors ever refused to grant time. Thus a
rcprehensibe custom has grown up to permit
Taxpayers to take their own time in the settle
ment of their taxes and scarcely ever do we
see property advertised by a collector until
after his term of Office expires and he is abso-
lu,ely forced TO it for self-protecion. And the
very men who denounce him as defaulter are
the very ones, perhaps, who had taken adj
vantage of this custom in compelling him TO
indulge them for months.
Both parties are much TO blame-the collector
as wei! as the taxpayer. But the latter GER
tainly deserves more severe reprimand than
the former for it is dlfIisult indeed, for a tax
collector to fight the contumely and the haired
which a deviation from this old custom
would arouse among the masses of the
people. This laxty in the collection Of taxes
l. ~ bap, r.rbf
and bitter denuuciaton would follow thu
slightest violation of IL. But this cannot las
forever, as the taxpayers will soon discover
that its certain and immediate effect is the in
county is for the payment of the county
debts. The collector is only the agent of tn
county in the collection Of il and If he fails t,
collect any part of il, the county is still re
sponsible for the unpaid debt to which
was to be applied, and the inevitable conse
quence is that the Commissioners are fnall
compelled TO levy again for the same debt, thu
making the masses wipe out debt Ehic
should have been paid by two or three indi
viduals who escaped the payment OF thei
taxes for one year. When this is fully dis
covered by taxpayers the collectors will be re
quired to perform more rigidly their dute
and collec, the taxes when they become pay
able.
Why then, 10 escape the expense of thi
wholesale advertisement which is sure TO com
10 the not fer future, will not taxpayers b
ready to pay their taxes Every man know
long before they are due that he has got TO pa
them; then why not save during the year tn
amount necessary to do so The great majorit
of delinquent taxpayers are those who hay
but small amount to pay, and if they wou
drop one or two cents daily the y ar roun
into child's money safe, they wonld be read
10 meet the tax-ceIlector when he comes, thu
saving him trouble, save yourself the distres
and discomfort of asking time and relievn
the necessity Of our having defauting tax
collectors