The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1878-05-29

the work of repairing the dilapiaated hnanc-
es as left by the outgoing Democratic one, by
resolving to collect the outstanding tax and
giving the officers charged with that duty to
understand that they would have their cordial
support in all legal efforts to accomplish the
same. The Democratic Council of 1873 com
menced their administration of the finances
by appointing committee also with reference
to the outstanding delinquent tax, but with
this difference, instead of pushing up the col
lection this committee are to get rid of it by
cancellation. No law exists authorizing such
a course, but it may accommodate some of
their old friends and possibly make some new
Ones
This method of collecting tax might be lik-
ened to tho farmer gathering his crop of APP
pies, by waiting until they fall from the tree.
| If the fruit Tor taxi is gathered when ripe
Tor due the crop will be about all secured, but
if left until it falls off many of them will be
rotten before they come down. 1t is so with
tax or any set of accounts, the longer they are
left the less there is to get. Every business
man knows that and you don't find judic-
! ing off names from his books because he may
| think their collection doubtful He keeps
pushing the collection of all that can be had
and when that is accomplished he can lay his
books aside, settle up with his agents and if
any mole ever come to pay it is SO much gain.
cd. -
1t is true the Receiver of Taxes likes to get
| l..
ious to have those names from whom it is
| likely nothing can be collected taken from his
duplicate, but if he would spend as much
time in using the means at his command in
| pushing the collection where it is certain to be
| paid, as he does in hunting for the names of
those who are dead, gone away, or for any
other cause cannot be collected of, he would
get through his work about as soon and with
much more satisfaction to the general tax
payer. / have never known any Collector of
Taxes in Lamhertville to be found fault with
for not collecting tax whore there was moth.
ing to be had, but l have known a consider
able amount of money to be lost to the city,
or rather to the prompt taxpayer, by the al
most criminal neglect of the. collector to per-
form his duty as the law points out. As above
intimated, the losses, let them be for whatev-
er cause, though directly to the city, must
ultimately be made good by those who pay
their tax for the obligations and expenses of
the government must be paid If part of
what is assessed and appropriated for this
year is allowed to go uncollected, so much
more must be called for next year from those
who do pay. 1t is this fact which ought to
make all WHO are prompt in paying interested
in seeing to it that the city authorities do their
duty in the premises.
| am not disposed to find fault in advance,
but this first step on the part of council,
which is the text of this article, is discour-
aging QUE and particularly so when remem-
Der that some of the most prominent and in
| fiuential members of the present body, retir-
ed, some years ago, from the same place de-
llinquent Taxpayers themselves. Taking this
first step, In connection with the past. CON-
fess there seems little TO hope for in the mat
ter of rushing the collection of the outstand-
ing tax by the present Council. G.