The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1880-01-02

paid for collecting. The Commissioners should be
made responsible in some manner Tor inc bond
George r. Glasgow said that until that day he
had been in favor of the Treasurer system, but
emit system. We have had good collectors and can
get them again. With Treasurer we do not know
be no assessment of new properly.
VIM ID. Lee was in favor of the present system
II 1t is carried out as it should be- He was not in
favor OF jumping out of the frying pan into the
fire. ~ " -
Thomas A. Hays said he was for lettering our
condition as taxpayers and whether the present
system or County Treasurer would be better he
did not know. The Treasurer plan would be a
bond could be found. The bond need not be en-
cessive; Let him be paid enough to pay his clerks
himself The matter of new assessments would
be the most difhcult to handle, with the Treaser-
ship. The notices to taxpayers might be made
through the papers or by postal cards. Taxes
should be due at certain time and payable with
out interest. A scale of discounts for payment
before the lst OF January might be arranged and
per cent. should be added after that date. Sixty
days after the LIST of January the unpaid taxes
should be collected by law. He expressed himself
as not willing to take positive stand on either
II. Harris Archer regarded the present system a
good one If good collectors, like Mr.. Munnikhuy-
sen, could be appointed.
+. w. Baker thought that with Treasurer the
taxable basis would annually decrease and taxes
| increase. Assessments of new property can be
made in no way so thoroughly and so cheaply as
by the collectors. They go to every mans house,
| and improvements cannot escape their eye. They
the nine years from 1870 to 1873 inclusive the col
ectors of the 3D. district alone assessessed S26
| OF new property, at cost to the county of less
| than $50. OF this amount one collector, Mr..
Munnikhuysen, returned $103,449 in two years.
Collecting taxes at central Office can be done in
city, where all the tax payers reach the Of
flee without difficulty or expense, but where they
| are widely scattered and often without means of
getting to the county seat, 1t would be hard
|ship and expense to small tax payers, without
| beneftting the majority. Treasurer would be
| Il convenience to those whose claims against the
county exceed their tax bills but that class con-
| stitutes small portion of the community. A
system of discounts for prompt payment would
also benefit the heavier taxpayers but every cent
thus deducted must be paid by their poorer neigh
bors. 1t would also, as had been said, benefit the
newspaper publishers, whose columns would be
swelled with advertisements OF property for sale
| for taxes. Besides, n Treasurer would be elected
| by the people, and with partisan Treasurer and
| plant board of Commissioners the risk of getting
| an unfaithful officer and an insufficient bond
would be greater than under the present SYSTEM
There is law enough already to enforce the prompt
payment of taxes and to avoid loss to the county,
| and it is difficult to understand how new laws
would be carried out any more effectively than
| those we have-except by expressing the people.
The vote upon the question as follows
| Fora County Treasurer-Messrs. Allen, Janney,
A. Hays, Holloway, G. Wilson, and d. Price cH?
| Against-Messrs. Archer, Barnes, Ball. Glasgow,
| w. d. Lee, Moores, Munnikhuysen, Rogers BENZ
Silver; Geo. b.. Silver, VIM. +. Hays Whiteford,
| D. Il. Wilson. Isaac Wilson, G. r. Milton, George
| Archer and +. w. Baker-17
The committee of inspection, Mcssrs .Ianncy,
| Ball and MunnikhuyseD, reported upon the con-
dition of Mr.. Aliens premises, commenting the
| arrangement of his fine barn, the appearance of
his stock, especially his sheep and thoroughbred
| Short Horn bull calf, &c.
| Adjourned to meet at the farm of X. John
Rogers January 18th. Question fordscusson:
| best stock to raise with view to profit and in
cr0aSiiiS the pro;!act:"eness Of the farm :"