The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-02-19
STATE TAXES.

Entnn III tNr Guy phpeIH bie i'A -
rood deal ef hostility toward the new revenue
I'LL juat submitted ~ the Hnuse Ivy the Ways
md Means Committee Hrme If them, nuia
hIy tho Tinea. express this feelng In foolish
and intamra,ata comment. which rrl'arts
ANYTHING but credit upon its sn''tee ~ Ia
very raav to make statements which ere
I'LL ~ u p,otnnaa " patriotism ahd which
appeal Ia popular sentiment aa tho best
means or yeililu a parvetaion Ut ineta, and
tha nit tho Time l,t,naaaara In MI eminent
,,ouree We presump. however. that the con,
m,ttao will manage tn r,uvlva the nnala uuh
aud That an intelligent and we'll Informed
Legislature Will guide ,taelf ny The truth.
without rafaanna 10 The Timer The
ground takeu by tho rapera referred
tn Ia that the consnlaainn nf five
pat cont allowed the collectors of State
tanea hero In New Orleans Ia eSttay-
ngantly exrneplvn. They deaaant upon tho
princely favnniea which viii To derived hy
the hlrated on clals. aud generally. with more
III !naa ,llaingen,ouanaaa give The public 10
under stand thet they arc being egregumslv
vul,t,nI Tho people arc not told that ont nj
this commission nT r per cont the collector
aud collecting tho State tax, that he has tn
employ hia clerical force. pay ONCE rent. pilr-
olaae hooks stationery. etc. do hia printing.
furnish hanhn, and. IN a wn,.l, meet all the
great aspenaca nf asaeaanE and collecting The
entire State Tux for hia distrlot. Moi word
~ aat.l WI all this. These burning refnrinnra
simply figure out tho probable total of the &
nor cent commission and then draw repu
alya picture WI tho collector revealing IN tho
goraenua spoila.
All THE. loale bolng far from honest and
manly. IL sinGulntly weak 40 Tar AZ aonoerna
its egecta upon the Legislature. Every mem
hnr If the General Assembly knows that u ia
alarlnaly unfalthfuI statement " tho caan.
md mnet nl them auapnnt that n Ia intnn
tinnally 40 Tho unwaTy reader however
may we'll la mialed In the a,senea nf any
truthful explanation. Why any Journal Of
responsibility should Wish tn create auNh
falan Impressions. ahnuld endeavnr To malIgn
the ~ iala,ra and 10 heap ndium upon the
collectors. Ia a oonundrum which people may
solve according 10 their taste and fancy. II
IL aul1ininnt 10 mlr present purpose ~ ahnW
that The attompt Ia hoing made and to point
thl IVA ihaHlWtlA1. Ne law ~ tHHL ttNa tilb
miaainn III por annt allowed tho collector
will Inave n very amall margin after paying
All tho cxponRra involved Hy THE now law
tho State simply pays + per cent 10 cover
the entire coat Of asseaaIng and collecting tho
tax, md we believe the record will show that
II haa never boon done 80 choaply before.
There ia vast 'lcal Of fnnah and malQ
nant rubbish ailnat regarding tho financial
Offices under government. A certain class
pretending that tax collectors ron III III
gotten wealth and OF poturing the plundered
people who aro impoverished for their enrich
mcnt Now. ma n ease IN point. tho books ~
tho Auditor show that In iai1 tho net proflta
nr tho cnloctorship for tho First District o.
this city presumably tho most profitable In
tho State amounted 10 $500. In 1919 they
went "a &lf5n. ThMo ara official facts, Tho
Auditors books show tho total amount of
commissions received, aud there was filed III
hia Office sworn itcmIzeh atatomenta Or tho
cSprra"s Of the office All Of which athtls
tica were submitted to the CommitttH OH
Ways and Means OF tho l.ogialat!lrca
Of 1879 and 1879. and II ia doubtless upon fhcse
pramist@ thet thnepmmittoo have based their
action. since tho ayatem was changed and
the city divided intnt datrieta tho upper
and the lower 1t IA susceptible nf proof that
neither Mt Bond nor Mr. Houny hna made
nl,d necessary expcna,s, OF ha office, though
no doubt tho same papers that arc now al
sailing thu now law would mako Thorn out to
10 steeped In rieh,@. If they had any point TO
gain hy the misrepresentation
Tho chief objection to tho mode Of collect
ing md aRacssing IN tho city Ia naturally
tho ono which tho critics ignore. II VIZ had
tito rcmolelinE under our control. Wa ahould
make just one change In the matter Of col
lceiing tho revenue and that would bn 10
leave tho task Of making the assctaments ex-
that arrangement would IN prcfcrahle IL tho
one contemplated In the now BILL The Board
of State A.scWsors have done tho work very
acerptahly, worry economically and. we be-
liovc. with reasonable Justice To both tho gov
crnn,rnt and the Taxpayers Furthermore. II
IA wiser and safer to aeparate tho functions OF
asst@snE and collecting in tho city md to
refrain from coniidnK to ono official 30 much
power and responsibility. It will be much
better to retain n State Board or AsscaRors
with practically its present duties. and u d.
vert tho commissions proposed for the col
lcctor. In such proportion rs 70 provide for
the Expense. With this alteration tho bill
would be. humanity speaking. unohjartiona-
Die IA regards the collection of taxes. and this
change we respectfully suggest To the Legis-
lature In lieu Of any notice Of the prepoater-
oua criticisms referred to above
FOLLY OR WORSE.