Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1881-08-12
THE TAX LAW.


THE TAX LAW.
The delinquent tax-law of this stat
so far as the state or county is concern.
ed is failure, and We might add a
fraud also. 1t is fine thing for spec.
ulators who may wish to gobble up tim.
her tracts, strip them, and let them go
BY an ingenious process the costs are
made to eat up everything in nearly
every case, so that the state and county
receive nothing. The land, itit be tim.
ber.is ruined or rendered valuless, and
OF course reverts back to the delin.
gent list. We have been gathering a
few statistics from the records, and
present the result below. Here they
are Out of IS, cases which We have
looked up We find
Amount OF Taxes due &s.loSoo
Amount of Costs s,4Si.2s
Amount realized at sale 5..!3.Gi
1t will be seen first that the asgre.
gate amount of costs piled up in the way
of officers, and printers fees con-
siderably exceeds the original
amount due. and 2nd that the amount
realized at the sale falls far short of even
the costs. But as each case is settled
indepen dent Of any other. the county
and state occasionally. by accident
do receive som: little return.
Thus we find that out of the above 232
cases that in - only the amount real
lied has exceeded the costs. Total
amount realized. therefore, out of
SS.lOs.00 is $l340.00. The trouble with
the law Is this, that under its provis-
ions, costs out of all proportion to the
amount delinquent are piled up So that
ii makes hardship OH the owner or the
party purchasing. making him pay a
large amount to lieuidate small one
1t also opens the door for combinations,
10y which few individuals may become
possessed of large tract. of valuable
timber land at nominal cost to them
selves. and for which the county and
state get nothing. All back tax is
wiped out. the timber sold. the land
stripped, and no one benefited but the
speculator. Here is one way ii could
he done. A. b. c. and d. are respect
ively, sheriff, county attorney. clerk
and publisher Each are entitled to
their fees i'll case suit is brought,
\ number of specially valuable
tracts are hunted out, suit is brought.
and the fees in each case average about
$40 toS35, of which sum the publishing
of the order of publication and sheriff
sale take about $22 TO $25. This is why
it is convenient to have a newspaper
IN the ring. Remember, we are not
finding fault with individuals, but the
law. and tbs u but Q suppositlous case.
Well the lanS gees to sale. lfthe own
er turns UP, in order to get his property
out he must settle all the costs and then
pay the taxes. This is the way the
county gets what little it does. The
balance gusS (" sale and is bid off
by some on. oi Inc parties interested
and he becomes sole owner OF Just SC
much land As he may want. The coun-
'y gets nothing. the state nothing. and
all back taxes are wiped out. He can
iiyide up and everything Is lovely and
he goose, winch in this case l, the
.ounty and state, hangs high
Next comes the disposition of the
and. IL ii containes valuable timber,
J. to $3.50 can be realized at once,
nd it is quickly sold, or stripped Of all
hat makes it valuable. Thus an So ,
ere trac (which has cost next to moth. ,
lg, brings the speculator his SI6o to !
200, and all prospects FOR future or r
asst taxes forever destroyed. In other :.
ords the county and state conhscateS ,
lie real ownership, wipes out its own
lst clam, and gives the speculator h
lndsome little reward for his acute .
IS and diplomacy. "
The Legislature ofthe state of Mis- "
uri could not have gotten up a better II
heme for land grabbers and specula- p
rs than it has done in this case. Was 81
accidental 10