The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1884-05-03
Tax List Matters.

We have not had much to say about
the publication Of the delinquent tax
list partly because the Iuter-Ocean
was having so much to say, and part
ly because. the law and decisions
which we publish this week. got mis-
laid some months ago and we did not
find them until last Monday. Mr..
Richie understood the law and his
duties in the matter and was entirely
governed thereby 1t will be seen by
the decisions given by two Attorney
Generals of the State and by three
district attorneys, that Mr. Richie has
no option in the matter. The law
says he must advertise the lands at
given time, and for certain length of
time, and the same law says the print
er shall receive as compensation there
for p cents for each description of land
or lot, except where the number of
such descriptions shall exceed 1000;
then and not before, the Treasurer
may ask for and receive bids for doing
the work, but where the number of
descriptions is less than 1000 he is
not required TO ask for bids or to let
it to bidder.
Again the Inter-Ocean sent up a
howl that MIR. Richie was in effect de-
frauding the county out of hundreds of
dollars by refusing to advertise for and
receive bids for that work. This of
course was all bosh, and the opposi-
ton knew it, no doubt, for even if Mr.
Richie had got the work done for one
cent a description instead of % cents
the county would not have made "a
penny by the transaction. If it only
cost one cent to do the work, one cent
would be the limit of his charges
against the piece of land sold, when 1t
was redeemed, and the only party to
be benefited by the cutting would be
the man who had refused or neglected
to pay his taxes and thus help bear
the burden Of our local government.
This delinquent tax payer would be "A
cents ahead on each piece so sold and
the printer would just be "a cents
short, and neither the county at large
nor the man who pays his taxes would
be at all benefited.
Now do the county officials, or the
tax payers-we mean the men who
PAY their taxes-really desire to starve
out their home institutions that they
may enrich the pro- ty holder who
will not pay his taxes 10 help support
the town, but lets them go by default
because he can do better with his
money elsewhere, and who in most
cases lives somewhere else and cares
but little for the place at best? Mr..
Richie i'll giving us the tax list no
doubt considered the fact that the
TINES was the oldest paper in the
county, that it had stood by the town
in its darkest days even when it was
an actual bill OF expense to It's own
ers, and also the fact that the TINES
has more than twice the circulation Of
the Inter-Ocean, and was therefore
upon business principles Of justice and
equity entitled to the work, and we
believe nine-tenths Of the people will
say MIR. Richie has done wisely and
justly. The law says we are entitled
to % cents description Cor doing the
work we are now doing. VIII the
county officials allow the same OF will
they insist upon robbing us to enrich
the men who haye refused to pay
their taxes. Remember that what you
take from us goes into the pockets of
this class Of men, and NOT into the
public treasury as claimed by our ''cut
throat" opponents.