The weekly Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1872-1887, 1884-05-04
The Ora D Juar,s REPORT.

III sScc1S 10 Us INC LAW very IAAll
for beth District Attorney and Commits
sioueH, and they are all deserving OF
much censure for the loss the county has
sustained through their negligence 20
press payIaen; o. these taxes" Now, If
the Grand Jury or any member thereof.
will point out a single line Of Law which
imposes on the Commissioners any duty
with respect to the prosecution Of deIin-
quents or the collection Of any moneys
IRON such, We would esteem such action
a favor. The only business Of the Board
III relation to deluquents, Is to examine
the list furnished by the Prosecuting
Attorney, and alter ordering stricken of
such as they deem unccllectablv
being governed in their course 10y any
and all available information touching
the value, condition description, etc, o!
such delinquent p-Operiy-orderinS the
collection, by suit or otherwise, OF taxes
due on the remainder. Having dis
charged those duties, the BOard has
nothing further whatever to do in ia
matter. During four years Of the time
designated in the report, We know that
these duties were faithfully performed,
and any attempt 70 hold the Board OF
COMMISSIONER responsible tor any fail
ure to collect delinquent taxes, is unjust
and totally without warrant.
The impression seems to BE- quite
general that the Board OF Commissioners
are clothed with p~lraary powers, pos
seSSing a sort of rowing commission to
ferret out and correct all irregularities OF
abuses that may exist in OF tine
c Dunty o.ices, rom Sheriff and ex-oli-
clio License Collector, TO that OF School
Haster-General, and are consequently
the legitimate scupe-gOats, upon whom
tbs sins and shortcomings OF all should
properly be piled. However tiIue-h,n
ored this convenient theory, II has NOT
the shadow of foundation in fact. The
duties Of County Commissioners ar.
quite as definitely prcscnb d as are those
II the other officials, and are at thu
same time sufficiently numerous and
disagreeable 10 effectually reprrss a de-
sire to usurp any Oi those mot nominal
ed in the bond" II is only at rare
intervals that n political prodigy, pos
sessing the capacity and disposition t.
absorb within himself. all the Official
functions Of a county, appears above the
social horizon, and when such u genius
does arise. his Overlooking zeal ia the
public service Is properly regarded rs
insufferable impertinence. Each officer
Is supposed 10 understand what the
duties OF his Office are, and he alone is
responsible for their proper discharge;
hence, the marked pTopriety III each
attending strictly to his owu business IA
.ule quite as applicable to the Commits
sioaers as to any other of the County
officials. The popular idea Of a model
Commissioner seems to be, however, one
who is authorized to thrust his spoon
into the soup OF every other County
official, and whose duty It i, to sec that
1t is seasoned to the public taste.
Further along in the report appears
the following: From our acquaintance
with the amUuats stricken of. and the
property to which assessed, We believe
that had proper diligence been used so
per cent. of the amount lost and stand
Ing unsolicited could to-day have been
received and ~ap0rtioucd to the several
.unds OF the county and State"
Having been il member Of the Board
from 1879 to 1882, We may De pardoucui
ior ]presuming to believe that the Board,
which Investigated those deiinquencics
during the year, referred to, were quite
as well qualified to Judge as to the posi-.
D~iliiies of collection, and were much
better acquainted with the prop rty ia
question, at the time. than uny Grand
jury, however intelligent, can possibly
be at tins distant date.
Again the gentlemen say: 1--WE rccOg.
uize the fact that many assessments al,
small anu not worth the expense Of col
Letting them by law, but We believe al
citizens who own property and are a..
sesssd should be made to pay their taxes,
whether the amount b. great or small.
and even if the collection Of them entail,
a loss to the county"
The utterancc Of these views by sc
August a body as II Grand Jury, cal
only be construed rs IN implied recon-
mendntion for their adoption by til,
commissioners; but as the law govern,
ing tax d~clinqueucies was enacted fUl
the very purpose Of preventing the use.
less expenditure Of county funds, II,
above suggested, their practical applica,
ton would constitute a violation OF law
for which the Board would lay itscl
liable TO indictment by u subscqucu,
Grand Jury. The law tmbodyiug tn,
above views Of tn Grand Jury. was in
force until 1872 and il being proven tina
undei IL workings, counties were scri
on y Dnred, it was repealed and tn,
presen. law enacted in its place. Til,
prosecution of oil dclinqucnts was i'm,
pcratiye under the old law, and the cost.
entailcd upon the county generally foot
ed mp a much larger amount than the
SUR collected. While fully endorsing
the proposition, that all delinquent,
should be Obliged 10 pay the tax due, the
power 10 enforce such payment does not
| ALWAYS nCCOmpnuy tbU lpuirc Wi,r,