Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1886-01-29


CEASED salar IIIIlIlII
With this &c c6cio clerk regularly installed
in Office, drawing the comfortable little sal
airy of one hundred dollars month, let us
examine and see how the additional duties
as devolved upon him under the provisions
of this bill, tend to facilitate the public bus
iness.
He is required to receive and disburse all
moneys levied and collected for county pur-
poses so that if Mr.. A., OF Damascus, or
Mr.. b., Of Colesvlle, have levies in their
favor, they cannot, as heretofore settle with
the Collectors of their respective districts by
deducting the amount of the levy from their
tax bills and paying the balance due but
must pay the full amount of taxes to the
Collector, and then have the trouble of 60
ing or sending to Rockville in order to settle
their accounts with the Treasurer.
These small levies are often Of great as
sistance TO those in whose favor they are
levied, enabling them to meet the amount
of the tax bill, when under other circum-
stances the payment Of the same would be
attended with some trouble and delay, and
the additional trouble and expense of going
or sending to the Treasurer at the county
seat.
This mode of payment affects not only
those who may have taxes TO pay, but the
smallest claimant on the county list must
see the County Treasurer in person, or exc
cute some paper in order to receive the sum
due him.
The 9TH Section, and we have only space
in this issue TO notice the most salient points,
and that without any regularity, imposes
not only painful hardship upon the Col
lector, but in truth amounts to an oppression
upon, the people This section provides
that if any Collector shall fail to pay to the
Treasurer the amount of taxes placed in
his hands for the use of the State or County
within thirty days from the final settlement,
then in such case it shall be the duty of the
Treasurer TO transmit a statement of the
account of such Collector or Collectors,
showing the balance due, to the States At
torney, who shall enter suit at the next en-
suing term of the Circuit Court and proceed
to collect the same at the earliest date,
We think there is no necessity for such
stringent legislation. Information obtained
from the proper source leads us to make the
assertion that our people, as a rule, are
prompt in the payment of their taxes, and
as the material development of the county
continues to improve, the willingness and
readiness of the people to pay their taxes
will improve.
There have been, and il is but natural to
suppose there will continue to be, periods
of hardness on the part of some of the tax
payers, arising from circumstances beyond
their control. At such periods and under
such circumstances the Collector now ex-
ercses proper degree of indulgence and
leniency. Under the provisions of this bill
there can be no favor shown the taxpayer
The sword of terror hangs by single hair,
and the Collector must have the pound of
flesh, even If it draws the blood at every
stroke of the knife, sit is so denominated in
the bond"
So far as regards the keeping of the Office
of the Commissioners open every day from
A. M. to p. M; the procuring Of certain
records in which an alphabetical list of all
the tax payers Of each district shall be kept,
showing the amount of real and personal
property each taxpayer is assessed; aud
ithimproved methods ofshowing who have
paid their taxes, what discounts have been
allowed, or what interest has been collected.
are matters which can properly come before
the County Commissioners, and if they have
no power to make such requirements or i'm
provements, and they believe the public
convenience demand the same, then such
additional legislation can easily be obtained
As regards keeping the office open from
Q A. M. to 3P. M. daily, we do not think it