The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1888-10-11
For the ADV vANCE.1
COMMUNICATION FROM MR.. Nc.
KVJJHT

To the Honorable Boards of Town
Supervisors in each and every Town in
Mobiles County:
GENTLEMEN:-Iw wish to call your at
tention to an item in the matter of tax
alton, which is Of interest to every tax
payer.
l address this to you, not because
you are more interested than others,
but because you are in such il position
that you can, without extra trouble on
your part, examine into and test the
truth of some statements in this arti-
Gle. You will all agree with me when
[ say, that every class of property
should bear an equal share in the bar
den of taxation. Now, there is class
of property in this county which almost
entirely escapes this burden. I allude
to notes bearing interest and secured
by chattel mortgage. This property,
perhaps the best paying of any in the
county, should be listed for taxation,
and should appear on the Assessors
books in item % Of personal property
statements.
To arrive at the amount of this pro-
perty which escapes taxation, we must
first know the amount of it in the county
and from this take the amount actual
ly returned for taxation. The amount
returned of this item for the year 1883 is
81 1928 90.
A partial investigation of the town
clerks records in the county shows
conclusively that there is at least $5O,-
900, and perhaps even twice that
amount, of this class of property on
which taxes should be paid. Let me
make suggestion to you gentlemen of
the Town Boards all over the county.
When you meet. as by law required, to
prepare your list of voters for the next
general election, will you take the town
clerks chattel mortgage record book
and examine it in about this way: Be-
gin at the date of 1st of May, 1886, take
the amount of all secured notes, given
to persons known by you to be resi-
dents of this county, not discharged.
not counting removals, up to the date
of May 1st, 1888, find the total amount
of these notes. AS such notes are often
partially paid and this not appearing
on the record, make such reduction
from the total amount as in your judg-
ment this fact justities.
When you have made fair estimate
of the amount recorded in your town,
by comparing the population of your
town with that of the county you will
be able to make a fair estimate of the
amount In this county.
Should you look into this matter you
will find great discrepancy between the
amount 81 1923, which is listed under
this item, and the amount which should
be 50 listed for taxation.
claim that if proper effort was
made by the officials of the county
whose duty it is to look after this mat
ter, this discrepancy would not exist.
Allow me to call your attention
to Sec 43, Chap. 1, Session-laws 1873,
which reads:
1.-THE County Auditor shall carefully
examine the assessment books when re-
turned to him by the assessors, and if
he discovers that the assessment of any
property has been omitted, he shall en-
ter the same upon the proper list, and
forthwith notify the assessor making
such omission, who shall Immediately
proceed to ascertain the value thereof,
and correct his original return; in case
of the inability or neglect of the as.
sessor to perform this duty, the Au-
ditor shall ascertain the value of such
property and make the necessary cor
rections.''
Now, Mr.. E. S. Mills, Auditor for the
last nine years, it seems, has never dis
covered that this class of property has,
to great extent, been omitted in the
assessment books. At least, I have
never heard Of his takino anv stono to
rectify the matter as it is by law his
duty to do. If my estimate of the
amount, $50 900, of this class of pro-
perty is correct, land l believe it will
be found to be too small, and certain
ly do not wish to exaggerate) and plac-
ing the average rate of taxation at 2
per cent: which is also low, here is a
loss of 81 900 per year to the taxpayers
of Mobiles County, by his failure to
rectify this matter, through the ases-
sors, his own duty under the law, or in