Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-03
TREASURER WRIGHTO LETTER.
He Shows the Auditor General How the
Commonwealth Is Robbed.

He Shows the Auditor General How the
Commonwealth Is Robbed.
Hon. Thomas McCdmdnl auditor Gen.
erdl:
SIR: Before suing for the recovery
OF mercantile taxes for the year 1891 1
deem 1t my duty to lay before you somo
facts, in view OF which desire TO be-
advised and further instructed with re-
gard to my duty In these premises. An
examination OF the list OF names com
prised in the mercantile apprsisement
for 1891 and comparison OF the same
with the list OF $500, has satisfied mo
that the Commonwealth is unnecessar-
lily subjected TO enormous expenses
annually for advertising and for
the costs Of suits brought
before the Magistrates, which II Is prac-
ticabe to avoid and about which feel
II to be my official duty to fully inform
you, and TO the end that, cooperating,
we may In some measure prevent the
waste OF public moneys. In the attempt
TO ascertain as far as possible 10 what
extent the Mercantile Appraisers lists
have been swelled during the past years
with fictitious names and by the lnclu-
sion OF many thousands OF names which
1t was the duty OF the Mercantile Ap-
praisers TO know ought not 10 have been
included, have experienced consider
able difficulty, from the fact that large
portion OF the records OF the State Tax
Department OF this Office Is not TO be
found.
THE PADDED LISTS.
In round numbers the Mercantile Ap-
praisers annually include In their ap-
praisement from 5000 % 30, 600 names.
This whole list Is paid for by the Com
monwealth, first, at the rate OF 62X
cents per name 10 the Appraisers for
their classification, and secondly. at a
cost to the Commonwealth for adyertis-
Ing alone Of about Sl.50 per name. New
ertheless the Commonwealth not onlf
falls TO secure the payment OF tax fron
more than about one-third OF this whole
number, but II Is subjected 70 enormous
cost for the classification by the Ap.
psalsers, for advertising and for the
costs attendant upon suits brought for
the recovery OF moneys against persons
from whom IL Is entirely practicable TO
ascertain before the bringing OF suits
that no recovery can be had.
An examination OF the Mercantile Ap-
praisers' list OF 1890 shows that there
were returned by the Appraisers,
served notices, and advertised al the
cost Of the Commonwealth, 2s,53l
names. Nevertheless, not more than
11.450 Of this number paid at the rate
at which they were assessed. For 1913
there was a reduction in the tar made;
3s2 were stricken from the list; 10,367
were exempted, some for reasons that
could have been ascertained by dill
gence on the part OF the Appraisers be.
fore they were put on the list, some for
mercenary reasons, and others OF a
political character, and against $3.50
delinquent suits were bought.
USELESS AND wAsTEFuL SUITS.
It is to the last class that / now de-
sire particularly 70 call your attention.
] append herewith a statement giving
the names OF the Magistrates before
whom suits against 6,559 delinquents
were brought, the number from whom
the judgments obtained were recovered,
the amount Of moneys thus collected,
the costs charged TO the State by the
for the suits. and the
amount Of costs turned into the City
Continues o. BoaEth 3GSA3