The record-union., 1892-03-15
ALL WILL HAVE TO PAY.
There viii Be No Escaping Taxes
Under the New Charter.
some Have Scorned the Collector
for Years-Freeholder White
on the Subject.

Sacramento, if the owners do not see fit
to pay,' said a well-known citizen to a
REcoRD-UNIoN reporter on j street yes
terday. And" he continued, "unless
the proposed new charter thoroughly
remedies this existing evil, will not
vote for it''
What seems to be the trouble at pres
ent?" asked the reporter, growing inter
ested.
There's trouble enough. There's
something radically wrong with our
present charter. Why, do you know
that there are numbers Of our largest
property-owners who do not put cent
into the city treasury? And the city
CAN'T MAKE THEM PAY
Their taxes, either That's trouble
enough, is it not? Look at T. j. Clunie,
for instance. He has not paid a cent of
taxes in years, and he's not going TO,
either. But he is not the only one. Why,
here, let me tell you another thing.
About seven or eight years ago proml-
nent lawyer of this city made PROPOSE
ton to number OF heavy property-own-
ers to this effect: He advised them that
there was no need of their paying any
taxes, and If they would club together,
refuse TO obey the Assessors demand,
case for them. His compensation was
to be twenty-five per cent, | think,
of what he saved them - that
is, % per cent. of what they would other
wise have had to pay into the City Treas
ury. Now, what do you think OF that?
OF course, he could have carried out the
contract; any lawyer Will tell you that.
He would have had an easy thing of it.
The only way at present that the city has
any show of getting hold of delinquent
taxes is when an attempt is made 10
mortgage or dispose of property. Then
the title has to be cleared by paying up
the back taxes. Otherwise the owners
can go on as long as we live under the
present charter without paying III a cent.
It's wrong, l tell you; radically wrong,
aad, as / said before, if the new charter
does not remedy this, Pm not going to
vote tor it,
FREEHOLDER WHITE INTERVIEWED.
The reporter set about Immediately to
ascertain whether or not the new charter
really did remedy the evil referred TO by
the gentleman, and headed for the office
of Clinton l.. White, whom he remem-
bered as being one of the most active
members of the late Board of Freeholders
which framed the new charter.
Mr.. White submitted TO be interviewed
graciously.
''What changes, if any, Mr.. White,
have been made by the new charter in
the system of taxation of the city?" was
the first question.
Well, said Mr.. White, picking up a
copy of the old charter, 1.-The taxes under
the present charter are levied and col
Iected under the State law passed May
II, 1861, which is made applicable to our
city, not by being incorporated in the
charter, but simply by being mentioned
rs being applicable to the city. This State
law has, so far as the State is concerned,
been amended clear out OF existence
many years ago, so that our city taxes
have been levied and collected for years,
SO far as collections have been made, un-
der an Act of the Legislature that is pre-
served only in force for this city. In
other words, our taxes are levied and col
lected under an Act that was thrown
aside as being too faulty for state and
county use, nearly twenty years ago.
This old Act was found
VERY DEFICIENT
In many particulars, and it never could
be applied with strictnesS and certainty
TO the city's revenue system. 1t was long,
and l think, still is, matter of doubt
with most of the attorneys as to what
time in the year the city taxes become a
lien on real estate. This causes constant
trouble in transfers of property and in
settlements OF mortgage debts, as dis
pute nearly always arises as to who
should pay the tax. The fact is, the City
Assessor does not assess, the Board of
Trustees do not act as a Board of Equal
iZatiOn, nor does the Tax Collector collect,
at the times stated in the Act of 1861. The
Assessor, by an Act passed in 1872, was
authorized TO make the assessment be-
tween the first Monday in September and
third Monday in December"
RATHER MIXED UP.
''Can this amendment be made to har-
IOonize with the rest of the Revenue Act
under which the city proceeds?" was
asked.
II do not see how it is possible" said
Mr.. White. The Board of Equalization
Is TO sit in August, yet the assessments
which they are to equaliZe may not be
complete until December. In fact, the
Board of Trustees have for many years
been in the habit of sitting as a Board of
Equalization IN January, but their au-
thority for so doing is doubtful. to say
the least"
Are there any other objections to the
present system ?''
"Yes. The present system provides
that all taxes not paid voluntarily to the
city shall be certified to the District At
torney OF the county for collection. The
District Attorney is not city official. and
probably gives less attention to the col
lection Of the city delinquent taxes than
TO any other thing that falls within the
duties of his office. He gets per cent.
4OT SblCn COlieGtlOilS. anu usually contents
himself with having his Office boy write
9 few dunning letters 10 the principal de-
lmquents. The law provides for suits TO
be brought, but this is an exceedingly
slow, unwieldly and unsatisfactory
method of making the collection, with
The chances in favor of the tax delin-
Cguent winning on some technicality. In
fact, no such suits have been brought,
with the exception of one against Clunie,
Tor as much as ten years. Clunie won
against the city. That was about seven
years ago"
THE NEW CHARTERS REMEDY.
''What has the new charter provided"
was the reporters next.
All, now we're getting to it, said Mr.
White, earnestly. 1T has provided a
comprehensive. accurate and complete
system for the collection Of the city's rev.
enues, modelled on the present revenue
system OF the State, but stripped of some
OF its cumbersome machinery. The new
charter provides that all taxes shall be a
lien Oh real properly on the first Monday
in March In each year. and provides that
the City Assessor shall make as does the
County Assessor. the collections on per-
sonal property where il is not q lien on
real estate. This ought to be a gain of
many thousands of dollars each wear TO
the city on property that now escapes
taxation. The new charter also provides
that the delinquent real estate shall be
sold by the Tax Collector at tax sale.
This will insure the city obtaining eollec-
1iop of all It's taxes. II the new charter
is not adopted our people will have to pay
taxes three times a year-two INSTALL
nlents 10 the county and one TO the city.
as the city taxes are now paid in April,
and as the last lnstallment of the State
and county taxes is payable in May, it
will make
rHE= BURDEN FALL VERY FJFAvy