The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1893-04-08
iered as nail matter of the second class
In the postofiice at L'Anse, Mich.
SATURDAY. APRIL 8, 1893.
STATE TAX SYSTEM.

II the present legislature of Mich
gun presents to the people anything
short oil well digested state system ol
taxation 1t will fall far below the wish
es and expectations of majority Of the
deepest thinkers and The most expe;.
fenced business men of the state, re-
CARELESS Of party. The address of
Hon. o. NJ Barnes before the Joint
committees Of taxation OF the leg sla
ture on Thnrsday evening was u strong
exposition of the defects of county
system Of taxation, and logical and
convincing presentation OF the dangers
to which il exposes the real estate hold
or as compared with the superior Sc
curity enjoyed under state supervis-
ion.
Mr.. Barnes is by no means singular
in his position. He is supported by
che recorded experience in other states
where the county system has been in
vogue. Ex.Auditor General Stone is
consistent opponent of the law now
In force, and in his annual report for
the fiscal year 1891 he points out in de-
tail many weak points in the present
law, several of which would appear to
be Inherent to any county system that
could be devised.
Referring to the delinquent tax de-
partment NJ organized under the state
system now superseded, Auditor Cen
eral Stone said: The exl enses of
this department have been more than
paid by the penalties received and
credited the general fund from time to
time from the payers OF delinquent
taxes, so that tbs depart nent has in
no way been burden to the punctual
tax payers, and no state tax has ever
been levied for the purpose of paying
any expense or meeting any deficiency
in the collection of any state tax pre-
viouslv levied. On the other hand,
from correspondence with other states
that collect their delinquent taxes by
the socalled county SYSTEM | find 1t
costs from 20to 50 per cent to collect
each 81 90 of tax, and the proportion
of their taxes thus collected is much
smaller than in this state under the
state system. That this system, the
result of much experience, well es.
tablished and less expensive, should be
superseded by system unknown as
to merit, expensive where it has been
in use, and the good features of which
are embodied in the laws of 1889 is u
matter 10 be very much regretted by
ALL"
Another feature of the expense,
trouble, and uncertainty under which
the tax payers labor where county
system is in vogue was brought to the
notice of the Republican q few days
ugo. A gentleman received q list Of
lands upon which he was requested to
pay the taxes for IN eastern party.
Under the st tie system the agent has
only to deposit the list with the audi
tor general, request statement OF the
gross amount of taxes due, pay themt
and take his receipts. The entire
transaction involves but few hours
time, and the matter IL closed accurate
", with no probability OF future troub.
lie. Had this gentleman to pay those
taxes under the county system IL would
involve division OF the list and COR
respondence with seventeen county
treasurers, replies from them, seven
teen remittances, and the return OF
seventeen packages Of tax receipts,
involving several weeks time, to-
ge,her with possibilities of loss in
transit.
Again, many county treasurers are
not accountants nor lawyers. It has
alrendy been discovered that scarcely
any two Of them understand the pro-
visions OF the present system alike, and
some OF them do not comprehend them
ut all. Here, then, is a liability raised