The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1894-04-12
A Good Showing Iudeed.

Benz, impressed by the small num-
Der OF dcliuIucnts on the State and
county tax list. as advertised in this
paper. we asked Sheriff Powell for
some information concerning matters
connected with his office. From what
was gathered we learn a few facts
which we think worthy of notice.
First, that the people of Vance county
are more punctual and unanimous in
paying their taxes than any other
county we know Of; second, that the
farming classes have paid up better
than the town people. This leads to
the conclusion that our people are
better off than those Of some other
sections, judging from the exhibits
made in our exchanges. and that
money is more plentiful than would
ordinarily appear. Still, we do not
mean to say times are by any means
flush, or that our folks are Illustrating
in wealth, burdened with a super
abundance Of cash. But they are in
good fix as composed with some
others as general thing the farmers
made supplies last year and whether
the price of tobacco, cotton, &C., is
high or low, they can live and move
and have their being, as free and
independent citizens. If the people in
the country experience hard times,
those in the towns have harder ones.
1t is the intelligent, successful farmer
whose position is to be envied these
days. He has advantages over his
town brother which he does not realize
OF appreciate. But what we started
out to do was to call attention to a few
facts only and let our readers draw
their own conclusions therefrom.
Sheriff Powell tells us that SO well have
the people in the country paid up, those
whose taxes amount to ST. and over
will not average 5 to the township
unpaid. In one township there is not
single man that has not paid, while
in one other there are but 3. This of
course has reference to persons owning
land or personal property. Reference to
the delinquent list will show that the
number of town lots advertised is
greater than that Of farms in the
country, while the list of Collector
Currn reveals the fact that there are
within two or three of as many
defaulters in paying the town taxes
alone as there are for State and county
taxes.
Sheriff Powell has done all the work
of his office without the assistance of
deputy, and that he has performed
his duties well need not be added.
During the sessions of court he has
assistance of course, but the outside
work such as serving papers, collecting
taxes, &C., he does himself, and this
fact makes it all the more creditable
to the tax payers that they have paid
up so we'll If he had had half dozen
deputies constantly running after them
and worrying their lives partially out
perhaps there would haye been nothing
remarkable in the fact that the taxes
have been collected up SO closely. But
this has not been the case. In large
majority Of cases the people have vol
UNFAIRLY come forward aud paid. The
Sheriff advertised when the taxes were
due, he made his regular round Of the
several townships and called upon all
persons owing taxes to meet him and
settle-and they did so as it appears
those of no other county in the State
have done rs fully.
But when they have SO courteous,
accommodating and popular an official
to deal with as Sheriff Powell, the
people do not know how to get around
him. They naturally want to be as
clever to him as he is to them.