The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1895-11-16
WORK FOR THE ASSESSORS
The Auditor General Complains of a
Falling Off in Taxes.
EXPLICIT INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN.
The State officials Intimate That the Law
Requiring a Return of Moneyed In
terests is Being Bvaded and Call
Attention to the Penalties
Special to EVENING HERALD.

Special to EVENING HERALD.
PoTTsvILLE, Nov 16.-The Auditor General
has called the County Commissioners to ex-
plain why there has been such decrease in
the return of moneyed interests in Schuyl-
kill county. In 1894 the returns aggregated
49, 625, 463 and in 1895 they fell to s., 81 $50.
| This made decrease in the state tax of
S26l4,53. The Attorney General intimates
that he believes many taxables are playing
shy of the requirements of law.
This county is evidently not the only one
that has shown decrease, as the County
Commissioners throughout the state have re-
ceiyed from the Auditor General, blanks
relative to the work Of assessors. Blanks
have also been forwarded to be dis
tributed among the several assessors
Of the county in the spring of 1896,
prior to the time of making the assessment.
The blanks for return of personal property,
subject to a state tax, have been revised,
giving full instructions, arranged in such %
way that officers and taxpayers will see just
what property is to be returned, including
many items which have heretofore been
omitted. These blanks must be placed by
the several assessors in the hands of every
taxable person or corporation in the county,
and it will be the duty of the assessor to see
that they (the taxable persons and corpora
tions) shall respectively make returns.
The act of June S, 1891 is quoted and any
taxable or assessor violating any of the pro-
visions Of the act will be guilty of a misde-
meanor, according to section, 49, which
provides: That any willful failure ON the
part of the county commissioners, board or
revision of taxes, ward, borough and town
ship assessors, recorders of deeds, prothono-
taries and clerks of courts, to carry out the
duties imposed upon them by the several
sections of this act, shall be deemed a mis-
demeanor and upon conviction thereof the
person or persons so failing to comply shall
be sentenced to a fine not exceeding five
hundred dollars and Imprisonment not .ex-
ceeding one year.
Whilst the duty incumbent on the part of
the assessor and commissioners is imperative,
the taxpayer is no less liable for neglect of
duty. Section Of the act provides And
any person or officer who shall willfully and
NollApllS Audht q ldloc anu lIduuultul ItIuEl
as aforesaid shall be guilty of willful and cor.
rupt perjury, and upon his or her conviction
thereof shall be sentenced to pay fine not
exceeding $500, and undergo an Imprisonment
by separate aud solitary confinement at labor
not exceeding seven years, and thereupon be
forever disqualified from being witness il
any matter or cOntrOv ersy."
The county commissioners are required t,
destroy ali old personal property blanks, anC
in lieu thereof new return sheets are provided
which are quite an improvement on the old
sheet, inasmuch as the average taxpayer car
better understand the schedule of property
subject to taxation for state purposes.
The new instructions will give the assessor
an important and responsible duty to per
| form and he will be required to be part icular