Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1896-11-19

Auq ucuJ gGCS ~ Genus, UtlaL UIlo OdCK
tax attorney is allowed % cents for
advertising each lot, tract or parcel
OF realty and for the name of each
owner when personally is advertised,
that this officer is allowed 81 for pre-
pairing description to be used in
advertising each lot, tract or parcel
Of land delinquent, and that when he
advertises the property for sale he is
allowed another 81 for preparing the
description Of each lot, tract or par
Gel to be sold; that when he issues to
purchaser Of delinquent property a
certificate of sale he is allowed so
cents for the certificate, and when the
original owner redecms his property
the back tax attorney issues to him
deed to his own property and is per-
mitted to charge him a dollar for that
too. In fact no one hardly looks at a
back tax attorney without paying fol
the privilege. But there is still ar
other fee to be paid, for the dejr-
qnent tax fund is placed in the hands
of the County Court Clerk, who tor
paying to each owner what is due to
him gets 80 cents.
H. addition to the burdens impos-
ed GA the unfortunate land owner,
the assessment law places in the
hands of State officer powers that
under no circumstances should have
been his, The comptroller Of the
State is authorized to appoint the va
rious bach tax attorneys throughout
the commonwealth. Il Mississippi
the sheriff is ex-oHicio tie back tax
collector, and be is elected by the
people The back tax collector of
each county in Tennessee ought to
be elected by the people The idea
OF an official at Nashville who may
be citizen of Knox county or Ham
ilton county or Un1coi appointing a
tax officer for the county Of Shelby
and the city of Memphis is a mon
: strosity in legislation, bat this law
provides that when the taxes of a
city are collected by a county trustee
all delinquent taxes shall be turned
over to the back tax attorney APP
pointed by the comptroller, AMI he
! shall get the same fees on them that
lie does on State and County tax,s.
Such a law is subversive of erery
idea of local home government, and
;. at the same time it places In the
hands Of the comptroller power as
dangerous as it IL extensive. In the
hands of an INSCRIPTIONS officer
there is no calculating the abuses
that might result from thus taking g.
. way from the people the control OF
their own taxes and placing it in the
! hands of a different State officer,
whose responsibility is not dearly
y, marked.
The next legislature must run the
= blue pencil through this law and cut
" down the superhuous fees, MAKE the
penalties only such as justice re,uires,
abolish the Office of back tax ollect-
or as a separate office and plae the
= collecting of back taxes in the lands
: of the county trustee, who J the
2, proper person in Tennessee to ollect
the back taxes. 1t. would be very
= little additional work on the tustee
y and as he has to prepare list q the
" delinquents for the back tax atbrLey
:, under the present Law, he ouId
- with comparative ease, collec the
: delinquent taxes. Moreover the
. trustee is elected by the people anG
, he is accountable to them directly
: The time has gore by in this State
" when laws framed for the benefit Of
= the ofiic4holders and against tie in
teresL of the people can remain Oh
the statute books.--MempAis com
mercial Appeal.