The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-11-25
Personal TAXES.
Collector Davis Puts on the
Screws on Elk Alderman
Dohrmann's Case.
NEW SYSTEM Of COLLECTION
Injustiees of the Old Methods
to Be Removed Delay in
Getting out Bills.

Ex-A,derman William Dohrmann has
paid his personal taxes. The fact that
the ex-ofIicial has paid one of his just op-
legations is not particularly novel, but IN
this instance he had declared he would
not pay. The ex-Alderman was quoted
as saying
.sOthers do not pay their personal taxes
and / do not propose paying mine"
The ex-AIderman, it is alleged, boasted
among his friends and acquaintances on
the Hill that he would not pay His at
fitude was such that others decided they
would not settle their personal tax ac-
count City Collector Davis heard what
the ex-Alderman was doing. He got hot
1t happened that all the regular notices
had been served oil Mr.. Doarmann. Just
as soon as the proper time arrived Collec-
tor Davis. clothed in his official garb,
pounced upon the ex-Alderman, and made
a levy upon his goods The defiant
Dohrmann was knocked out in the first
round.
He howled for leniency. Collector Davis
read the personal tax law to him and then
put on the screws. The result was that
last Wednesday afternoon Mr. Dohrmann,
quite crestfallen, wandered into the Col
iectors Office, and left with the city nine
teen crisp 81 bills and 81 cents in change.
Mr. Dohrmann had the felicity of paying
Collector Davis 30 cents for the levy he
made.
The ex-Alde1nan is not telling what ne
will do If he receives another bill. The
impression prevails that he will lose no
time in making settlement. The men to
whom he had boasted that he would not
pay his personal taxes are enjoying
small laugh at his expense.
Collector Davis says that the law re-
quires him to collect personal taxes, and
he insists that he proposes doing it 10 the
best of his ability without making the
slightest discrimination He has adopted
system in the collection of personal taxes
which will prevent repetition of the trou-
Bile which has been caused in the past.
Heretofore personal tax bills have not
been sent out and there were many per-
sons assessed who never knew of the ex-
istence of the assessment No bills were
sent them and the only means they had
of learning that they were liable for taxes
was by being served with a notice that
they would be arrested and their chatt1ls
seized If payment was not made within
specified time The i'll effect of that sys-
tenn was forcibly demonstrated q few
months ago when more than one thous
and names had to be struck from the per-
sonal tax list
Another instance of the Injustice Of the
system is showing itself now. Collector
Davis is only now sending out personal
tax bills for 1896 In nearly every instance
the notices sent now ere the first the peo-
pie have received. Collector Smith coli
lected some 1897 taxes, but he lodged the
1896 levy, with the result that the brunt
of the trouble falls upon MIR. Davis. OF
course, people are howling, but Collector
Davis says he is merely doing his duty.
as it has been laid down by the courts.
The greatest injustice is in the fact
that every 1895 delinquent is forced to pay.
heavy interest charge on ais assess
ment Trouble of this character will be
averted in future. This year Collector
Davis will send out to every person who
has been assessed personal taxes a bill
on a bill separate from his or her real
estate. BY pursuing this course all room
for complaint will have been removed,
as it gives the people assessed an oppor-
tunity TO go before the local Board of APP
peals if they feel that they have been
wrongly or excessively assessed.
The Finance Board meets tomorrow
morning at eleven o'clock to confirm the
tax levy. Mayor Hoos viii approve the
action before noon. Saturday afternoon
thousands of tax bills will be sent out
hy mail 50 the payment may be made
on Monday. 1t is expected that at least
s250000 viii be taken in on Monday next
at the City Collectors office.