The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-05-19
Back Taxes.

10 IDe OF nc IbaLs
Houston. Texas, May Isl observe In
Judge Hamblen's remarks in discussing
our proposed tax relief legislation, printed
In your issue OF the 18th instant. that he
has been informed that a number OF rich
corporations have defaulted in the pay
especially mentions one OF the compress
companies. Now as TO the Union Compress
and Warehouse company. the one referred
to in his communication. which has been
served with notice OF delinquency feel
that 1t is proper and right in the same
public manner to state the facts. lest some
may be deceived if'belieying. as the judge
has been. that the company has been dodg-
ing it's taxes. The fact is that the COM
pany is about to be sued as per published
notice, for taxes for tho year 1856, when
lying before me at this moment is city
tax receipt dated March 16, 1887 reading
as follows:
Received Of tho Union Compress and
Warehouse company $2770 for city tax IN
full for all years, including 1886. on Bayou
City, Peoples. Houston ana international
congresses"
Now, some one has Numbered, and l do
not pretend to say where or how it &C.
CURED. or course, City Attorney Stewart
does not keep the books. but / submit that
this notice has been slow la coming to
the company, for 1t has stood ever ready to
pay its taxes promptly; and. in fact it has
PAID them promptly to my personal knowl-
edge, for myself have paid them for years
past But this instance. one of hundreds
only serves to Illustrate and emphasize
the necessity for some legislation for the
nI taF n L..
the shape of retroactive bar.
l had to 20 back and hunt up this old
receipt (thirteen years old from among
great many musty old vouchers, but
submit how few people indeed have ever
deemed 1t necessary to keep for so many
years such old receipts and papers where
they might on moments notice produce
them. 1t should not be expected or re-
duired. and should not be necessary for
the protection Of our property. Fires often
occur and old papers aud receipts are
burned or they become scattered and mis-
laid, or probably the property has been
disposed of aud the former owners re-
moved from the city in which case no i'm
portance would be attached to tax receipts
upno property in which they no longer had
an interest and vet If suit be brought for
taxes for such years the only relief Is to
pay again or to 80 back to your war
rantors who may or may not be RESPONSE
| BILE. This Is expensive and disquieting at
least TO such as are able to pay, and APP
palling to those who are not.
Tax receipts are at a premium these
days; somebody Is bulling the market. |
don't think any responsible citizen now
would think Of delivering his tax receipts
/ TO the purchaser of his property. He must
lock them up like he would his plate and
Keep them forever.
This Is not right. why should a munic-
! lpal corporation be given so great an ad-
vantage over other corporations or the
I individual for debts due to them? WHY by
statute place a bar on the one at two or
/ four Years and no bar at all on the other ?
| surely four years is ample time for any
officer charged with the duty OF collecting
the taxes of a city TO enforce the same
and let the collection be forever barred
| after four years
| And for relief from these never-endlng
tax suits. which have for months past been
! harasslng our people, let the proposed
| measure place a bar forever against the
collection OF all taxes after four years.
/ Such a measure may, doubtless WILL be
the means Of allowing some 10 escape who
! are Justly Indebted for taxes and who
know It, but let us hope there are few
| who are able to pay and yet are mean
enough to plead a statute of Limitation in
bar of such debt and for the relief of
| the much larger Glaze N-.-1 -. .., st-,oJ
let us pray for the enactment OF the ro-
troactlve law and get new start.
II the DOCKS "Au .veo4ul ID ne city as
SCISSOR and collector we're reasonably cor
rect and the mistakes were the exception
and not the rule, then | would stand with
Judge Hamblen. but these suits have been
brought time without number to be
knocked out by the production OF the Ia,
receipts covering the alleged Delinquent
period, and again and again they have beer
brought and much Injustice done and sac
rltce OF property made because recelpts
could not be produced readily when. be-
yond any reasonable doubt. the taxes had
/ been paid.
The only possible relief is retroactive
measure. Thos. c. Dunn.