The record-union., 1899-01-04
COUNTY TAX COMMISSIONS.
VIGOROUS PROTEST AGAINST
THE LATE DEAL.
Supervisors Asked to Revoke the
Contract Made to Collect
From the State.

There is strong sentiment aproa0
that the contracts made by most OF the
counties in the State with couple or
law firms to collect from the common
wealth about $1,50O,U0O for commls-
sions on tax collections since 1888,
should be rescinded. The Chamber OF
Commerce of this city has set out to
bring about the revocation or these
contracts. and to this end has prepared
an address on the subject which is be-
ing sent out to all the counties that
have made contracts.
The Chamber a few days ago ap-
pointed committee composed of r.
D. Stephens, A. j. Bruner and j. 0.
Coleman to wait on the Board of Su-
pervisors and urge that body to annul
its contract made with Devlin & Dew
Tin to collect the $4,000 alleged to
be due Sacramento from the State for
a very generous percentage.
This committee appeared before the
Supervisors yesterday and presented
the matter in a strong light. MI.
Stephens was the first to address the
board on the subject. He said he ana
the other gentlemen appeared on pc
half of the Chamber of Commerce TO
ask that the contract with a law nrm
for the collection of tax commissions
from the State be rescinded. He be-
lieved the board had acted for the
best as the question was new one,
but it now appears that if the firm re-
ferred to should win the suit against
the State it would be like paying
money from one pocket into another
If the suits by various counties should
be successful and the State be COM
PEELED to pay out nearly a million dol
lars, there will be a shortage IN the
States revenues, and the tax payers
will have to pay the money back next
year, with something like $1OO,OO0
that will go to the lawyers.
Mr.. Stephens then presented the
resolution adopted on Monday by the
Chamber of Commerce requesting the
revocation of the contract.
Alvin J. Bruner, also of the Chamber
of Commerce Committee, addressed
the board on the legal aspect of the
matter. He said the collection of the
$4,000 due the County would do the
County no good, as the deficiency
caused thereby in the States revenues
would have to be made good later on.
He was satisfied the situation was not
clearly understood by the various coun-
ties when they made their contracts
with the lawyers.
Mr. Bruner then quoted from the
Civil Code to show that such contracts
as those entered into can be rescinded.
He was satisfied the enforcement of the
contract could be easily prevented by
proper application to the courts,
through the District Attorney.
Supervisor Morrison said the con-
tract with Devlin & Devlin was made
by and with the advice of the District
Attorney. For himself, he was willing
the contract should be rescinded, pro-
vided the other counties would do the
same. but if this County is to be the
loser by resembling the contract, while
the others collect from the State, he
would oppose such action. He con-
tended that if the others collected
from the State, and Sacramento should
not, then Sacramento would have to
pay back in increased taxation an I'M
just proportion of the money taken out
of the Treasury by the other counties
Mr. Bruner did not believe that
would be the result. Some county
should take the Initiative. and it should
be Sacramento. 1t might be we'll TO
allow the lawyers referred to a small
fee for what they had already done.
On motion of Mr.. Mclaughlin, the
resolutions of the Chamber of Com
merce, requesting action by the board,
were taken under advisement.
CONTROLLER COL4GAN'S LETTER.
State Controller Colgan has adj
dressed to the Chamber of Commerce
the following letter on the subject,
which is being sent out by the Cham
Der with it's circular:
SACRAMENTO, Dec. IS 1898.
J. o. Coleman, Esq, Secretary of the
Chamber of Commerce-Dear Sir: In
reply to your favor of yesterday, ask
ing me to give my reasons why the
claims presented by the various coun-
ties against the State for back commits
sions or fees for collecting the States
portion of taxes, should not be paid,
will state that there is not much to add
to what has already been published in
the daily press.
Prior to May, 1893, it was costing the
State between S2JO,0O0 and 100000
annually to meet this expenditure, and
was serving no good purpose. The
money was collected from the counties
in the way of taxes and then returned
to the counties to pay the expense of
collection. The money did not go to
the county officers, but into the salary