Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1899-07-27
No Delinquent Lots Returned
from Newport News for 1898.
CLEAN REAL ESTATE LIST
Probably the First Time snch Thing
Ever Happened In the Otd Dominion.
Some Interesting Figures. That
Tax on la Grande Duch+sse.

orLs in hcr short day but never mad.
record moro significant than that IL
which this article proposes to call at
tcNtion.
City Treasurer ]. NJ Curtis will not
return single piece Of real property
in the city of Newport News delinquent
for the year 1885.
This is perhaps tho most remark bic
thing chat cvar happened in Il rnmnu-
nifty of this size. 1t is probably HE first
time Il Virginia treasurer was ever able
to hand III To the auditor such a report.
The fact is significant 1ot merely rs
showing how thoroughly Mr. Curtis has
performed his duty ns treasurer bur
because it is criterion of the good
times III Newport News
What other city in the United States
can show a clean tax list nn realty"
Who ever heard Of such thing hap
pcning in the ola Dominion? It is
enough 10 make some Of the ,reaSurcrs
vino nave gone 10 their graves burden
el down With the weight .: nncn!l,:t,.l
| taxes turn over in their collins With
sheer am:lZcmrnt.
| There are in the city about 5000 lots.
improved ana uninprovcd. The take.
| on these for all purposes amount to
! S3l l'2.!'2 This amount in full the
! treasurer reports u the auditor and
turns oyer to the proper authorities.
| cent for cent ana dollar FOR dollar. IT
| is divided thus: city. S26.:,1GO9: schools.
| 81. SiS.S.; State. $11.1lS.92
or these lots there ar" st;l y few tnat
| have not paid taxes. Tho number is
"n:iniortait ana tn" taxes on them ag-
@reSat" only ;: small! sum. ana Will ali
!,
There are also Ten or fifteen lets which
nave been enormously entered twice ON
| the books. These entries nave to Ec lr-
counted for. OF course. Mu, cannot br
charged as delinquent. The total taxes
on them. anyway. amount 10 hui Sol -
To reach SUCH a result immense ana
W"ll-diractcu effort has been necessary.
That il has been reached at III! is 10th
ms; less than marvellous. Treasurer
curtis meyer had such an experience
before III the long time that III. has bnrn
treasurer He hardly GreS ia hope
tEl;it he ever wiil again. but he wnllt
like 70. III $50. there We're tiiiy-live de-
liEuucnt lots. In 1886 there Mere nine
tN-nine. vs.; in that latter Year Mir
Curtis stood tEIrd On the LIST III treas
| urrrs in the matter If rnll.rlinrS hay
ms turned in - IL per cent 81 the
| taxes charged against Nam. this being:
net. exclusive of commissions drlin-
uu"nts and other loss.
In ISL. the total amount reported dc
linnnent was $i.l12. all included. Tie
am"unt reported Delinquent, for 1895
viii be but S11,4.So or ihis S2l79 IS er-
ronr"ns assessment; the balance. Sta
| o. represents delinquent taxes on per
| s"nal property. the individuals against
| whom they are charged being :nsol-
| vents unable To Pay anything
! ny rights. there is no dnubt that Mr.
| Curtis ought to head the lis, this vcl..
and he Will probably do So though he
seems ITO think otherwise. His reason
for thinking 50 is that he has charged
against him the taxes on la Grand,
Duchesse. aggrcgating $4,000 II has
been decided. after due procedure by
| me Corporation Court, that The treas
| urer had no right to collect. and cannot
collect. this tax because it is NOT legal
| mis- being the case, it should NOT he
| charged against the treasurer, who has
/ forwarded to the auditor a copy nt tho
| order Of the court. But the tax is still
| on the com miSsioner'S books. ana un-
| I'll it is removed thcrcfrom; Will t.ontin-
ue to be charged against the treasurer.
! L is believed however that if th,. mat
! ter is called TO the attention Of tbs. au-
| ditor ne Will have i: afforded To- or a.
| any rate Will not allow it 10 stand IN
| the way Of placing the treasurer 81
Newport News al Tho top Of The list If
| the trcasurers Of the STATE. whore. 10
| belongs.