The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1899-07-08
To Taxpayers to Learn That
Thousands of Dollars
Is COllectable.
LEGISLATURE MADE A LAW
Empowering General Dix to
Secure Heretofore UD-
cOllectable Taxes.

Lansing State Republican.
The active agitation of taxation
measures that failed of adoption has
left upon the popular mind the inn
preston that the legislature of 1899
accomplished little or nothing of
value in the direction of providing
for the needs of the state. 1t is
true that no new law for the taxa
tion of railroads was passed. Wheth-
er this should have been done is a
question upon which thoughtful men
differ widely The problem is by
no lmeans easy of solution. To
large degree it absorbed popular at
tention and comparatively little pub
lie thought was given to the impor-
tant amendments to the general tax
law that were proposed.
While muchGonsideration was Civ
en- by others TO new sources of rev.
enue, Auditor General Dix was
poRdering over the millions of dol
lars of uucOllected taxes that had
been assessed and for which lands
in all parts of the state are held on
the records of his department. His
FIRST thought was given to how these
assets could be realized Iupon The
state may b. said to he land poor
1t does not want the acres it has bid
lin, but it does need the revenue
sought for an the assessment of these
lands. Gen. Dix realized that every
dollar secured from delinquent taxes
was just that much relief to the
taxpayers who provide the revenue
needed to support the state, coun-
ties, townships, cities and villages,
and to taaintain the grand institu-
I tions in which every citizen of the
state takes pride. The first thing
| necessary was to extend the pro-
visions Of the present general tax
law so as to provide for the dis
tribution, of lands returned under
the earlier laws. The attention Of
the administration Of the auditor
generals department has been CON
stantly given to perfeeting the sys-
TEN provided by the law, and it is
mot known that there is any invalid
.tv ;p a, a.p,rla onunt,, IN Tho en- la
from the Tax Record of 1899, but
for every sale preceding that of the
present year there are some coun-
ties where the title acquired by the
state in delinquent lands is admit
,tedly invalid, while for some years
the sales in all counties are worth
less. As a.result a certain class of
owners refuse to pay the taxes be-
cause they know the state cannot
convey valid title to land which it
holds under DEGREES or sales that
are invalid. Ut was evident to Gen.
Dix that collection of the delinquent
taxes for which lands had been bid
to the state under invalid sales could
not be accomplished until the auditor
general was given authority to pro-
tect the state by the cancellation oi
these sales and securing valid de-
crees under new petitions. The lav
had long given that officer authority
to protect either owners or individ-
ual buyers under similar conditions,
bat he was powerless to protect the
state. The enactment of sections
1}8 and I39 has supplied the re-
quisite authority and hundreds of
thousands OF dollars OF taxes hereto
lore uncollected will be realized as
the result.
The stoppage of the leakage OF
revenue through the delinquent lists
was next studied. The delay of
large taxpayers in their payment of
taxes in recent years is believed to
be largely due to two defects in the
law-inadequate penalty and the
provisions under which the charge
for expenses did not accrue until the
day fixed for sale. With the penalty
reduced to s per cent per annum,
taxpayers saw little reason for pay
ing taxes while the state was willing
, to carry the burden. In changing
Contioued on page four.