Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-20
That Amount OF Money Collected
From the Dubuque Tax
Dodgers.
Work Has Covered a Period OF
Two Years..Costs County
$4,000.
Methods Pursued by the Ferrets
Are Simple, But Very
Effective.
Special to Times-Republican.


Dubuque. May 20.-Tax ferrets col
lccted and conered into the county
treasury of this county nearly $4,000.
The work is aboht completed, only a
few cases being left to be adjusted. The
fees of the ferrets amount to more than
$4,000. The work was begun two years
work required in getting the material
| i'll shape to work cuts down the profits
of the ferrets. The first thing done by
them was to make complete copy of
the deed record and another of the
mortgage record covering the last five
years. This task occupied several
months and several hundred dollars
were expended for the work. When it
had been completed it was written
again on different sheets This work
done, the ferrets sent their agents into
the various county seats in Iowa, Min
nesota, South and North Dakota where
they examined the mortgage records
and took off the names of all Dubuquers
holding mortgages in the various coun-
ties. This done, they listed the mort
cages on individual sheets. Then the
assessment returns were taken off and
Lut on various sheets.
The question has often been asked,
How do the ferrets know when any
one is short in his assessment returns"
The explanation is simple. If the mort
cages showed John Jones to have byen
the owner Of monies and credits in an
amount greater than he returned to the
assessor in any of the five years. 1T was
a warranted assumption that Jones
withheld something from the assessor.
So Jones was called before the ferrets
and questioned about 1t. Perhaps his
debts had exceeded his assets, in which
event he would be liable for nothing.
But If he was unable to explain away
the discrepancy he was forced to pay
the amount of taxes on his omission
together with an annual interest rate
of six percent.
The mortgage records were not the
only means of furnishing the ferrets
with information. The largest amount
collected was from man who he'd no
mortgages but had all his money in
stocks. The instances where taxes
were paid on bonds We're numerous.
The ferrets maintain sort of clear
ing house If the record in Dubuque
showed that Mr.. Smith of some other
county held mortgages here. the local
ferrets sent the information to the fer
rets working in the county where Mr..
Smith lived. And they in turn. when
they found anything for Dubuque coun-
ty, sent here.
Considering that the ferrets here col
lected only the taxes for the county, the
levy averaging about twenty-five mills,
their additions are the largest made In
any county in the state. This is not
remarkable considering that this is the
richest county per capita in Iowa.
The ferrets collected from omitted
taxes in Dubuque county S69,22667.
For their work they received Is per
cent of all the returns, which amounted
to $10,3S4.26 The addition of $69,226.67
assist materially in defraying the ex-
penses incurred in running the county;
part will go to the state and the re-
mainder will be apportioned among the
various funds.