The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1904-05-24

May 10Th.
Mr.. Charles Z. Barnes, collector ssoisI
the City OF Fairmont, E'airulont.
w. Va:
Dear Sir:-The unders1gned Who
are all of the members Of the finance
Com mittee of the City OF airmont re.Ss.
specIfully invite your Immedial e con-
sheraton of the following matters
pertaining to the finances ofSsaid city
viz:
| 1. AS you are aware. work has been
resumed upon the new city reservoir
and filter plant. on Log Cabin ItilI.9g
land under the contract by IA 81 city
With the persons sssehus are terecd ting
constructing said plant very large
sum of money, probably s25, DOC. Oo.S
Will be required to be paid upon said
contract, in addition to the paymentss
already made thereon. and IL this work
is carried on with the speed hicha
every one now hopes and believes IT.
will be, this sum will become payable
before any money is likely to be re-s
celved on the taxes for the year
1904. we are advised that W there is
in your hands for collection taxes for
the year 1908. and possibly for thers
years. aggregating something like s %:
0OO.o0; and further that you have lIn-ss
collected water rents aggregatingsz
about s1.5O0.00, IS tho two accounts
amounting to $1,000 90 or s GOO. 90.
We have not been advised assto what
proportion, if any, of these ayarious acss
counts should lie classeds as aetna w
delinquent. yet 1t Is surprtsin IN at
such 81 large percentage of the taxes
approximately about % per cent
should be withheld from the city. and
the government denied the use OF that
money which by right and by law ~ is
entitled to have and which it must
have IN order to enable it to sfuif fill It's
obligations. 1t occurs to- us thai al 81
patriotic and luw.abiding citizens are
equally Interested with the officials OF
the city in having all OF the contracts
that are intended to promote the wei:
fare OF the community, faithful and
honestly carried out. and one way to-
do that is for every citizen and tax
payer TO promptly contribute his Just
proportion of the burdens of taxati ion
Those of our people who have failed
to thus pay are making it more cffii-.ssS5
cult for the city authorities To- proper
ly discharge their public duties, and
where this failure to pay is due to an
intention upon the part OF the ia ks
payer to embarrass the adminfstra-
ton or to evade his Just proportion OF
the public debt, the officers are In
our humble opinion, JUST fled In having
recourse to the remedies provided hy
law for the enforced collection OF
taxes and leyies. ia
Q We therefore respectfully ca tlss
your attention to the power that IS ss @
conferred upon YOU, as city col ssctoTss
in the charter of tie city, a s contain
cd in section 20, of chapter of the
Acts of the Legislature of 1895, y ,ict:#s,
said section, in part, reads as fox
lows: st shall be Inc duty Of the 81
collector to collect city taxes, license
1cvies. assessments, Wharfage, Watersa
rents, and such other city claim rs
are placed in his hands for COLLECTION
by tie council; in case the same are
not paid on or before the thirt
day Of October, after they are ri AGED
in his hands for collections, he aIIsss.
collect interest at the rate Of one-ha lfgs
per centum per month unit the sa me-
are paid. and may distrain and sc H.
thereof in like manner as the she s-if
may distrain and sell forsat id 5taxsss,a
and he Shall haYe,Sin all resnects, & 49,
SAINT power as the sheriff to enforce
the payment and collection thereof
And we do further call your q tent lon
to the ordinances relating tot he3wsate IsE5s
system of the city. in which It Isl g.
,ided that upon a failure to pa ss.i5sss
rents within twenty 200 dtly:ss ftss'ssS
s; me becomes due, the city alt nrizssss
ties are required to discoRnect lie g e.
linquent consumer from the va terssys;sss
ten. s5Sss55ss s8
In inclusion, we cert ir1ys tr,lst s s
that sufficient funds will be forth eofnE
ing when needed to dfscharg thsa
pressing obligations or the city, a,diS
IL order to effect this resn1 TT he COM
11ittce feels that it must nave ies
earnest co-operationa and ASST tanceS ofS 81
all OF the city officials, yourself anon
the number.
Respectfully yours.
GEO. DEBOLT,
Ey HAya4ANFy@AgS rs