The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-25
TAX BOOKS OPEN
NEXT SATURDAY
EVERYTHING IN READINESS
AT OFFICE OF COLLECTOR THoNf-
SON FOR BEGINNING WORK.

State Rate Is $3.50 and County Rate
1870 On Thousand-State Rate
decreases and County Rate In
creases-If All Taxes Are PAID
Total Receipts Will Be S414,S2O. 10.
All But About $4,000 VIII Be
Paid BY Whites.
On Oct. 1 the tax books will open,
and Collector Thomson will begin the
work of getting in the taxes which are
due the state and the county. All the
preliminary work has been completed.
AS has been announced in the Morn
ing News the state tax rate this year
is $3.50 on the thousand and the coun-
| ty tax rate is $40 on the thousand.
This is a reduction in the state rate
of 20. To offset this, however, the ex-
penses in Chatham county increased to
such an extent, owing to the necessity
of new school and the preparations
for introducing manual training, that
the county rate increased so. This
makes a total increase of 80 over last
year.
For the last few weeks, in fact, ever
since the rates were announced. the
force of clerks in the collectors office
have been busy tabulating accounts
and preparing summaries for the work
of getting in the money. Tables have
been prepared which give complete
synopses of the lists of taxpayers, the
q 70 IS I1f,, 49,
sums that are due from each.
The tax receipts have all been filled
out with the names of the taxpayers,
and the amount of taxes paid. so that
all that is necessary is for the receipt
to be signed, when the money comes,
by one of the men in Mr.. Thomsons
force. This will aid greatly in rushing
the work forward, and will save con-
siderable time to the clerks.
what the Taxes Should Be.
The returns of Mr.. Marcus S. Baker,
receiver of tax returns for Chatham
county. showed that at present there
is in this county taxable property. to
the value of $SS.19l64S. AS has been
stated in the Morning News this is an
Increases in holdings of nearly half
million dollars, a showing that is 4
very creditable one especially in a
year when there were no manufactu-
ries established. or other large con-
Germs located here to help swell the
total.
Taking these figures as basis for
his work, as soon as the state and
county rates had been announced MIR.
Thomson. the tax collector, computed
the amount of money that must be col
lected this year from the property
holders of the county for county and
state purposes.
If all the taxes are paid the total in
come will be $414, 320.79. OF this
amount all but a little over $4,000 is
due from the white property holders.
The amount is large one and repre-
sents the great amount of work that
must be done by the force in the col
lector's office in winding up the years
business.
To Sheriff in December.
1t is probable the collectors will ex-
perience the usual trouble with delin
quents. Each year there are always
some who postpone paying their taxes
lrOlH udle W udlS until IL 10 IOO ldtS
for the collector to compile his lists,
if he were to wait longer on them.
Then, too, there are always those who
seek to dodge the tax debt entirely.
AS in former years, as soon as a GER
tain limit has expired, the names of all
delinquents, together with the amounts
due, will be handed over to the sheriff
to collect. Executions will be sworn
out and the delinquents will be COM
PEELED to pay not only the tax itself,
but also the cost of collection through
the courts and the interest. If only
to avoid this additional charge, prop
erty holders should see to it that their
taxes are paid in promptly.
The books will close on or about Dec.
20, and at that time the list of de-
linquents, together with the executions.
will be handed to the sheriff.