The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-05-09
WORK
TO Be .SIMPLlFlED]
NEW SYSTEM OF BLANKS MAKES
E ACCOUNTING EASY. ..a
County Treasurer Hanke Prepares Form
of Tax Statement Which He Believes
Will Save Time, Worry and Money
for Taxpayers-Mistakes Reduced to
Minimum.

A new system whereby the OHlce &C
counting can be done accurately and
of thousands of dollars and much trOu
BILE to taxpayers has been devised by
County Treasurer Henry G. Hanke. This
system will be installed at the earliest
possible date and with the proposed
improvements in the office arrangement
will make the county treasurer's office
a business house operated with the
greatest saving of time and money.
Before putting this new system into
to submit it to interested taxpayers for
criticism an dsuggestions. To this end
the county treasurer has prepared for a
county commissioners rooms at the
court house Friday. May II, at s pm.
He has issued invitations to business
firms, taxpayers and public officials,
and all taxpayers will be welcome. At
this meeting Mr.. Hanke will explain his
new system and ask for the opinions
and suggestions of all present.
Cumbersome Old Process.
At present person desiring state
ment Of his real estate tax must apply
at the statement desk and one Of the
statement. clerks must look up the de-
scription in the tax books and tran
the taxpayer waits. When the tax is
to be paid, the citizen reaches the cash
Ter s window and deposits" his money.
He has then only begun, for he must
| wait until the statement is marked
"paid' and is passed to one Of the half
| dozen receipters, who in time will make
him out an unitemized receipt.
Under the new system it is proposed
to make the statement and receipt at
| -
chine. Both will bear the number that
appears on the book, which will be.
come the statement number The copy
will be the statement and the original
will become the receipt when PROPERLY
signed. The original or blank receipt
will remain in the receipt file case, ar
ranged in numerical order by wards
until the tax is paid, and will be signed
marked "paid' and exchanged for the
statement at that time. This will give
the taxpayer an itemized receipt in
stead of the Indefinite and unsatisfac
tory receipt now given.
Work in Dull Time.
Under this system all the tediou:
work of preparing both statements anc
receipts will be done during the dull
season and will be ready and arranged
in order by February or before tn,
spring rush Of taxpayers begins. Whe1
a taxpayer calls for a. statement, al
the clerk will have to do will be t,
turn to the addition, lot. and block
and, taking the double Statement am
receipt, separate them and hand tn,
statement to the taxpayer and tn,
blank receipt to the receipt-fle clerk
who will enter it and file it ready TO-
the payment. =" r."
A great amount of time, labor, con
fusion, delay and epense to tn
county will be saved. Moreover
the chances Of error will b.
reduced to the minimum. It will ais
do away with double payments, as the,
will be detected by the receipt-fl
clerk when he: finds the receipt missin.
from his file, thus doing away with al
double payments refundments, war
rants for the same BY the auditor an,
checks by the bank on the treasurer
office. Overpayments, which are com
mon at present, will also be detecte,
and corrected Immediately. T.
The itemized receipt, however, is tn
one feature that the treasurer wishes t.
emphasize. This receipt will be- ar
ranged SO as to show all taxes unde
the following subdivisions: Section O
lot, town or block, range, valuation
state, county and city tax, trees, inter
est on revolving fund, curb and gutter
pavement, interest on revolving fun6
sewer, sidewalk, water main, stree
sprinkling, park.