The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-12-07
MANY PROMINENT
MEN ARE ON LIST
Ministers, Lawyers, Physicians
and Merchants Classed as
TaX-DOdgers.
CITY LOSING MUCH MONEY
Aldermen VIII Act Tuesday on
Ordinance Designed to
Secure Collection.

An ordinance Of great interest and i'm
portance, which was recently passed by
the Common Council and later sent back
TO a committee BY the Board Of Aldermen.
is expected to come UP for passage at
the meeting OF that body next Tuesday
night II is measure designed to secure
the collection Of many personal property
tax bills now returned as delinquent. but
which in many cases might be collected
II they were sufficiently large 10 justify
the cost Of collection.
The ordinance proposes to provide for
street collectors of these delinquent per
sonn taxes, and to pay them a commits
sion OF twenty per cent. on their col
lecucns The collector Of taxes gets his
I'VE per cent commission, but the penalty
for delinquency. which is collected along
with the amount OF the tax, pays that.
leaving the net cost OF collecting these
delinquent taxes by personal applications
10 inc delinquent twenty per cent.
Richmond Far Behind.
Richmond is shown by reports from
other city collectors to be far behind in
collecting these taxes. most Of those cities
having tried the twenty per cent. plan
and found that it operated admirably.
IL If a remarkable fact that g Der
cent Of the population of Richmond paid
VI per cent. of the total personally tax
collections for 1903; or, IN other words
6' per cent Of tho population nav but
per cent Of the personally taxes
I'm tho year 1902 there were returned to
inc City Auditor as uncolIoctibIe is. 5g3
delinquent personal property tax bills.
amounting TO $3.6f652. or an average Of
only 81. In 1853 about the Same num-
Der OF delinquent tax bills aggregated in
amount IS, 10 -, or an average of about
81 10 each While the average is small
q number Of the bills range from s. or
- 10 ~ or $50. and the names Of some
OF these chronic delinQuents or tax
uoosers as they are commonly known.
would create q sensation # published
among the number are ministers. LAWYERS
P-Sslclans and merchants. ard many
others from whom the sums due could
be collected by legal proceedings wiz
'Ne great majority of these bills. how
ever the collector claims that he cannot
aIord 70 pay the two cents postage and
'he cost or clerical help necessary out OF
"a per cent commission
IN other cities q much larger percent
age or collections has resulted from fine
70 per cent. commission r,lan ana g. s.
urged hy advocates OF the ordinance that
IL would result in the collection OF thous-
anus oi these bills If men were enlulovei
10 call personally upon the dehnouerts
OF enabled 20 trace them and present the
""is- In some cases there IS nothing
OUT or which the bill could be made bv
ltNY' out ln not a few the chronic de-
hnquents have property and very CON
siderable incomes but have wear af+or
year refused positively to pay their per
sonaAty taxes. Many fail to NAV h.aca,,sa
they have not time to leave their work
and 20 TO the City Hall while the col
lector office is open. and on holidays
or "nen such delinquents are off duty.
the Collectors Office IS closed
II even so per cent Of the DELINQUENT
amount IS collected the city's income
VIII be appreciably Increased
Eight Reasons.
Eight reasons have been cornpllod b,.
q gentleman who favors the passage If
tho ordinance Tor its adoption and tho
appointment az street collectors. These
reasons are.
The large number Of personal de-
Itnquent bills;
It Is no hardship 20 most peoofa
upon the delinquent list TO require
them TO pay.
Little attention has been given to
the collection Of small bills as the
total commission on the bills for
1902 woud amount 20 only s148O4.
he effort 10 collect and the col
lection would Increase the interest
OF a large proportion Of the citizens
100 the cltys welfare
For every additional dollar COL
lected the city would get so cents.
where 1t now gets nothinq.
The Industrial life Insurance COM
panies find il profitable to collect 5
or 10 cents week. Why not the
City2
Proportonately the people ovslno
these bills are tho greatest bene-
hciaries Of urban privileges and
benefits
Finally other cities are PURSUING
the plan proposed in this ordinance.
and doing SO successfully.