The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-10-12

The subjects of railroad taxes and
primary school money are closely allied
for it is the railroads which pay the pri-
mary school moneys to the state and
thus aid greatly in support of that most
cherished institution in this state, the
common school, Here are figures show
ing the sums paid out in primary school
money in the several years given:
! 1881 and 1892 were Democratic years.
1899. 81, 900, 099. 40 1904. SO, 341. 57S SO
1902. 1910, OSO.96 1905. 2,453, 200 so
1903. 1885. 442.72 1906. S.175, O24. 90
The year 1892 was the last year of
Democratic rule and 1905, it may be
stated, was the first year in which the
back taxes from the railroads came due.
EXPENSE OF TAX COLLECTION.
From time to time it is charged that
the auditor generals department is I'M
necessarily expensive, and that thous-
ands of dollars might be saved to the
people of the state by a different system
of tax collections which would do away
with numerous clerks and the expense
of advertising paid to newspapers each
year for publishing the delinquent tax
lists. In answer to the claim it is as
serted by Auditor General Bradley that
the tax division of his department is
more than self-sustaining, and that the
people do not pay one single cent in
taxes for its support or for tn, expense
OF advertising and collecting delinquent
taxes.
The figures will bear out his assertion.
In the 10 years from 1896 to 1905, in
elusive. the state tax average has been
SO, O57, 496.3 80, while the delinquent re-
turns have been an average for the
same period of 1856, 647. 90, or per cent
of the average.delinquency for 10 years.
Out of every dollar assessed 80 cents
was paid before it reached the auditor
generals department and escaped every
penalty except that imposed under the
law for payment at the township or
county treasurer's Office.
BURDEN ON VERY FEW.
1t follows, then, that the expense at
the auditor generals department came
from this 5 per cent of delinquency and
falls upon less than 2 per cent of the
persons assessed for taxes and upon
them only because they neglected to
make seasonable payment at the local
collecting Office. The cost of adyertis-
ing and the expense of clerk hire is
paid from "the expense Of collecting de-
linquent state taxes" and the delin-
quent taxpayer pays interest, penalty
and charges for his neglect, to the ex-
tent annually of every expense in con-
nection with the advertising Of delin-
quent taxes and the employment of
clerks in the tax work of the auditor
generals department. Not one dollar
of this expense is paid by the man who
pays his taxes at the township or county
treasurer's office.
During the past fiscal year there has
been paid into the state treasury through
the auditor generals department. the
amount of $3.50, 044. GA on account of in
heritance taxes; $685. 95S. 4S from speci-
fic taxes and from the ad valorem taxa
ton of railroads, fast freight and car
companies and express companies the
sum of IS, 1OS, 1926.
BENEFIT COUNTIES ONLY.
All of these amounts are collected by
the state and inure to the sole benefit of
the various counties of the state. In
addition more than half d million dol
lars of local taxes have been collected
by the auditor general and paid over to
the county treasurers for the benefit of
the various counties, cities and town
ships of the state
In all ways the auditor generals de-
partment is busy one for the taxpay-
ers of the state, collecting local revenues
and paying them into local treasures
free of all expense for collection, collect
ing specific and railroad taxes for the
benefit of the primary schools of the