The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-04-23
County Treasurerrs.

The IIenrco grand jury lou'u ~.
= the recent COUNTY treasurer hao pee.'
guilty OF no intentional wrong uo'i -
4 but recommends some enac''i,e'. ~
s,lch as should have caused MS rei'io, . a.;
Another case OF indiscretion. This " wore
ma certainly been over worked arouhu
( I3icbn,ond during the past few mohtls.
III m of,1cial Is guilty OF some acs
i x,,hich would iupstify his removal from
office cal, It be said this was done Viii
o,it wrong intent? Is the ordinary ol'icis..
II nossessed Of less dsernment pet"eeA'
right and wrong than the ordinary mem
Der OF grand Jury or inves's e|n c s,on
n,ittee? Is It not time to put Sup
& to such white MISUNDERSTANDING
Courier.
rho exact language OF the grand jury
was:
1--WE believe from the evidence before
y ia mat the late treasurer had no wrong
+ -, ,ntent IN handling the funds rs no
ala. hut on the contrary thought no was
4 within his legal rights.
The fault is largely with the system.
The law provides that each treasurer
shall commence to receive taxes on or
before the first day Of July OF each
wear, or as soon thereafter as he may
receive copies of the commissioners
hooks, and continue to receive the Same
IN 10 the first day Of December there
after
It Is further provided that each treas
urer shall. on the first day Of December
OF each year, make up statement OF
al. taxes collected by him, verify the
same by affidavit and forward 1t TO tho
auditor Of public accounts within fifteen
DAYS. and at the same time pay into the
treasury the amount so collected. Moth
ing is said, SO far as we can find In the
4 code OF the manner In which he shall
handle the funds he collects. If he settles
/; with the auditor and treasurer at the
proper time, no questions are asked.
This, Of course, refers to state taxes.
In the matter Of county taxes 1t Is
required that treasurers shall settle with
the Board OF Supervisors and the school
boards by the first day of October Of
each year, and shall. on that date, ex-
hibit TO the Judge and Commonwealth s
attorney the cash. to balance their ac-
counts, IL any Is due, with the county
4 levy and the county school fund. II the
treasurer does this, he has complied With
the law. If he falls to do so, the court,
after service Of rule, shall suspend the
treasurer and appoint competent person
In his place.
Moreover, the state encourages the
treasurer to pay In advance the taxes
& Of deInquents and allows him to collect
for his own account the penalty. We
say the State encourages this practice
for II provides in section tp3 that
treasurer may diStrain for taxes and
levies for which. .fe has accounted to t..e
auditor of public accounts. and the county
authorities. restrctively, ut any time
within one year after the period fixed
in section Coz for his final settlement
with the auditor OF public accounts ior
State taxes.
This. by the way, seems TO us to
! border very closely upon farming out
the taxes"
Il To sum up: the treasurer Is required
to collect the money at stated times and
to make settlement a, stated times. II
lie uOeS lllo aAc tpAllP'lS' VIII tIic lew
and in the mean time he may use the
money In any way - pleascs. He may
lend it out, or gamble with It, or de-
post 1t in bank and draw interest on
1t. At least that is our reading OF tho
law and II we are wrong we hope some
officer Of government will promptly cor
rect the statement.
We do not apologize for the late treas
urer OF Henrco, but In handling the
public fund as though It We're his own
lie seems 10 have followed the rule and
We venture that other county treasurers
do likewise. We are charitable enough
to believe that Treasurer Todd. had he
lived, would have made good the deficit
In his accounts.
.