The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-02-13
SPEAKS ON TAX
COLLECTIONS
STATE TAX COMMISSIONERS
WINGATE SAYS COUNTY
OFFICERS HAVE BEEN
NEGLECTING DUTIES
MUST ENFORCE
LAW.

State Tax Commissioner John
rWingate, was in the dity Tuesday. and
delivered a very interesting lecture
on the new tax law, and the duties
of county assessors and other Off
GERS, at the court house.
Mr. Wingate said that there were
three great reasons why taxes were
as high as they have ever been al
though the list of taxable property
in the state, is constantly and great
ly increasing.
The first and only legitimate reas-
on is the spirit of the people toward
public improvements. No state takes
greater pride in its charitable and
educational institutions than Indiana.
More money is spent for the educa-
ton of youths, and for the comfort
succeeding year The counties are
building more gravel roads, and more
bridges; the cities are laying more
pavements, more sidewalks; the
townships are building schoolhouses
paying more to teachers. and hauling
the children from their homes to
the schoolhouse
The second reasom is that all OF
the taxable property is not entered
upon the tax duplicate. This is the
fault of the officers charged with the
1uty of listing operty.
The third and most serious reason
is that the tax on the duplicate has
not been collected The county Off
cials have been, and are too lenient
in the discharge OF the duties of their
Office Fear of incurring the dis
pleasure Of their constituents, has
kept officials who had second tern
in view. from prosecuting delin
quents. The state board has been
handicapped in not having enough
members, and by not being IN close
enough touch with the tax collectors
and officers OF the county. In this
county not one person has been pros
ecuted for delinquent taxes In fac
not one name has been handed to
the prosecutor OF this county, r
legal action. by a county officer.
In November OF last year, there
was $1,000 delinquent taxes on the
books of this county In order to
secure the proper amount then for
he next year, it would be necessary
TO levy the assessments against men
who pay their taxes regularly. In
other words. instead OF keeping the
good VIII OF their constituents by re-
training from prosecuting delin-
quents, the county officers oblige 'he
regular tax payers TO keep up the
whole expense, while the delinquents
grow
"A county auditor or treasurer"
said Mr. Wingate "must do more
than draw his salary. In accepting
his Office, either one OF these offic-
ials agree TO faithfully discharge the
duties connected with the same. One
Of these duties is to see that the
taxes are paid The official who IS
lenient in the collection of taxes, is
guilty of breach of trus."
To show to what gigantic proper
tons the delinquent taxes of the
state have grown, Mr. Wingate stat
ed that the annual revenue derived
from taxation throughout the entire
state amounted 70 about $4,000. 900
annually. The total amount of delin-
quent taxes in 1907, was $2,960.2s5.57
An example of extreme good work
done in collecting taxes. is the case
of Fulton county 1t is the only
| county in the state with less than
81 900 on its books uncollected. The
remarkable feature of the case is,
| that this collection has all been made
| since the November collection, At
| which time there was charged back
to the treasury $5,272.s1 in delin-
quent taxes. Since then $4.692. 90
has been gathered in and much OF
| this amount was secured from men
| thought to be worthless and who in
| past years have been passed by on
the theory that the money could not
be collected The present balance
is only S54511 and this amount is ex-
pected to be materially reduced with
| in the next few months. Another
example but OF the other extreme. Is
Kosciusko county, with a total de
Enquency OF $4,000.
Mr.. Wingate gave considerable time
to the explanation OF the details OF
the assessment sheets and to the du-
ties OF the assessors in getting all
the property listed on them properly
and fully He specially called attsn-
ton to the wide Inference in bonds
and the mistake some taxpayers were
making when they bought all forms
Of state. county and city bonds think
ing they were not taxable.
The county treasurer and prosecu-
tor will in the future have no choice
| in the matter of prosecuting delin-
auents. The state will see that the
taxes are collected, and Will do all
in its power TO collect them.