The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-03-19
SOME POINTERS
FOR MIR. SCOTT
CITIZEN TAKES "A FEW STRAIGHT
SHOTS At RECENT LOCAL
OPTION CONVERT.

Editor West Virginlan:
Will you permit me Just few lines
in reply to Mr.. Scott5s article IN yes
ttrday's Virginlan?
| /. Mr.. Scott says that he is a "a TO-
cal option man." II this statement Is
| true land OF course Mr.. Scott should
know then he has certainly changed
| his views on the subject since thls
| time last year. At tho meeting Of coun.
ell neld about. the first Of March, 1908,
at which petition was presented to
council asking that council have For
and Against" placed on the ticket, In
other words when local option was
asked for, Mr.. Scott made an extern
sive argument before council against
the placing Of this question on tho
ticket. He had even gone so far as 10
prepare extensive tables Of figures,
ETC., In a vain endeavor to convince
council that the people should not be
given a voice In this matter. We well
come his change Of i1eart, but frankly
We believe that this change. II change
there be, Is due to Johns belief that
the best chance the license people
have this year Is to get a vote on the
question directly. John thinks that
with the booze that is stored In tha
|club rooms on his side Of the river.
under his control, there might have
been a possibility Of getting a wet
vote. a g.
|, 2. Relative to the interest which
Jchn retained when he was city co''
Hector, John says that he would like
to be referred to the law that says
that the interest HE collected was
not his. / respectfully refer him to
|that commandment which says: "Thou
shalt not steal" The municipal law
OF the city Of Fnirmont on this sub
ject Is embodied IN one thing: the
contract which the city council made
with John, and this contract. as re.
corded in the minutes of council says
that the collector shall receive a com.
mission OF 2 per, cent. 1t does not say
tnat he shall receive in addition there.
to, the interest on the taxes collect.
led. John knows, and every member
lot council knows, that there was at no
time an intention to give the collector
the interest. John knows. further,
ti.at no member Of the council was
Informed by him that the collector was
Ikeeping the Interest. in addition to
the compensation for which he was
employed. II there IS any law, moral
ethical, spiritual, or statute, by which
The city collector Is given. or at any
time has been given the right to keep
the interest on city taxes collected by
lltim, | am unaware offit: and | wo'lld
certainly consider Ii favor II Mr.
Scott will quote the law which gave
him this privilege. <.
| Relative to the interest which the
present collector has received. per
INIT me to say tha. there mas been an
accurate account Of every penny In
terest paid to the collector, and that
when the collector makes his annual
settlement with council he VIII ac'
count for this as for all other city
money which mas come into his hands
'iMr, Scott seeks 10 leave the false
impression that the collector this year
Ilnakes frequent settlements with coun'
ell and that the amount OF interest col.
lected should ere this have appeared
In some OF these settlements. This
LA not the case. Last year the col
lector and the treasurer we're sepa'
rate officers and the collector was re.
qulred by ordinance to turn over MI
monies collected to the treasurer on
or before the first Of each month.
| This year the Offices OF collector and
treasurer have been combined, one
man serving In both positions. The
result Is that there is no one for the
collector to turn over the money to
except to himself and quite naturally
the statement Of the interest collect
ell Is found on ais books, only, as Is
the case with all other moneys collect
ed. a r
8. AS to the time at which inter
est on city taxes Is due. must say
tnat l am surprised at Mr.. scott's ig'
rurance. II 1t Is as great on other
matters OF city Finance as on this,
do not wonder at the figure Juggling he
ls doing. II Mr.. Scott will refer to
Sec. IS OF Chap. 9 OF the Laws and Or
Ginances Of the city OF Fairmont, the
chapter relating to the city collector
he will find .tae following: upon all
taxes which are not paid on or befVs,
the 31st day OF October in the year fol
which they are levied, interest shall
ba paid at the rate Of one-half per cen
tum per month, until the same Is
p1ld."s Now revertilg to the matter 81
who shall retain the interest, does any
sane i man pretend to suppose that
the city drafted 1 such an ordinance