The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-06-16
DODGE"
NOW HARD WORK
Assessor Laboring Systematic
ally to Collect Every Poll Tax
in San Francisco
Declares Sum Will Pass $780,.
600 Mark and Expects to
Break Former Record

"Dodging Dodge" is no longer a
game; it is bad business.
For Assessor Washington Dodge has
set out to collect every poll tax in
San Francisco before August 1, and if
he does not get you one way he'll land
you another, and subtract 81 from your
piles of gold and silver. Already he
has collected nearly 100000 in poll
taxes, and he hopes to collect as much
this year as was gathered during the
open season for poll taxes Immediately
before the fire, which was the record
year in San Francisco poll taxing. So
it is futile to try to dodge Dodge
Although Or. Dodge is a regular
practitioner, he has resorted to absent
treatment in the collection of poll tax,
and as a consequence he has started a.
conscience fund with regenerated tax
payers. An anonymous note came to
the tax Office one day recently, inclos-
ing 81 which, the secretiveiwriter said
was due from him, as he had not paid
his poll tax for two years. Every day
now, at 1925 o'clock DR.. Dodge sends
out vibrations to bestir the conscience
of unregenerated citizens but so far
the conscience fund contains but 81.
But the regular fund is growing.
ASSESSOR GETS HELP
Only $4,000 was collected last year
in poll taxes, and this year the super
visors called upon the assessor to ex-
plain why. DR.. Dodge told the board
that if he was given $4,000 to pay for
extra help he would endeavor to raise
more. The $4,000 was voted the as
SCISSOR. Already he has collected about
$40, 900 more than was collected last
year, and it is anticipated that $4,000
more will be collected. As the city re-
ceived about third of the poll tax
fund back from the state for the school
fund the city is assured of an increase
of about $4,000. The $4,000 of the
supervisors was well invested
With that So 900 Assessor Dodge de-
cided to gather up all the poll taxes
about San Francisco. So he has sent
his deputies about the city, into the
factories and mercantile houes en-
ploying large numbers of men, and has
collected through the cashiers win
dow in many cases. If a firm would
be reluctant to withhold poll tax from
an employe, garnishee would be
levied on the salary or wages to the
amount of the tax. That is the process
now being followed throughout the
city.
If the tax is not paid by August 1
there will be 81 added. The tax may
then be charged against any real or
personal property which a man might
own in the city and county, and would
be lien on the property just as any
other deliQuent tax is a lien, and must
be settled before the title is cleared.
To PASS Sim ooo MARX
When I first went into this office in
1899 the poll tax collection amounted
to $4,000 said Assessor Dodge yes
terday. That was increased yearly,
until in 1905 $4,000 was collected. In
the year of the fire it dropped nearly
q half, or to 100000, but has steadily
been increasing since then, and in 1908
was $76,S00, and this year will be more
than 100000. In many of the counties
of the state assessor secures 10 per
cent commission for his collections but
in this city. under the charter. the com
mission is paid to the city. On col
lection of 100000 that commission
would amount to $4,000
Under the present tax. law a labor
ing man is nearly always exempt on
personal property tax owing to the fact
that his property in household furni-
ture would not amount to 800 in value
Yet these men nearly always have
children in the schools. 1t seems fair
that he should pay his poll tax-$2 a
year, which would be the only tax
collected from him. My deputies have
made that argument in many instances,
and the fairness of it has appealed to
the man and he has paid"
Seven hundred thousand dollars has
been collected by the assessor in I'M
secured personal property taxes this
year, the largest amount ever collected
in that department. And Dodge is de-
termined that he will break the poll
tax record. Can YOU beat it?