Semi-weekly herald., 1909-01-25
ANOTHER sRAzEN AT
TEMPT AT DECEPTION

| Coston and all other back taxes, ant
the paper is doing It's best to foo
and mislead the taxpayers as vide the
following, evidently furnished by the
affable Barry Sullivan.
The tempest In the teapot about
the cancelling of 1901 and prior
delinquent taxes as uncollectable
can be settled in a few words. The
resolution does not apply to real
estate, only to personal property.
and the lying sheet on the alley
knows this perfectly well, but Il
distorts the facts to serve its pet.
ty political needs.
AS to Barry Sullivan's 1901
taxes, he having come TO Durango
about 1900, the tax against him
was the poll tax. in no event over
50.
Now for another fact. The board
OF county commissioners, consist
ing OF Charlton and Logan, prac-
tcally declared taxes of six years
gone, uncollectible, each year they
were In office and when Mr.. Logan
asked Attorney Buchanan If II was
not necessary to pass a resolution
TO that effect, Mr. Buchanan ad.
Vised that It was not necessary.
that II was all right without any
resolution and that is the reason
such resolution did not
appear In the commissioners rec
ord for first four years.
The Democrat Is mad--worried
rather. AS TO the first paragraph
which says only personal taxes we're
rebated the Democrat wllfully lies.
Here Is the resolution passed by the
commissioners:
whereas all taxes assessed
within the county of In Plata for
the year of 1901 and prior are
uhcollectable, therefore be It re.
solved that the delinquent taxes
OF 1901 and prior years assessed
IN said county be and the same
are hereby declared unavailable
and cancelled.
The resolution rebates all taxes and
at first no effort was made on the
part of the Democrat or County At.
torney Sullivan to make Il appear
otherwise. In fact. Mr. Sullivan I'm n
long and unsigned article quoted the
law to show that the commissioners
are permitted to pass such resolu.
lion, providing they are satisfied
taxes cannot be collected" VIII Mr.
Sullivan, Mr.. Day or member of tbs
BOARD OF commissioners, the latter
taking solemn oath to honestly per.
TORN their duties. take an oath that
Tho taxes long due on the La Plata
Abstract of Title company, owned by
uoston, amounting to over 5000, can
not be collected. Win they take an
oath that the books are not worth ten
times the tax?
But suppose the rebate only referred
10 personal taxes the resolution then
appears solely In the interests of Cos
ton.
The fact is, the commissioners re
Dated all back taxes due more than
SIX years. both on realty and personal
and we can prove that It cheats the
county out of money justly due. We
can prove that a Durango attorney the
same week the resolution was passed
received letter to try and secure q
compromise on taxes owed In 1897 OF
1898.
Again, Mr.. Buchanan never advised
tbe rebatlng OF back taxes. The couu
~ owns Il lot OF tax certificates anf
every now and then, under the pas
administration. got In money from
these long overdue taxes. When tn,
Republican board went into office foul
years ago 1t found lot OF these Ia,
certificates. Under the law the coun
" cannot secure title to the prop
erty, so must hold the certificates
! The Republican board at once begal
investigating and made It known tn
county owned lot of these certificate
and advertised them for sale with III
result that the County secured consit
cradle money. 1t was the only wa
to secure money and because the con
mlssioners sold these certificate,
deeming 1t wise to make the best ba
gain possible. the Democrat accuse
The commissioners OF rebating take
and made great howl about It. Whf
vast difference under the policy {
the present board which, by a mer
resolution, rebated every dollar I
taxes due more than six years aion
with every tax title held by the coul
y. The county at the present tin
holds tax certificates for the May Ds
property. To be consistent, each We,
the commissioners will pass a rebai
resolution and before the majority r
tires from office the $4,000, due Il
county, according to the Democrs
, will be rebated.
What harm is there In holding the
certificates. It is barely possible tn
the May Day may open up anoth
rich body OF ore IN which case d
Y county Will have no trouble In sellil