The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-07-20
REGISTRARS SOFT
 BERTH SOON TO
 BE NO MORE

HEAD LATER PAGE ONE The present local Republican admin Iistration, which has been the cause of
 so many disappointments to the mem
 bers of the Republican party, will
 now have to serve up another disap- pointment to one of the faithful | workers of the Republican organiza- tion
 It was announced in yesterdays pa pers that the mayor would soon issue a warrant for the election, by the Common Council, during August, of a
 military enrolment registrar, and that Iex-Alderman Frederick w. Tomlin- son would be the fortunate recipient
 of this office, but this political plum is certain to wither and fall away be- fore the worthy ex-aldern1an can pluck it. A bill has already passed selnbly and will go through the Sen ate during the next few days, which bill abrogates the military and poll taxes and dispenses with the ser vices of military enrolment regis trar. This Act is to take effect on it's passage.
 The collection of the military com mutation tax has always in this city, been farce and travesty on taxa ton. Every man between the ages of twenty-one and forty-five years is supposed to pay military commute IAOA tc-A O1 SA, uUleSS exempt Oy req son of the performance of military or nre duty. The city was last year compelled to pay to the state, as it's share of this tax, about $14,000, Most Of this was complete loss to Bridge port because of our failure to collect it. The only persons who have been paying this military tax are those who happen to own taxable property ana only then because this additional tax was put upon their tax lists by the board of assessors. The rest of those who are liable for it escaped without the payment of a penny, al- though the city had to pay the tax to the state. Each year the common council has been going through the form of electing military enroll m ent registrar. Theoretically he is supposed to canvass the city and make registration of all male per- sons between the ages of twenty-one and forty-fve years. But as a mat ter Of fact such canvass is never made The newly elected registrar simply complies his book by copyine the names on the register of the man who held the office ahead of him and by adding a few additional names which he selects from the city direc- tory and the voting lists This has been the practice from time immes moriai The military registration of this city, would undoubtedly make surprising and interesting reading. It contains the names of hundreds whose forty-fifth birthday anniversaries nave for years been nothing but a dis tant and indistinct recollection and | also the names of hundreds of others l who long since have been gathered to | their fathers and whose bones are | resting quietly in our cemeteries
 The framer of the new law, to be | known as the Personal Tax Act, has l sought to remove the absurdities of | the present situation. Whether he | has succeeded by the provisions of | the new bill, time alone will demon | strate. / It is going to make an in- Of men in the city, who do not hap | pen to own taxable property, and who | nave gone along placidly and undis- | turbed, with never a thought of the tax collector. This Act for the collec- | tlon Of personal tax, is drastic in | male person between the ages of | twenty-one and sixty years, except | certain ones exempt by law, shall pay a personal tax of g. Unless the bill | is amended in the Senate so as to | make some other provision for the | be made by special canvassers ap- pointed by the mayor. Abatement of | the taxes of those who are indigent sick and infirm may be made by the board of assessors and board of re- lief. The tax is to be collected by 1ne or more special tax collectors to be appointed by the mayor. If any person fails to pay the tax, it will be the duty of the tax collector to re- port the name of the delinquent to | he prosecuting attorney It will then De the imperative duty of the prose ,utfng attorney to issue warrant for he arrest of the person in default. | Unless the person brought before the ,ourt can show some good reason for