Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-04-21
The TAX MATTER.

The so-called tax ferret propos'tloh
is now attracting much attent' IN IN
this county. This phase OF the tax
question seems to develop into purely
q matter of working at the easiest part
of the job.
The contract with these expert tax
collectors deals only with personal
property. It does not take up real es'
tate.
The so-called tax ferret" receives
A commission on the taxes he can get
collected. Naturally, he does as anyone
else would do in his place, that Is,
works along the line that will give
the best results for him. He confines
his attention to only the big concerns,
because they are the easiest to reach.
The individual citizen may have pro-
portionately Just as much that is not
taxed, as the big company, but it would
require much more work on the part
If the accountant to investigate any
considerable number OF these lndlvld-
ual cases than one big one. therefore,
the small ones are let go, making II
appear that the big ones alone are to
blame. This tends to create pre1u-
dice against the employing instltu-
tons. when they are in all probability,
no more at fault than the community
In general.
This Is not American in principle
and is not a square deal. No rule that
does not apply proportionately to all
alike, is right in this country.
II the board of supervisors makes
! contract with man to investigate
the condition of the PERSONAL tax rec
ords OF the county, then that contract
should specify that the investigation
should reach every owner Of any kind
of taxable personal property In the
county. And the board should see that
the contract is fulfilled. He should not
be allowed to select and work only the
easy part of the job. If 1t is right for
one, it is right for all. If it is meant
for only a few, then 1t is not right for
any.
The tax ferret proposition propo-
gates the old Glasses and masses"
feeling. 1t shows only one side Of a
nroposition and that Is not the right
way to solve problem.
Mr. Davidson says there are many
others just as culpable.' Il that is the
case, the contract should take all or
none. Why put charge Of guilt
against the whole community and
then try only few?
We are certainly in favor of collect
ing all the just taxes due from every
body. But the scheme that collects
from one and not from another, is
wrong. That is what the "tax ferret"
scheme does, and that Is where it is
not right. 1t should apply to all alike.
Discrimination either against the indi-
vidual or organization is wrong. Both
have their share Of the burdens to
bear and this burden should be equtt-
ably distributed.
The employee and the employer are
answerable alike to the same general
laws, and these laws should not be so
administered as to make them feel that
they have nothing in common. The
employe Of today is the employer Of
tomorrow He Is the same man all the
time Oflcials should exercise care not
to bring about conditions that will ar
raw one against the other, and that
viii tend against the building of their
own community.
The fact is that the present method
OF fixing taxation. both real and per-
sonal, needs great deal Of improving,
but the tax ferret method Is not the
proper plan to accomplish it, because it
does not hit all alike. The fact that
there is any work for tax ferret to
do is sufficient evidence of the incom-
netencv OF our system of assessing.