The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1910-04-22
Local Municipal Research Blu
reau Favors mo Represen-
tation Without Taxation in
Its Statement.
TAX COLLECTION is
A DEFECTIVE SYSTEM
Committee Favors the Publ
cation of Delinquent List
and 1t Predicts Some Start
ling Results.

Believing that the right to vote
should be denied any man who Is uni
able to show receipt for all taxes
due against him, the old revolutionary
slogan mo taxation without represen-
tation'' may yet be revised into mo
representation without taxation" IL the
suggestion made by the committee on
delinquent taxes from the Bureau of
Municipal Research is acted upon.
The committee believes that there is
a radical defect in the plan of the
state for the collection of taxes and
the declaration is made that II the de
would be startling to some of the
most prominent and Influential citi-
zens of the city. The following re.
port Of the committee was adopted at
a meeting of the Bureau Of Municipal
Research Wednesday evening:
Report Of Committee.
Your committee on delinquent taxes
in pursuance Of your instructions, has
continued its work In this line. Since
its last report the committee has stud
led the delinquent taxes for the year
1908, payable in 1909. The results all
go to confirm the conclusions drawn
from the committees first report
namely, that there Is some radical de
feet In the plan OF the state for the
collection Of taxes, or in the execution
Of the plan by the officials whose
duty 1t is to carry It out.
It seems utterly unreasonable that
zfns0se three-fo of the whole mum
Der OF assessments against persona
property alone are never paid. Ger
tainly the situation is such as to chal
lenge attention and demand Immediate
steps to remedy present unsatisfactor,
conditions. Numerous suggestion.
have been made to the members o1
your committee by citizens who have
been aroused by the figures presented
In the previous report One sugges
tion is SO frequently repeated as tt
convince the committee that the ta1
paying public is very generally In IA
vor of it-that the right to vote be de
MED any man who is unable to show
receipt for all taxes due against him
May Revise Slogan.
The old Revolutionary slogan may
yet be revived and revised until w
hear mo representation without taxa
tion."
In 1909 there were in the city o
Richmond, 2,67S unpaid assessment.
of taxes on personal property. While
to some of these delinquents the pay
ment Of taxes would no doubt be
hardship, 1t is wholly inconceivable tt
your committee that any considerable
number could be excused on this
ground. Included In the list are bus
iness and professional men Of recog
nized standing, public and private EN-
ployees, who receive comfortable sal
aries, and others who are abundant,
able to assume their share Of public
burdens.
Seyenty-seven unpaid assessment
each exceeded $1,000.
Four hundred and seventy-five un
paid assessments each exceeds $500.
The publication of the names o
those owing these sums would startls
those who chance to read the list, To-
many OF those whose names would ap
pear are prominent in the public ant
social life of the city. Respectful!
submitted.
N G. HEIRONIMUS, Chairman.