The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-09-19
SHOWING Up THE FEEL SYSTEM.

Indications that Chairman IullaFu, OF the IL
nance Committee, sees ali important part ol |
his work the relorr! of the present cumbersome
aud expensive system Of cost in the collection
Of city taxes make for hope that the almost
universal impotence with the Zee system Is ind
iDg sympathetic response in the city government
Of course the municipal government Is pow
rrless 10 go 10 the root OF this abuse even so Tar
as the city is concerned City Offices are large
ly hedged about by statutory enactnents. Inc
Council, however. 60 far in a preliminary
way toward both ameiorating conditions and to-
Nara establishing in practice lrretutable object
lessons in experience, showing the intrinsic vice
of this outworn system. IT is good sign when the
Eight against the fee system seems on the point OF
being taken up by public servants themselves.
There il not the shadow of doubt but that
there il great waste in the present system OF
compensation TO the officers charged with the
collection of taxes There are commissions to
lie paid at every one Of number of steps be-
fore The moneys paid by the citizens are finally
converted into The city treasury. Emouments
pf this character are clearly not in proportion 10
the service rendered; IN fact they increase AS
the service is simpler and the labor less. Indeed.
every such extravagant COMM ssion that is paid
- nothing more nor less than additional tax.
It Is an unjustihed loading Of the tax rate.
Bv all means the abuse III this department ought
10 gain first consideration at the hands of a re-
formed Finance Committee, charged simply and
solely with It's proper function of administra-
tion Of the city funds.
But The matter of city taxes is chiefly vau-
able as it will afford to point the object lesson re-
ferred to. II is the illustration of the major
point. simply because it SO evidently lies al the
roof of the trouble where less directly the trouble
with the entire system lies. Reduced TO terms,
the fee system simple means a species OF unwar-
ranted indirect taxation In the case of col
f lection of taxes it is an additional tax levied
proportionatelv upon all who are called on 10 con-
tribute 10 the expenses of government. They
are made to paw more than is necessary, and
are compelled To receive less than is just. But
I in other departments the extortlon Is upon
classes and upon business, which any class may
and docs have. 1t is All evercharge. an unbusl-
nesslike parbou, exaced from and given by an
unwilling public. IL means subserviency The
part OF the public and false notion Of the de-
mands Of public office oil the part of the public
servants who benefit by the practice.
When, in addition to the financial loss in
yolyed and to the economic laxitv involved, there
II the added moral consideration of the com.
mercializing of public office, the fee system
il disclosed as what it is, an intolerabe and cor
rupting incident of government. Against it the
ground swell of public opinion has already begun
10 set with irresistible force. The only danger
that The next Legislature will neglect to deal
with the vice is that the people may TOO much
take things for granted 1t should be remem-
bered in this matter that success can only be had
at the price of vigilance. In the meantime,
every public acceptance of the business of the
public complaint serves its part in further UNI
eiermining 10 ultimate destruction an outworn
and ever dangerous policy.