The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-02-15
BENNETT answers
Mr.. M. |. B|xLER
Corrects Alleged Errors in Recent
Published Articles And vindi-
Gates His Position.

EulIOT NEWS.
In the outset | will say, by way of
apology, that | have endeavored to
avoid newspaper controversies, be-
cause not being a journalist | cannot
express myself in print as person
who writes for the public eye should
be able to DO: but in answer to the |
two articles in your paper, one on |
last Friday, the 18th inst, the other |
few days prior, signed by Mort L.
Bixler.
Soon after the first article appeared,
l called on Mr.. Bixler, who appeared
to be occupying your editorial chair
during your absence from the city,
and called his attention to the fact
that he had done me, as well as the
present Mayor and Board OF Alder
men, a very great injustice in making
it appear to the public that l was yet
drawing salary of $4,000 as City Tax
Collector, when in fact. this amount
was the gross amount of salary for the
year 1907.
also explained to Mr.. Bixler, that
when the present board came into Of
tfce that they repealed the old ordi-
nance under which the above salary
was received, and passed new one,
fixing the City Tax Collectors cont
, mission at per cent on the 1st
10000. and per cent on all sums in
excess of $4,000, and as Mr.. Bixler
states that the probable amount of
taxes received for year 1909 will be
. $4,000 (which | think is about cor
rect), you can readily see that on 1st
$4,000 the Tax Collectors Commits
sion at 8 per cent will be $1,000
, then per cent on difference between
$4,000 and $4,000. which is $4,000, al
2 per cent. $1,0S0, which makes {
- total commission to the Tax Collector
of $2,3SO gross.
Now Mr.. Bixler speaks of the Tal
Collectors Office duties as only cleri
cal, when in fact, they are both eXecu
:, tive and clerical, as he we'll knows
Mr.. Bixler does not mention the fac
that the Tax Collector is under heav!
= responsibilities at all times. togethe
g with $4,000 bond; he does not men
= tion the fact that the Tax Collector il
~ compelled to employ a deputy three
to five months in the year during tn,
~. rush periods at 4 cost of $3.50 10 S400
o and in addition to this from $50 t
~. 500 per year that "a: Col -c,Cr h.
to pay for redemption of lands sol,
for taxes through error. which the Law
makes his bond responsible for (evel
though said error may have bee
the public of these amounts, that hav
N to be paid by Tax Collectors, an
which every year are taken from tn
above princely salary of s2,3S0, leaN
ing as may be seen only 81 SEQ
~ $4,000 per year net: or about tn
same salary as-I am told-Mort
BlNl6r is TO receive from lHe tOlulHe
cial Club for his laborious duties a
secretary of said club; which duties
presume take, on an average frol
one to two hours of his valuable tim
-, per day.
=. Again. referring to the City Ia
;. Collectors salary. will say that und'
-, the present ordinance the City TG
- Collector is paid exactly the sa'.
- commission and on the same slidig
- scale as our County Tax Collectc
viz: per cent on 1st $2,60o Sta
"a and County together, and per ce
,r on all over that amount and 3 p
cent on all poll tax. The Only diff
ence is, he collects more none
-. hence more commission, which
right. as he has more territory to
ceipt for. | can show any one do,
oa mentary evidence from Tax Collect
~ of nearby city over his s'gnatu
III. which shows he received sommissic
ia for year 1907 of over $4,000, agai
III. $500 here, and he has only Il
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