Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1910-10-12

lduil H. AFNts w July l. lfNht lUtlR
was collected from the same source.
and under the same law. S9.GS2.16. an
increase in 1905 over 1904 of $5.g35. So
This was under the same law aud at
the same rate for both yeats the diff
ference being that the tax Department
simply enforced the law and compelled
lpublic shows coming into the State 10
pay their taxes like any other riti-
zen.
From July /. 1903. TO July /. 1901
there was collected as liconso taxes
from hotels. $5.S76.67; from July
1904. To July /, 1905. there was col
lected FROM the same source. and uu-
der the same law, 81 .96S 20 an in
crease OF S6.lOO.55. The law govern
ing the licensing of hotels had not
changed, tine difference i'm collections
being the result of vigorously cnforC-
ing the law. A bill was prepared i'm
| 1908 giving the Tax Department
authority to issue licenses and col
lect taxes where the local authorities
had overlooked such collections The
Democrats inserted i'm the bila some
Objectionable features, aud the Cover
nor vetoed it. The same bin was
Iagain recommended To the Legislature
lot 1909, and passed. Under this law.
which the Democrats attempted to de
feat, the Tax Department is given
authority to issue licenses and collect
taxes direct where person Is oIYerat-
ing privilege requiring the payment
OF tax, and which has been over
looked by the local authorities. This
law went into effect February % 1908
From the time of its passage down to
| the present time, covering n period OF
eighteen months. the Tax Department
| has collected Si5.00391 This is
money which would not have been
collected but for the Tax Department
and the new law
Forfeitures.-Secti 73 of tho AS
| sessmenJ laws provides that any per
| son who fails or refuses to return his
| property for taxation shall forfeit ten
per cent. of the amount not returned
| and not taxed 1t was not enforced.
| During the last twelve months. how
| ever, there has been collected in for
| textures, through the efforts of the
! Tax Department $I16.646.10. This
| money does not go into the State
| treasury, but is distributed to :. the
| county, district and municipalities in
which the taxpayer resided and should
J have returned his property for taxa
| ton.
The Salary Law.-The Legislature
OF 1908 enacted what is known as the
Salary Law. (Chapter Is. Acts
uary |, 1909. 1t provides a salary of
$4,000 for the sheriff; $4,000 for the
county clerk: $4,000 for the circuit
| clerk; 1000 for the clerk of the cir
| cult and criminal courts combined
and $1,000 for the prosecuting attor-
ney. When the income OF the re-
| spective officers exceed these amounts.
they are required to pay into the
county treasury, for the support Of
the county government, fifteen per
| centum Of all fees collected From
January !. 1909. to January /. 1910.
the counties of the State derived an
Iincome from the county clerks. circuit
clerks and the prosecuting attorneys
OF over $4,000 The sheriffs are not
| included in this. because the sheriffs
who went into Office January J. 1909.
| did not make their first settlement
until the end Of the fiscal year which
is May 81. 1910. and therefore for
1909 paid very little into the credit
OF the county treasury OF the rcspec
tive counties
Uniform System Of Accounting.
The special session Of the Legisla-
ture Of 1905 enacted the Uniform Sy9-
| ten Of Accounting Law. (Chaptcr 80.
| Acts 1909 Since the formation Of
the state there had grown up q slip
| shod system Of keeping accounts
which made IL possible for persons IN
! clincd 10 do 80 10 rocklessly gmauder
! hundreds Of thousands Of dollars Of
/ the peoples money There was no
! contra supervision over the officers OF
me oiHrrcnt counties. Very little
attention was paid 10 the expenditure
| NJ taxes collected from the pcopIo
J Extreme recklessness prevailed iu
many Of the counties. as has beon
. shown by every audit made under the
law. rms act provides for uniform
system oI keeping accounts by every
ohicer ~ every county and bv every
| ohicial body which lnvipe or oypoude
money So far tho Department has
devoted its attention IN thn mdiftng
NJ counties and putting into effect N
system ~ accounting for c1cb county.
which viii enable the people 10 know
Tor what purposes taxes are expanded.
Inc public Be- not adverse 10 tho pay
| Went NJ reasonable taxes if they know
That such taTos arc IN be- iudiciously
ana economically expended ADULTS
I nave been completed iu Niug0
/ Fayette. and Randolph counties. and
I have been finished partly. iu Braxfon
/ webster. WctZrl Hancock. LOGAN and
| Putnam countios ~ is only necessary
4 TO call attention 10 tho counties al
/ ready audited in order 10 show tho
/ wisdom Of this piece OF legislation
| IN MiugO county The audit cost the
! county S7O4 &c There has already
/ been paid back TO TIN county as n re-
suit of this audit SfO.7fG2G. Thus if
Iis seen that By an Investment of S70f
- Miugo county actually realizes BIO
| ll626. IN Fayette county the audit
cost 81 30J.1j There will be realized
from the audit many times this
amount Tn Randolph county. the
| partially completed audit that is i'm
lso iar as 10 affects the sheriff cost
sSSG.SO. and the sheriff of that count,,
will paw back into the county tleae.
lufy every dollar shown as due by the