The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-02-15
PAYING OF TAXES IS
A SERIOUS BUSINESS
Herald Correspondent Writes
About Experience IN the Office
of the County Treasurer

Editor Herald-Payfng taxes is a
sad business at best, but paying taxes
in Yakima county is a compound Of
melancholy and infinite patience.
There are from eight to dozen men
of assorted ages in the office employ
of the county treasurer, but they are
not sufficient to wait upon the citi-
zens desiring to promptly pay their
taxes. 1t Is not that the citizens are
appearing in such hordes, either. But
the employees of this office, one and
all, seem victims of a lassitude so ex-
IRENE that a quick motion or q hur-
ried step might prove fatal. They are
the only people in North Yakima
slow to take money.
Some days ago it was announced
that the tax LIST was ready and the
frugal minded might save three per
cent of their tax total by paying be-
fore a certain day in March. Thu ee
per cent doesn't cut much ice on a
$500 lot, but it makes a neat little saw
ing for the bigger property holder.
Three Cages and Shelf
There are in the county treasurer's
IL
acting as barrier to the desks, books
and clerks beyond. few favored
individuals break through the gate
and consult the sacred records by
themselves, or demand attention from
the otherwise engaged" clerks. Most
people lean on the counter and wait.
The cages are labeled receiving"
warrants and personal"
Taxes in Yakima county are net
assessed against the individual but
against the property. In some cases
they know the name of the owner in
the treasurer's office; in all cases
Icy have the property pigeon-holed
aHd assessed. They don't even toke
ne trouble to send out notices of the
amount of taxes due In that case.
a man residing in Granger, or Grand
view or some other corner of the
county which Toppenish OF Benton IS
trying to annex, might simply mail
a check to the treasurer and have
done w tn it. That would entail an
immense amount of clerical woik k,
and it isn't necessary The office has
the tax payer cinched as it is
Goes IN and Leans
Well, the new conner to Yakima,
paying his taxes for the first time.
goes into the county treasurer's Of
fee, and leans upon the counter.
After leaning for some time and .e-
ceiving only blank stares from the
aimlessly moving attendants, he looks
about for help. He sees no reason
for presenting himself before the
receiving" window, because he does
not yet know how much he has to
contribute. warrants seems irrele-
want, but there is a bare possibility
that Personal might have a broad
err meaning than personal taxes, and
apply to his particular personal de-
sire, which is to learn the amount of
his taxes. He catches the Person
ali eye and has the temerity to ad-
dress it.
The eye regards him coldly
some one will wait upon you by
and by" says the owner of the eye
looking around, seeing two or three
clerks apparently doing nothing, bat
shouting front" to none of them.
Goes to Lunch
At hat moment, one of the clerks,
staring blankly before him puts on
his overcoat and slips out to lunch,
leaving seven people leaning upon
the counter. One man yesterday said
that he waited thirty minutes before
anyone asked him what he wanted.
During that time, one Of the clerks
had crossed and recrossed the room.
at snairs pace, fourteen times, each
time carrying small slip of paper
in his hand. He never seemed to get
any "forrarder" This man had got
his tax slip made out, but they had
assessed the other mans building on
to his property, and he was meekly
DESTROYS of Directing.
WOman's Views
There was a woman among the
would payers who got waited upon
out of turn, presumably because she
was a woman. This appealed to her
justice.
eff this is their busy season." said
she, why don't they get more help =?
Why should a man or woman willing
and anxious to comply with the re-
quirements of the county be COM
PEELED to lose time, which has an
earning capacity possibly equal to
that of the county treasurer's clerks.
while half dozen men dawdle
through their work. Why should
there be hustle in all sorts of bust
ness except that alone conducted by
the city, the county, the state or the
nation? These isn't one of those men
who, judging from present perform
ances could hold job in any up-to-
date department store. l don't doubt
their capacity, l even think they
could hit it up a pace if they tried.
They simply don't see the need. It's
county office. ! suppose that ex-
plains it,"