The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-03-12
MAY REDUCE FEES
Of CITY OFFICERS
Finance Committee to Consider
Reduction Of Commissions
Tomorrow Night.
PROFITS OF COLLECTOR
Question as to Reduction
Revenue Commissioners
Fees at Present.

Tile Council Committee on Finance
Will take up tomorrow night the or
dinancc reducing the fees OF the Com
missioner of the Revenue from - 10
rs OF / per cent. anu of the city
Collector from SIS 10 IL Of 1 per cent
The ordinance has been recommended
BY the Council Committee OH Ordi-
nance, Charter and Reform, after
having been left in u committee pig
conhole for nearly five months.
No doubt exists as TO the right OF
the Council to reduce the fees of tho
collectors of taxes at any time lie
is paid a commission on what no ac-
tually receives. and the new scale
could be made effective from adoption
Of he ordinance.
But serious question has been raised
as to whether the fees OF the Com
missioner OF the Revenue can lie re
duccd during tho process OF an
assessment He is paid for certain
specific work-which work he has al
ready begun to perform for the cur
rent year. and it may be that the long
delay in reaching Il vote or this mat.
ter may necessitatc the introduction OF
a clause making 1t not take effect
Until the beginning OF the next fiscal
year.
Wide Difference In offices.
While it is felt that. taken all in all
the incomes Of the two offices are tar
In excess of the value OF the services
performed doubling the salary Of this
Mayor. the City Engineer. the city At
torney, or any other important city
official, set members of the Council
call attention to wide difference In
the two positions. The City Coliec-
tors office acts only as receiving
teller for such taxes as citizens choose
TO pay. The others go delinquent.
The duties are purely ministerial ana
clerical. They are performed for tho
State by few clerks in the office
Of tie City Treasurer.
The duties Of the Commissioner OF
the Revenue are of vastly greater Inn
portance Any laxIty or siackness
there is in assessing taxes might cost
the city large sums. The duties of the
commissioners and of his deputies arc
Of difficult nature. which command a
nigh order of men. requiring both hon
csty and ability in their performance
Like all Zee Offices. it has proved al
most impossible 10 find out what the
commissioners actually receives Among
fee officers. State and city. there is the
greatest retcence. Few of the cour,
clerks keep any books which would In.
dicate the total volume OF fees and 70.
teipts during the year. and the law
Al present requires no such accounting.
City Collectors Fees.
The fees of the City Collector. how
ever, arc known. since he draws an cx-
ACT commission on the amount turned
INTO the city treasury. Collector Cum
nlnSham recently admitted employing
one deputy IT $500. who in real effect
has charge Of the office; one clerk at
5000 and one at $3.50. ana a deputya re-
Gently retained in Washington Ward AZ
5000, making an annual charge for
clerk hire of 5000. The CITY fur
dishes printing; the telephone costs
nnt $40 per year. and the bond sl25.
Win allowances for extra clerk hire
In busy seasons, postage and other ex-
penso Items the subcommittee estt-
mates total expense of $3.50 per
year.
On this outlay the collector drew
last year ll.027.35, making the net IN
come from the office S6,0o7.s5. with
me increased realty assessment, the
income from South Richmond Increased
variations and new buildings. thu es
umated commissions. at the old rate
OF IS OF l per cent, were placed hv
the subcommittee. for 1911 at 2.oo6
Miicn' WITH the expenses deducted
would yield Collector Cunningham thi.
year net income OF 5000. On TIA
basis of Il OF l per cent, which IS nro-
pose1 by the pending ordinance. II e
renewed that the office will Weld This
year approximately $4,000, which ar
Ter deducting salaries of deputice ana
hSed cost Of operation. Will leave = net
Proht to the collector of 5000. or mnra
man any salary paid BY the city 10 apv
official. - ''S
1t proved much more difiicult 70 ar.
rive at the income OF the Commissioners
OF me Revenue since he receives fees
poth from the State and city. On tho
pasls or a report made by Commissioner
CT hawkins for 1910, before thn IL.
'ic"sca lax assessment took effect II
was estimated that the fees OF tho ono,
rom state and city had yielded totoJ
81 s-E'eo4. Ten deputies arc emnlovcd
a. nNcd annual charge Of $4,000. Tho
o,'ice mas annual expenses estimated nj
~ nat leaves as the not nrofi,
- the ONCE, on Commissioners iJ,w
klns statement for 1910, from STATE
and city sources. sS.S3i. while win ,bo
new assessment. at the old rate. tbo
net profit will reach $4,000 this yoar
me cut proposed by the ordinance 6
from = to "a of per cent. on civ
asa.sSiilcnts. reduction OF approxi-
H'ateiy $500 for the year.
chalrman RI r. Pollard, Jr, of the
Iomnlttee on Finance. was the original
patroh OF the resolution. hut the meas
ure was not taken UP for action until
'ohh .. Lynch had offered n second
paper placing both Offices on q salary
pasls. captain Cunningham told tho
. .ili' no would rather have his
ices reduced than be Put on a salarv of
so,oo'' ne city assuming all cost of
Sa!afics OF deputies and expenses Of thn
Office u 'hc