Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-01


cent. increase in property valuation
ordered last year by the state board of
equalization. Many of the bills fig
ured out in fractions Of cents and he
reasoned that it was not his duty to
less money OF some ones else tax bill.
Some officials charge the EeXt high
CT full cent. Sheriff Emler.s system is
To give the taxpayer the advantage if
tine fraction amounts to less than a
half cent, but to take advantage him
SET ii the fraction amounts 10 d halt
cent or more. The entire arrange
ment last year. 81 far as the regular
tax bills We're concerned netted Sher-
if Elmer q profit of S6.se, Which was 4
personal profit, iHasmneh as he WAS
not allowed to turn II over to tile couu-
~ or state treasury. lie las had to
compute even more fractional bills fog
the supplemental lax collection. The
state board of equalization last year
added Il fiat l. per cent. to the assessed
valuation of jefferson county property
Sheriff Emler was cnjoined from col
lee ting on The increased amount, but
the Injunction was recently dissolved,
and row he is forced to make Il sup
Elemental collection. As each bill
calls fer T. per cent. of the amount Of
the original levy nearly every enc
runs into a fraction. The Sheriff's
net profit ON the supplemental eoilec
tion ought To be enough To buy a din
ntr for his whole office force.
4 similar situation arose two wears
age when Mayor Grinstead was re-
auired by mandamus proceedings 10
collect an additional tax OF two cents
on the hundred dollars for school
board purposes. Seme Of the bills
amounted to as little as one cent The
exact profit from fractional cents in
that collection is not known.
c. ". MlHka4. city tax receiver,
nas fractional cents to contend with
Ter II months in the year. During the
first three months after tax bills are
sent out. he gives tire. two and
one per cent. discount respectively for
prompt payment Of taxes. During the
fourth month the tax bill is paid at its
face value and tax receiver mas 10
fractions to eanterd with. but after
the fourth month Il penalty gees on,
and his clerks are forced TO wade
through a dizzy maze of fractions
again. Receiver Mflliken has estab-
iishcd a system which So nearly equal
lies the profit ana loss anlount either
way 10 a 5 much as a dollar a year. He
computes the discount Of penalty ac-
curately as far as the dollars IN each
tax bill are concerned. If the cents
amount To Il or le> $. he neither gives
discount nor assesses penalty fer HAT
TART of the tax ILL From Ia to 40
cents the discount or penalty is one
cent; from 40 TO 81 it is two cents. and
from 81 to 81 II is three cents
Tax receivers could profit several
hundred dollars q year if they adopted
the governments plan Of losing no
fraction Of cent n any Instance.
Numerous meats and groceries are
quoted at fractional prices. An inVes-
legation. however. shows thai little
profit or loss is entailed thereby. 50
long as the Weighs are exact. When
meat sells 1t liz cents d pound
most hoasel1eepers buy an even Il or
% cents worth. Numerous articles
the measure ar weight of which can
hot be really changed. are advertised by
department stores at fraetio nal prices.
for instance, of 6A or ID cents. So
that if the purchaser buys four or
three such articles respectively she
pays an even . or 10 cents. 1t is the
custom Of the department stores gen
orally To charge TO- a single article or
qHantity or such goods seven and four
cents respectively and the proht from
this fraction of cent must he con-
sidered.
Just how much railroads gain or
lese from fractional cents cannot be
easily reekoned. They disregard frac-
ti0nal miles and estimate that two
stations are distance so many even
miles. adding or suhstracti,o a. g.,