The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-02-13
| YNCH GOESAFTER
OFFICE-H
Takes Ground That Collector 5
Office Can Be Abolished
and Save Big Money.

councilman John !. I.yncg Of JEFF
! ferson Ward. has Joined forces with,
chairman III. i. Pollard. Jr OF tho
! Council Committee on Finance, In an
| eHort to abolish tho office OF civ
Ioiicctor-a NTH whcrl III the city
government which costs tho city from
81 1000 to sl3,oeo per year. rIvc
months ago Mr.. Pollard introduced i,
measure looking 10 ii reduction OF Tie
iceS or the city Collector from three
h1ths to two-tfths of / per cent
OF the amount handled a cut OF onc,-
thlrd III tho cost OF operating :; use
icSS Office The Council Committee on
/, Ordinance, Charter and Reform has
had the paper dye months. and Mr.
| Pollard has not yet been hoard on
tho proposition. II has been banded
about shuiflcd from ore meeting 10
another, uuorums broken TO avoid talk
; ing 1t up. and finally referred 70 Il,
subcommittee. WHERE it has peacefully
! siuhocrcd Tor several months
salary Ia Lien Of Fees.
Last Thursday Mr.. Lynch startcu
iic proposition all over Ivy Offering
two papers. both OF which went to Tho
! ordinance. Charter and acfor,n COM
'nittce. and both OF which will prob.
ABLY slumpor in tho pigeon hole Or the
same subcommittee uEtil the two cner-
Scic touncilmen force a hearing. one
instructa The City ,ttorne., 10 Secure
the necessary act from The next Leg
iSlaturc TO abolish tho Office ana cor
Ter tho powers and duties on the t.i;y
Treasurer The companion paper pro-
. poses an act of Council putting; civ
collector Frank w. Cunnin CHAM o., !,
salary of $500 per annuii with an
! allowance for hire OF deputies ana
clerks. in lieu OF fees MIR. Lynch an,,
NJ. Pollard shook hands and agreed
/ that They would IL least Try to Sc
cure hearing before the Ordinance
Charter aud Reform Committee
courtesy so far denied 10 the chair
man OF the Committee IN Finance
What lie Got In Fees
Last Year the collector drew from the
city in fees sll.027.3i This wear. with
the new assessment in effect and the
enlarged territory, tbs fees will be from
Sl'-ooo 10 Si5,ooo for the year lie
Then there is a collector of delinquent
taNcs, who also draws a commission on
what he collects.
MI state taNcs arc payable 10 tho
! City Treasurer. The State docs not
| recognize the City Collectors olIice.
Water and gas bills are also pay;ibl, t..
! the Treasurer direct. The collcctor
collects or acts as receiving teller
to receive for collection city taxes
! spacal licenses, paving bills ana pine
connection bills. According to Mi.
| Lynch. the deputy ana two clerks now
employed could make out all tho bills
aud receive all lie payments at
desk in the Trea surcr's Office. much
| red tape Of transmission Of funds be
eliminated, and about $4,000 n year
saved to the city we're the Office abol-
ishcd. Since that cannot be done si,v.,
by act Of Legislature, amending the
charter. Mr. Lynch advocates putting
captain CUNNINGHAM on u salary basis
and proposes $500 per year With
salaries for the deputy and clerks. and
an allowance for expenses In the oiiicn.
emit Tell Whit They Get.
OF all the fee offices III the CITY
| llall that or tile City Collector is tho
only one in which it is possible 10 say
what he draws, All OF his fees coming
directly out OF the City Treasury In
the shape OF commission on payments
OF taxes. The Commissioner OF the
Revenue draws both State and city
fees. and there seems no way OF tell
ing what his ONCE pays Tie city
paid commissioned Q. A. Hawkins last
year Slnl5" beside state fees
The clerks Of the four courts draw
fees both from the state and from
those havinS business in the courts
tile clerks OF the Ilustings Court
which handles criminal business. nnd
the Chanccry Court being tile more.
profitable lof tho City Hall courts
The City Sergeant is credited with
drawing $4,000 Il year Tho Slcriff's
office is not 50 profitable. though on
a fec basis. his fees probably falling
below those or the High Constable,
| though both are secrciive as to What
income they draw from the public.
The city pays the City Urea siirer Z.
salary for his services, though tho
state supplements the amount rith
fees, which are probably equally as
valuable
Would un,c sworn Statement.
While tho state fixes and allows the
! fees TO the Treasurer. City Sergeant,
Commissioners of Revenue and many
other officers. they come out 81 tho
pockets Of citizens OF Richmond who
arc paying taxes There Is apparently
court clerks receive. Mr.. Lynch states
! that his resolution affecting the city
! Collectors Office. which IS entirely
| city Office is only the opening gun
against the fec system. with It's heavy
! burden on taxpayers and those having
! business In tho courts, and that be-
| fore the next Legislature meets lie
| VIII seek 10 have the Council ask q
| change in existing laws to put All city
| officers on salary basis. II that
cannot be done he will propose that
al officers entitled to receive fees
from any source whatever must file
with some recognized authority an
iitcmzcd statement of receipts, annual
ly or semi annually. sworn to before
q notary in the same manner in which
candidate for Office files his expense
account, In order that the people may
| know what their employees are receiY-