Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1912-07-11

. court clerk of that county; $102,
1892 was collected from delin
quent officials and represent
money that had already been one,
collected from the people. OF tn,
, remainder, the various counties re
, ceived from back assessment only
$87 ,634.57 and the state only $40.
1854, a little more than one-halt
of one per cent of the state s to
tai revenue.
One of the stock arguments in
favor of retaining our back assess.
ment act is that these revenue
agents are causing the people IL
pay their taxes promptly and give
in their full property for assess.
ment. This may be true in some
instances, but / seriously doubt it.
In some localities, / believe it has
quite the opposite effect. Even
though it is true, believe that
where one dollar is collected in
this manner many are lost by driv-
ing away capital for fear of being
back assessed.
These revenue agents, back tax
attorneys and those speaking for
them, almost go into spasms Of
grief and lamentations over, the
tax dodgers, and picture graph
ically the awful conditions that
would prevail in Tennessee if they
were not continued in order to
round up these hayward sinners.
There are tax dodgers in Tennes-
see, but not nearly so many as the
revenue agents and back tax at
torneys would have you believe.
Remember, it is to their interest
to have just as many of these as
possible in a community. No one
wants to shield a tax dodger.
Every one should be made TO pay
mis- full share of taxes, whether
large or small. The correcting of
inadequate assessments, recover
ing omitted property, bring the
SHINING tax dodger to time, could
and should be done through the
regular channels and without
additional fees or the Intervention
Of any revenue agent or back tax |
attorney.
The excuse that the farmer and
small taxpayer were never bur-
dened with the back tax attorney, |
which has been so often used, is
now no longer available, for the
delinquent act Of 1911 falls par
upon them, and for the
puAposes of discussion this is con-
strued as one of our back tax
laws. Under this, another set Of
back tax attorneys is operating
Just how many am unable to tell,
though there can be ninety-six I'M
Ter this one act. The act creating
hem is entitled can Act 70 pro-
vide a more effective method for
he collection Of delinquent
axes" and applies to real estate
,nly. Its very caption is untrue.
It should have been entitled IAN
Act to provide additional fees for
he delinquent revenue agents and
heir attorneys" for this must be
is only purpose.
After property is sold under this
ct the first thing provided for is
ost of the suit, including fee
f $500 in each case to the rev.
nue. agent or attorney.
Second-The payment of 10 per
ent Of the amount of taxes to the !
evenue agent or attorney.
Third-It also contains a pro- :
ision that any city or municipal !
" can pay these revenue agents !
dditional compensation if they so 4
esire. !
Fourth-The payment of state
nd county taxes.
Fifth-City taxes. !
And the last provision is in the !
blowing language "The remain. !
err, if any, shall be paid to the :
wner or owners Of the land sold. y :
% one has ever been found who i
an make a logical explanation If i
ny this clause was added. =
So far as the records reveal, for :
very dollar in taxes to be collect q
under this measure, five dollars, n
: 500 per cent, will go into the
Ockets Of the revenue agents and n
leir attorneys, including costs. 1t q,
said there are approximately q
ne thousand cases coming under q
lis act in Hamilton county alone. n
, Doxr; JcnY oo,,pfu thoro orc nvar