The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1912-03-01
Feb. IS, 1912

Mr.. EDITOR
. There is much discussion about the
pay of officers in the county, especially
the Treasurer, and there is much force
in arguments used in favor of a reduc-
ton of pay of some officers. AS to the
treasurer's office there is a view which
has not been presented and l wish to
present it.
If the county treasurer coming into
Office can and will collect all the taxes
colectable not only on real estate but
on personal property liable to assess
ment with his clerks, believe the
county can allow him his two clerks, or
certainly one. | say this because |
have good reason to believe, as rule,
very large amount of taxes on per-
sonality is not collected, and indeed
often not attempted to be collected in
cases where party is only assessed for
personal tax, any enforcement, as a
rule, being against real estate. | am
told that this matter has been going on
for years and some people are smart
enough to have the real estate in their
wives names and the furniture, ETC., in
their own names. For instance house
and lot is assessed to Mrs. Henry Smith
and the furniture is assessed to Henry
Smith; neither pay; Mrs. Smith house
and lot are advertised and the taxes due
by Mrs. Smith are paid, but Mr.. Smiths
are not. 1t has been intimated that
the amount of unpaid taxes on person
atty ETC., if collected, would pay at
least the clerks salaries. l think it
would be we'll to have these figures.
Taxation under our constitution should
be equal. The owners of personality
should contribute to the public expense
as well as the owner of the ground.
Our constitution requires it and our
laws provide for it. know many poor
people taxed only on little furniture
d o pay; but many do not. Every man
and woman, no matter how poor he or
she may be, must pay the taxes on his
or her home and all personality or be
sold out.
This also. l am sure, has an effect on
our tax rate and while | do believe in a
low tax rate, | believe IN getting at the
root of the trouble and do not think we
should criticize the levy Court without
getting at these bottom facts. The
main trouble in the salary business is
too many people regard public office as
a "sinecure". l believe in making
man earn his money and pay him well,
but of course not pay him what you
cannot afford or more than the work
deserves. do not see why these
taxes can not be or should not be collect
ed. A law imposing all state and
county taxes on land and improvements
alone would be unconstitutional. Whv
then should the law to great extent
be so administered? Look at the
present tax sale lists. How many
little hills there are for a small amount
that some poor fellows home is to be
sold for because he has worked and
toiled probably for little home now
mortgaged and is to be sold out and
then find out the amount of unpaid
taxes on the personal property of we'll
to do people for years back and for last
year, remembering county taxes are
collectable within four years and State
taxes are not barred by liminitations,
remember also that under this system
of not collecting taxes on personally,
if man has house and has personal
property, he has to pay all taxes or his
house will be sold, but if he rents the
house, the tenant may be assessed in
personality five times as much and pays
the taxes or not as he pleases.
While legislating and reducing pay,
let our legislators try to do something
to make every one contribute to the
public expense by passing some law re-
quiring the collection of these taxes
even if the fees don pay the Treasurer
or have them collected by some one
else and let him get part of the salary.
Fix it so that to get the salary, he
must do his full duty as collector and
| fig it now. | believe he will not object
to it and wants to do his duty.
1t is l believe, fact also that year
after year when a Treasurer is allowed
for insolvences, it always included lot
of taxes on personally which he has never
attempted to collect. These amounts
the next year are stricken off and right
here is deficiency for which the County
Commissioners have to provide and in
crease the levy and the next year the
basis of taxation is that much lessened
and the land owner has to make it up
and the County Commissioners bear
the blunt of criticism. l mean no
criticism, l state what l believe to be
facts, if l am right something should
be done, if am wrong l have no more
to say, but would like to know it.
| Yours Truly,