Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1913-08-06
BENSON NEWELL TO
receive SHARE
OF ROAD TAX
Roari Decides Present Collcc.
tor Il Entitled 10 Fee in
Every Case Where He Mott
fier ilesinquents.
GETS 80 CENTS OUT or
EACH THREE DOLLARS

The ncrnalilio county hiehway
commission Yesterday afternoon hy
unanluipuu vote decided THAT j. BEN
son Newell, road tax collector. was
entitled % n fee OF ofty cents for
each SO collected In road tax Nr
Newell was engaged over a year age
by she board Go collect che tax on
the s0-eenl basis. but since that time
ihere has been some dissatisfaction
aut q feeling that the board was
without the power 70 allow COM
mission for the collection Of the road
tax. This feeling resulted III the
publication OF n notice signed by Y.
e. Butler. secretary OF the board. that
the tax could be paid AZ various
places IN the city and the entire 80
would 20 20 the road hoard. This
scheme was obiecte6 60 By ar. New
ell who informed the board that ne
had already Incurred considerable
expense preparing card index Of
those subject 10 the tax and he
thought Il but right that he should 10
allowed 20 collect the tax In accord
ance with the original agreement
The board finally acquiesced in this
view OF the case and Mr.. Newell viii
ges his fifty cents every time clti-
zen pays his road tax providing that
citizens name Il entered on Mr.
Neweil's list.
Like the boards IN every county in
the state, the Hernalllo county road
board mas encountered considerable
difficulty In ils efforts Go collect the
road lax. The tax ~ unpopular IN
the extreme. ana. while supreme
court decision has pronounced Il
Ia
cisl0ns could not make Il popular. n
~ attacked on the ground that II
taxes the rich man equally with the
poor man. The man who earns 50
per week must pay his 50 just the
same an the man with the income Of
$4,000 per annum. Then there "
strong feeling that one-sixth OF fhe
amount OF the tax II triflc too
much to be paid out for cost of col
lection, while the ma nwho lives In
lection. while the man who lives In
over the idea ~ giyins up part OF has
hard earned cash for the purpose OF
helping build road 81 san Anto-
nito. road that he will probably
never see.
The road board. however did not
make the law, though its members
are chiifeed With the duty Of enforc-
ing II. Prior 10 engaging Mr. Newell
az collector. Chairman John =. Heav-
on discovered that the tax was not
popular. NJ least with the persons
land firms that make Is business OF
collections Attorneys and others,
who are usually willing 10 guarantee
to get money out OF the most hard
ened dead beat bslked AZ the idea OF
tackllne the road tax job.
wouldn't collect Il for 100 per
cent" Mr.. Beayen was told By one
lattorney Another thought he might
do the Job for % per cent bat when
formall. offered the position FOR that
lcommissiOn went back on his word,
III would ruin my business" he told
Mr.. Beaver. Finally the road chair
man arrived at the conclusion that
MIR. Newell WAS about the only man
in town willing to take a Try az tho
Job, 80 Il was awarded with the
laRreement that the collector should
lhave so cents out Of every three dol
liars collected. And Mr.. Beayen told
the board yesterday that he believed
In sticking Ia the man who WAS game
enough or reckless enough TO tackle a
Job not calculated to add Ia the pop
iularity or reputation for discretion OF
the man who attempts Il.