The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1914-03-14
PEOPLES. FORUM


! read with very much interest the
article in your editorial columns
pertaining to the appointment of the
city treasurer and agree with. you,
as well as the writer of the article,
that the board of affairs have made
a serious mistake in the manner they
have attempted to handle this very
important Office. Should tile treas
urer adopt the FOUR HOUR plan for
his Office hours 1t appears to! me
there should Of been at{least two or
three assistants appointed. But ad-
hitting that lie will be on the job
all day,Sand each day in the year, he
is employed only as clerk and 1t is
reasonable to believe that he will
not and cannot make any extra Of.
fort to collect the taxes, particularly
II there is no personal responsibility
as to the uncollected taxes. If al
the end OF his term he is permitted
TO turn over his uncollectcd taxes
10 u successor on salary basis, as
the plan now adopted, I cannot see
where the responsibility is attached,
except that the city stand the loss,
of this unsolicited tax. Section Al
says: "All appointed officers shall
hold for term of four years and
until their successors are appointed
and qualified" Now Mr.. Miller is
appointed treasurer on a salary basis
of $1,50o.00 per year and his term
will expire January 1, 1915, natur-
ally the uncollccted taxes during his
term would be turned over to his
successor. and 1t Is n snr" nrrnosition
that the new treasurer would not
assume responsibility.
On the other hand had the board
of affairs appointed the treasure rim
accordance with section seventy
four of the charter ana In accord
ance with the statute law Of the
state, which would have been on q
commission basis and the treasurer
would have been held for all taxes
the same as the sheriff, OF the coun-
ty, and under this plan Would have
made greater effort to collect the
taxes. His salary is now fixed and
II the people come in and settle he
will get the money, but will they
come fa-many Of them will not set
tie until they are forced to do so.
no doubt the board OF affairs
thought they, were saving the city
money in appointing the treasurer
on salary basis Of s1.500.00 per
year, but II so they are certainly
very badly mistaken and are failing
to carry out the law as. provided in
the charter and laws of our state. ]
know the charter. does not say the
treasurer shall be paid a commits
sion, but 1t does say: .the duties of
the City Clerk shall be similar to
the duties of the county clerk OF
Marion county in that behalf" aad
it furthers says in section "A "the
duties of the treasurer in the collec-
ton of taxes, licenses and moneys
due the city and accounting for the
same and the return Of property, de-
for the non-payment of
taxes. shall be similar to the duties
of the sheriff of Marion county
Now this is the exact language OF
the law. the question Is, are the
board OF affairs carrying out what
the law says in this particular
They are certainly not as any ordi-I
nary man can see. and the matter
should be, referred to the city solicit
tor az 100000 per-
Section % further says ..the board
Of affairs may make such regulations
and ordinances prescribing the du-
ties Of the city treasurer and his
manner of performance as the board
may deem necessary. And the