The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-11-14
bad ACCOUNTS" REPRESENT
A. LARGE TAX ITEM

Century, Fla, Nov. IS. 1914.
Editor Pensacola Journal.
I am not disposed to criticise our
own county and state, in the admins
tration of it's affairs, still, in the mat
ter now under consideration, I am
justified in making some criticisms and
have the figures to back me up.
By reference to the certified state
ment appearing in today's Journal,
with heading Statement of amount of
taxes charged to the tax collector for
1918, amount of taxes collected and
balance to be collected, November 10
1914" 1t will be seen that, according
to said statement, the sum of S2O4.-
54s.79, was charged to the tax collector
for the year 1913, and that Of this sum
he has only collected $14o,s 97. 81, Ieav-
ing a balance due on last years taxes
amounting to $63,65O8S. It should be
borne in mind that this balance re-
mains after the delinquent land tax
sales have been made and, from lay
mans point of view, represents what
the average merchant would call, bad
accounts.
Now there is something wrong
somewhere; such a system, or the ap-
plication of such a system, is mani
testify unfair, unjust and unbusdness-
like and 1t is to be hoped that our rep
resentat1ves in the next Florida legts-
lature will be enabled to devise some
means of lettering such conditions.
I paid my taxes for last year. my
neighbors have paid their taxes, The
Journal has paid its taxes and the
good citizens of the county have paid
their taxes and now we are called upon
to make good a deficiency in someone
efse'e taxes Of more than sixty thou
sand dollars or more than 30 per cent
Of the amount of the taxes we have
once paid for the year 1913; Is this
right? No
In addition to this unco1lected bal
ance there is the interest on the
money our county has been compelled
to borrow account Of some of its
citizens? Delinquencies; this does not
stop here but it reaches into our sew
eral homes or to future generations,
for it reaches our children; the school
fund is in bad shape and much of
Its troubles is from the direct results
of our unjust tax system. or its faulty
application. The county board Of edu-
cation Is compelled to borrow money
to continue it's operations, they have
to pay interest on this money and |
this either shortens the period or terms |
of our several schools, by compelling |
the employment of underpaid or in |
competent teachers, and if not this, |
compels our children to sit on old |
benches or continue the use of an |
supplies.
To offset the interest paid on money |
borrowed there is, under the present |
law or system, absolutely nothing ex- |
cept for you and me and the various
citizens and corporations of the |
to go down into our pockets
and foot the bills. not one penny of
interest is chargeable to those who are
delinquent and you and I can grin and
foot the bills Is this equal taxation? |
Let every man answer as it appeals
to him.
/ am constrained to believe that
with more publicity on this point force
Of public opinion will compel some i'm
along this line.
I am not criticising our officials.
am not familiar with the full work
ngs of the laws under which they
work, but there is something wrong
and I am familiar with the way and
manner in which the laboring man Oh
tains his little mite to pay these taxes
With.
any business, matters not what it is,
hat was conducted on such a system,
would soon be seeking the protection
IF the bankruptcy laws, for under our
avs, in any other than our antiquated
AK system, a person cannot be COM
PEELED to pay the same debt twice
when once it has been lawfully paid,
1ut, as above suggested, when it comes
% our taxes, we pay what we are law
July required to pay and then we
ire mulched out Of more.
Respectfully,
II