Middletown transcript., 1915-01-30
uIDDrEEOwH, DEL. JAN. so, 1915
ANOTHER NEEDED CHANGE


AT the outset, we want to distinctly
4 \ state, in order to have our posi-
ton plainly understood, that the senti-
ments expressed in what follows are
those of the management Of The Tran
script, and do not attempt in any way
to bind any officer, director or employee
of this payer. We say this because we
know that coming from a Republican
newspaper, with which one of the Re-
publican county officials is connected, the
sentiment as thus expressed might
otherwise bo misconstrued. With this
explanation as a starter we will pro-
ceed to state in plain language that our
present system of collecting taxes by
salaried collectors is a farce, sham,
and also crime.
Probably at no other time in the his
tory of this state could such an act have
been passed. 1t was enacted by the
last Assembly under the old constitu-
ton, when the members we've chosen
by counties, and was what is known
in politics as a ''hand picked" body.
With the Republicans so badly divided
that anything marked Democrat was
sure of election, the result was the
picking by the old Neary-Dickeyring
of Wilmington of a representation
from this county that would obey
orders. This salaried tax collector
bill was one of the things ordered.
Knowing that there was little likelihood
of retaining control of this county for
long, it was decided to take what and
all they could get. Under the gerry
mander of the county into the old five
districts, they felt sure of being able to
choose a majority of the five for at
least another term. This meant places
for one worker in each hundred at good
pay and with small responsibilities.
For we state it as a safe proposition,
that there is in this county no suGb
sinecure as the Collector of Taxes for
any one of the Hundreds. And they
treat their offices as such. The situa-
ton today is that the county of New
Castle is handicapped for lack of money;
not due to false or inefficient methods
of estimating and fixing the tax rate,
but due entirely to the tax collectors
who do not collect taxes. The records
show that collectors whose terms has
expired nearly two years have not at
tempted to enforce their collections de-
spite the urging of the Levy Court.
One of the things about this condition,
a small thing it is true, but in the ag-
gregate quite large thing. is that by
statute where tax collector or other
public officer given corporate surety
bond for the performance of his duty
the expense pf the bond is on the
county. There are collectors of this
county, whose terms expired in 1918,
and for those bonds as such collectors the
county is paying 500 per year premium.
This is one of the small things. The
real things that matter are that the
system is wrong. 1t was conceived in
iniquity and born in sin, and the present
Assembly should not adjourn without
a change of some character. We
cannot see why some such system al
works so successfully in other places
cannot be found to fit our conditions
All taxes should be collected within the
fiscal year. That is what they are
levied for, to run the government dur
ing the year in which they are laid
And it is a mistaken kindness to permit
a taxable to owe two years or more
taxes. We know the old cry; we have
heard it many, many times; that so anC
so is unable to pay at this time, let hin
have another month, and so on. NJ
man or taxable who is unable to pay
one years taxes within the year cal
pay two years taxes in the next or somt
future year without distress. Tht
United States does not wait or extenC
the time on the collection of its tax es
the state of Delaware gets its take
promptly, the school districts colIec
their taxes and tows like Middletowl
get theirs. But it is impossible fo
New Castle County and the City O
Wilmington to conduct their busines
on business basis. Why? Because a
soon as this story is read, every tai
collector in the county and every politi
cal friend whom such collectors cal
work will proceed to get busy. And tn,
pressure these men can bring is some
thing great. 1t has been sufficient il