Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-01-22
THE DELINQUENT TAX LIST

THE DELINQUENT TAA LIST
,g @ passed. s s ne for 5 co ps % % Of a% 3n%s' soa % 9f % ,:
NEWSPAPERS and the win be pprozinatey $1,000
e unnecessary
@ te, e @ 342@ , are ] the painful position of being n
@ "s s pay %c @ Down. a 8 be be @ % a ' % am" ube g $500 @ cost
deinqent home Or other property il peril Of being sold
1 p OF of % nbeao% % % p of Soo when " @ oron % upon pos ' @
bin Of $500 would answer lnrIose-lortlond Journal
The publisher Of the Portland Journal the prince of
demagogues in Oregon. His paper the self appointed
guardian of the poor and oppressed founded and
backed by the money of the richest of Portlandthe
men who have fatened upon special privilege. Always
loudly on the side of the plan people it has never so
far forgotten its obligation to its wealthy hackers as to
specifically attack public service corporation, special
interest in the city of Portland in which these
interested no matter how fragrant their disregard of
public rights or the larger interests OF the community
might have been 1t is outspoken against graft long
as it does not strike too close to home
The Journals in this matter of the publication
of the delinquent list is typical of its entire
1t charges that there has been graft in The publication
of the list in Multnomah county, and since almost every
thing IN that county is tainted with graft not
disposed to challenge its statement Yet it was one of
the newspapers to participate graft soliciting
the county court for it. and there evidence record
that it has returned dollar of this graft money to the
public treasury the downtrodden delinquent taxpayer
for whom it sorrows so deeply Undoubtedly, however,
in keeping with its reputation for hypoc1cy and decep
tion the grandstand play of turning states evidence at
this late day and confessng the sins of its past is
sdered of greater value than the tainted money would
receive from continuance of the graft.
But outside of Mutnomah county the publication of
the delinquent tax list is not never has been, graft
The price paid is only commensurate with the service
rendered and the service of the most important in
the conduct of county affairs in businessllke way
The county expenses made up in budget form and
tax levy made to themf the taxes assessed are
paid If they not paid the property of the delinquent
must be sold to realize the money necessary to meet the
county budget There is only way this can honestly
and effectively be done by advertising thoroughly with
full and correct description all the property delinquent
and the date upon which it will be sold If the taxes are
not settled before that date The burden fasnot upon
the who has paid his taXesbut where should fall
upon the property who has not paid 1t is proper
y not expense upon the general treasury and the
present method Of advertising this delinquent list and
charging the cost against the denquents recognizes this
fact
But the delinquent has rights in this matter also.I
One of these rights full notice of his delinquency,
through publication in its fullest possible sense and mott
by the percarous uncertain and unbusnesske methodI
of postal cards through the mall expense which, the
who has already paid his taxes would have to bear
Assessments are made full year. more, before
taxes become delinquent and large amount of property
changes hands between the time of making the assess
ment and the levying of the taxes that large per-
centage of these postal cards would go astray. Many
persons would find their property bought from under
them when they had supposed the former had paid
the taxes and many nonresident taxpayers who had n
the meantime changed their postofice addresses would
never receive the postal card notice.
And to think of great champion Of the poor and OPP
pressed like the Portland Journal advocating the sale of
delinquent taxpayers home upon other notice to
himself the public than that contained on postal card