The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-07-03
POLICE TO DELIVER
TAX BILLS IN BOSTON
plan Recommended by Finance Com
! mission to Give Deputy Collectors
More Time for Following Up
| Poll Tax Dodgers.

Boston. July 2.--Indicating a deter
mination on the part of the Boston
municipal authorities to collect the
annual poll tax levy and to speed up
payment Of the real estate and otner
taxes, a recommendation OF the bos
ton Finance commission that the ois-
tribution of tax bills be placed IN the
hands of the police department mas
been adopted, and the twenty-six dep
uty collectors who hitherto have oone
the work will devote the greater par'
OF their time to following up tax
dodgers, says Christian science Mohi-
tor.
Failure to collect an average OF
about 90 per cent of the poll tax is
characterized as unnecessary aho
unwarranted" by the finance com
mission in Its report on an auoN OF
the city collectors Office. The report
states that the unsolicited balance OF
taxes and other charges due the city
ON January 81. 1919, amounted 10
s11.572,313, or $2.153,o26 more than
AT the same time last year. The 1SO,-
600 poll tax bills issued by the as
sessing department are 10 be turneo
over to the police Immediately LOT
delivery. and later the same procedure
win follow the issue Of the real estate
tax bills. 49,
The plan has been approved oy
uavor Peters and Police Commits
sioner Curtis. There is said to be
some complaint on the part OF rev
members OF the police force over the
assumption Of duties which they 90
not consider related to the work on
a police officer. but it Is not oeheVeo
that any formal action will be taken
nv them in view of the public service
rendered.
Frank s. Deland. city collector. says
he believes the moral inhuence OF
policeman's uniform will be an lmpor-
tant factor in promoting larger APP
probation of the obligation OF the
poll tax payer. I'VE want the puonc
to understand that we mean ousi-
ness" says Mr.. Deland, land that
every possible means will be EN-.
ployed to have tax bills COLLECTED.
The finance commission Endorses
the request OF Mayor Peters for iegis-
,ation to enable the levying OF an
per cent rate of interest on overdue
tax bills. stating that the large IN
crease in unsolicited taxes and other
charges is due undoubtedly, in q large
part, to the fact that the per cent
rate OF interest on overdue taxes. IN
view OF the comparatively high inter-
est rates of the past year. was nov
suffic,ently high to force the prompt
payment OF taxes" Another proposal
of the finance commission for
speedier and more efficient collection
Of taxes Is a better system of aceount-
ing. and 10 this end it recommends
that the mayor request the state pu-
reau OF statistics to undertake an In
of the methods and orEani-
xation Of the city collectors once.
Referring to the matter Of the col
lection OF poll taxes, the commission
says the city has never collected It's
poll taxes successfully. The coliec-
tons" 1t continues. have averaged
about 20 per cent, which has resulted
annually in loss to the city OF over
100000 This failure to collect poll
taxes is unnecessary and unwarrAnted,
az Is proved by the fact that the city
Of Springfield last year collscted 30
per cent OF its poll taxes.
The collector this year, by estab-
fishing outside stations for the pay
ment OF polls. has substantially In
creased the collections, but has been
obliged to close the Stations to enable
his deputies to deliver water bills. Ic
ID particularly important tnAt poll
taxes be collected this year, ~ the Dill
now before the legislature. providing
for the payment Of 4 bonus. OF 800 by
the state to all Massachusetts officers
and enlisted men who heye served In
A ~