The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-07-03
Careless Tax Collections.

AS shown by the books in the city
clerks office, past due and delinquent
city taxes amount to $I78,729 not
counting the taxes for 1918, the delin-
quencies not having been tabulated for
1913 taxes when the report was made
up.
It Is In the merchants ad valorem
and the personality taxes, however,
that the report OF the auditors, which
was made In connection with the COM
mtttee report, shows some astonishing
facts.
The city books show that there is
past due from merchants $19, ,422, and
from personally assessments $47,45l.
These are the totals due as Of date Of
June a.
The names Of these delinquent firms
and individuals cover many pages of
the supplemental report Of the auditors.
The report went back 40 1916 on these
| past due taxes.
Realty taxes when delinquent are col
| lected for the city just as are state and
| county taxes, through sale at public
| auction and collections through the Of
| fices Of the clerks Of the courts. De-
| linquent personally and merchants nd
valoren. taxes, after the year in which
they become due, are collected by the
office, of the state revenue agent
Criticism, therefore, of any city admin
istration for failure to collect taxes
should he directed as to failure to col
lect promptly. before the taxes be-
come delinquent and are turned oUer
| to the revenue agent. A. d. Mason,
while he was commissioner of finance
and revenues, claimed to have secured
the collection Of many past due items
OF this kind, as well as past due privi-
lege taxes.
Some Large Delinquents.
Here are a few of the larger ac-
counts, taken at random from the audi
tors lists which were copied from the
city tax books. Only those are included
which show no notations of having been
permitted or Cancelled;
Fargason & Lewis Co.. 1916, $102.70
Maxwell Motor Sales corporation S79.
c. b. Johnston & Co., $b9.25.
Sambucetti g. Co. $113.75.
1918, 800.
Stratton- Dawson Auto Co, S495.
Cadillac Motor Sales Co., $3.50,
Clinton Lumber Co., $780, for 1917
sl3h35.
Miller Motor Co., 1853 Monroe, $3.50.
A few Of the many items from the
personally lists, contain these items
listed as delinquent and uncollected for
the year 1916:
American Mortgage Co, sl5s.
Hon. Kenneth D. Mcclellan, s63 20
r. H. McWilliams, $15S.
; Paul & Douglass Co., fl02,70,
Pitcher Printing Co., $50.
Chamber Of Commerce, $3.50.
Dixon. Paul Printing Co, $l22.50.
Robert L. Jordan, $S0.50,
Laurence Lamb, s15750. 4
Memphis Baseball association, $52,FJ
Sidney M. Nicely, $3.50.
c. w, Thonoson, s126. M
The above are all names Of we'll
known firms or individuals, and the
taxes due are for either 1915 or 1917
| II Is an absurdity to suppose that any
| OF them could or would not pay the
amounts due II they we're notified.
At noon Thursday no arrangement
for any conference has been made, al
though Mayor Monteverde has ex-
pressed the Intention OF conferring with
the tax rate committee before any de-
cision AS to tho recommendations ir
It's report Ia reached.
Members OF the committee have de-
cided that II the county tax rate |.
kept approximately at last years fig
lures, as has been promised. no investi
\ Sation OF the county finances Will b'
: ecessary this year. II any decided In,
II ease IN the county rate Is announced
, however, the committee will be read,
to go into the county figures.