Evening journal., 1920-09-03
STATE GOVT.
/ inefficient,
/ BANKERSTOLD
lcontlnuca From FIrst pagel

fContinued From First Page)
thu Secretary OF State, who logically |
IS IN no wise tax coleoung Official,
collects more than half OF the revenue
oftthe state. and more than twice. the
amount OF revenues which are colleoi-
ed+by any other State official. stale
taxes are also collected by the lnsur-
ar1re commissioner, by the collector OF
Sale revenues, by the special collec-
lor ~ STATE revenues, by the oyster |
reSenue collector, by county clerks OF /
peace and by county registers OF |
~S0me OF these officers are elected |
al Hrce by the Slate, some are ap-
poinfad by the Governor and some OF
Them are elected by the several coun-
ties. and therefore are not ansMeraDie
10 the State treasurer. The insurance
commissioner is coordinate IN poMet
and authority with the State treasurer.
THE secretary Of State, who collects
morss than half the taxes OF the State
on Delaware, is an appointiNo oncldl
attached TO the Governors ONCE
other state officials who collect taxes
are appointed.
Authority Divided. -,
'Here we find another example OF
divided authority in our state nnan,
clal administration. The collector ol
State revenue is appointed by the Gov
ernor. under the law, without any re-
ea~d IA fhe wishes OF the state treas
urer although he Is, as his once
deeirnafes. collector Of Stale taxes.
"The oyster revenue collector is an
other example OF divided Responsible
ities and divided duties. lie Is COM
hlned tax collector and policeman, ap-
nointed nv The Governor As poNce-
man he might logically ne apponlty,u
bv the GoVerpor, but as a TAX collect-
ing Official he has no loglcai, ,,1 ooiiiloo1 n,,5
tim. With the Governors ONCE, ana
ehonld be appointed by the state
treasurer and held directly RESPONSE
~ ~ the Slae treasurer. Moreover,
N he is 20 be a Tax cOllector-he-should
moi ne saddled with the duties or a
noiieo nnicer any more than a local
fraf8c policeman should be held re-
sponsible not only for enforcing tle
trafilc laws, but also for the e0llectloh
of the motor license fees. me TWO
duties are absolutely unrelatsu. 49,,
.f needs only a brief consideration
Of dis condition which cnaracterizes
The tax colleclng agencies 9f me
government to justify the conclusion
that there Is sore needs Tor a siinph-
1cation and a coordination OF these
agencies which should bring them all
under the authority Of the 9late
treasurer In the case OF the secretary
OF slate. his ofilce should be reheNeu
of The duty Of collecting any taxes. ~
exception 20 this general plan must
30 made 10 the insurance commls-
eionrr. because his Office Is created
nv fhe Constitution and cannot ne
couIhined with that OF the State treas
urer neither can any OF his duties
ho Transferred 10 the State Treasurer
In other cases, however. u should be
nerfectlv simple by redehning the
functions OF the State treasurer $
Office 10 bring all the tax collecting
agencies under his supervision ana
then hold ham responsible for the
pronnpt collection Of every cent OF rev
enue due the State, and accounting
i~rhis condition in the tax collectins
dcnartment. although briefly sketchet
AZ found 10 exist In a more or less de-
gree II. other State departments.
II do not believe that the people O
Delaware know OF this condition. u'
not believe members Of your assoela
ficn knew OF this condition. Neithe
do II believe that you are aware tha
orr state s.atutes fix three or fou
scales OF wages for stenographers, al
OF .hem different,
II have no doubt that the bankers
of delaware, as well as the other clti.
rens are unaware OF the fact ina
there are State agencies for whicl
flxe appropriations have been mad'
but-that The agencies are not iuncuon
inE. Neither do / presume That yot
or'iha citizens are aware ha. the leg
islatures in the past have fixed an an
nual appropriation for societies with
out nv stipulation as 10 what the so
cletlcs do in order TO earn this stat
money. without any provision as u
how lhe money appropriated shall b
snent and without any provision ina
ne society shall make any account
ing to the State for the money whici
FAINT Lies in Poor System.
NThis Is only a recitation or exam
ples OF lnefflciency, lack or co-ordina
lion and gross carelessness Wnlc
characberlze the various 0dmlnistra
tive functions OF Delavares stat
government This condition has bee
on such slow and steady growth, be
ing aggravated a little by each legisla
tive session. that the public has nc
bacn aware OF the conditions II ma
an oul PAPER read at the distrlC
rn,eInr a. smyrna. we stated mat on
criticism was not directed at any IN
divldral. but the system and we deslr
"a emphasize that point again her'
We cannot help but feel that bot
Governor Miller and Governor Town
send have performed a great publ
sarfico to the citizens OF our state 4
not only recognizing the condition
exisiine in our State government, bu
in making strenuous efforts TO cOrrec
y these conditions and bring about
n,Df,a economic. efiiti1nt and business
ike conduct OF the State government
IL certainly is obvious to you gentle
men that no business corporation
the cOuntry could continue in bushes
II the same loose and inefiicien
methods as exist in the State admins
trttlon were allowed to exist in thei
business.
Hit IS time now that all interest
cnd az classes should ion In rectlfs
ing these conditions. Your commits
f.oR hopes to make a report that wi
contain recommendations that wi
"DANDERINE"