The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-09-27
MAKE EACH BEAR HIS PART.

The city of Kenosha is to be commended on
the persistent efforts of the administration to
collect the delinquent personal property taxes.
The best possible way to assure the proper dis
tribution of the tax burden is to see that it IS
collected from all people subject to the tax Inc
city is making an effort to collect every nlckel
Of delinquent personal property tax and
it should be the intent of the Dirtrlct At
torney and the Sheriff to see that every dollar
of the delinquent income tax is collected.
A lot of people protest against taxation be-
cause after they have paid they find that
neighbors have escaped taxation >Ihe man
who escapes usually decides that he is clever
fellow and boasts about getting away without
paying While the losses to the city from
uncoIlected taxes are probably smaller than the
average of losses of the business men from mis-
placed credit, there is no reason why there
should be any shortage in the city tax pay
ments or the collection Of income taxes in which
the city is interested.
If man has money to buy stock OF goods
he should be able to have money enough to pay
the very reasonable tax on it. If a man can
mortgage the homestead to buy an automobile
he should be able to put chatte mortgage on
the washing machine or the piano and pay the
taxes on the automobile.
Usually the fellows who scott at the pay
ment of the personal property taxes are the
fellows who can raise money to buy gasoline
to keep the automobile running all the time
The law plainly gives the city the right to
collect the taxes and provides the method to
be followed. It is fair and just to give these
people due and timely warning but if they re-
fuse to pay after such warning there should
be no hestancy on the part of the city officials
to go right in and sell property to satisfy tax
opJ no
part of county officials to file garnishees and
civil suits to collect the income tax outstanding.
Representatives of the state, county and city
are all interested in the collection of the income
tax All of them have part in the returns OF
such collection and all of them should be willing
to act in unison to get the money.
If the laws for tax collection were enforced
to the letter for couple of years~the question
of delinquency on the tax roll would be an
swered. Just as soon as these people find out
that the officials are going to collect taxes
and go the full limit to collect them it will be
just as easy for these delinquents to find the
money for the city as it will be for them to
get money to 90 to- the circus. If the city hes
itates in going the limit to collect these taxes
most of the delinquents will be of the opinion
that the city is afraid to tackle the problem
and there will be larger delinquent list year
by year.
Kenosha has lost lots of money in past years
on account of uncoected personal property and
income taxes but business methods Of admin
istration of the government should eliminate
these losses.
If man can not make money enough out of
his business or save money enough out of his
income to pay his just proportion of the tax
assessed against all the people the sooner he
is out of business the better it will be for all
concerned
The people who save carefully to be able to
meet these tax claims demand that the tax
shall be collected impartially.