Milford chronicle., 1923-03-23
5000 FAIL TO PAY
STATE FILING FEE
CONTINUED from first page)

pay the taxes demanded by Commis-
sioner Jester. The corporations claim
an exemption of certain items which
Mr.. Jester will not concede.
In his letter Attorney General
Townsend expressed a hope the leg
islature would change that portion OF
the law and strengthen the doubtful
provisions.
Representative Collins brought out
by questions asked Mr.. Jester thai
some large holding companies, said to
be among the largest in the country
had failed to pay the tax. This was
admitted by Mr.. Jester.
Relative to corporation taxes, Mr.,
Jester said IT'S have paid $125,OOO
while there are at least 41O corpora
tions in this State that have not even
filed tax return. He has notified them
all that they must settle, he said, and
if they do not do so in ten days ne
will bring suit against them.
MIR. Nelson tried to induce Mr.. Jes-
ter to give the names of the corpora
tions that have not paid, but Mr.. Jes-
ter said he did not think this was fair
to these corporations, for he believed
they were honest in their declinations
to pay the taxes and were only wait
ing to have the courts determine the
disputed points in the law.
Try as Mr. Nelson would to get the
name of the delinquent corporations
he could not persuade Mr.. Jester to re-
veal them.
Jester Gives Excuse
Relative to the large number of de-
linquents on the SO filing fee Mr.. Jes-
ter said there were many reasons why
the tax had not been collected from
these Sill persons. In the first place
the laws, he said, provided for no
money for a survey of the State and
the only way they could get list of
such taXables was from the registra-
ton lists and the lists of corporations
from the clerks of peace. They were
also handicapped by the large num-
ber Of aliens in the city but he has
succeeded in collecting from many of
them. Mr.. Jester spoke of the large
amount of work his office has to per-
form and declared many property
owners in Wilmington have never
paid a direct school tax.
Mr.. Jester said he is doing his best
to have the people of Wilmington pay
their taxes, and they are paying them.
Some of the corporations have claim
ed they are entitled to certain deduc-
tions which Mr.. Jester says he does
not think they should be allowed, and
this is where he has split with them.
He said he has asked the attorney
general to bring suit against them.
Not Square Deal
In HFo1eov, ,,s5 II.
not prompted by malice but simply
to get at the facts because most Of
the taxes in dispute go to the schools
and they cannot appropriate for the
schools unless they know the amount
Of their revenues, and they cannot
determine their revenue unless they
hrst know who is going to pay their
taxes.
Mr.. Nelson said it is not a square
deal nor just for some to have to pay
and others to escape payment. Mel
son said list of 5711 delinquents on
the filing fee in a city as large as Will
mlngton was probably excusable. Be-
fore the budget committee hearings, |
he said Mr.. Jester had claimed the |
corporations owed between $25O,OOO
and 100000 and he wanted to know if |
any of this money had been paid since |
those hearings.
Mr.. Jester said some of it had, but
he had been handicapped in this work
because he would not accept the pay
ments some Of them wanted to give
him because he claims they owe more
and he would not accept their figures.
Mr.. Jester said he felt it was useless
to proceed until he had an opinion
from the courts as to whether he is
right or the corporations are right. He
said it was business proposition with
them and if the court rules against
them they will pay up at once. He de-
clared he had proceeded as far as he
could go.
Companies Paid $1S6,O7S
"As a conservative estimate what do
you think that you can collect from !
the "a corporations who you say have ! !
made incomplete returns and the 410
that have made no returns, Mr.. Nelson
asked.
Mr.. Jester said up to March he
had collected $136,97S, from corpora
tions and thought he could collect at y
least that much more. :
Nelson, "You think that is the !
imit?" 9
Jester, Il am keeping il at the min :
mum and if had more help believe Il Il
t would be more" Il Il
Nelson charged that corporations U
ire holding money due the State for l, Il
school purposes and added: "I believe -
t is the province of the legislature to Il
NOW who has paid the tax. Four hun y y
lred and ten corporations have not 8
lied their returns. "
'Why cid not Mr.. Jester bring II
uit?" Mr.. Nelson asked. He claimed =,
Ie did not have to wait for the At u u
orney General if that official would =
ot act. 81
"The whole thing is a matter Of -,
assing the buck" remarked Mr.. Mel IL u
on. "The whole thing is rotten. There 10
J no getting around that. Mr.. TESTERS ,r
efense is nothing more than passing NJ NJ
he buck to the Attorney General. This NC NC
lvestigation brings out the fact that Il
ley have been lenient to the corpOr-
tions. The individuals to some extent IL ll
ave been pressed as there have been I'll
DO indictments against them, but not
ne against the corporations" W ne
>Av.v0So Tu0oo D~aIo