Milford chronicle., 1924-12-19
CONTINUED from page 12l

"a There has been a general
misunderstanding in regard to the
aGlng fee. Many people think that
Gsis fee helps maintain the tax col
tector's office, some think the fee
Is a personal perquisite of the tax
collector himself. To these people
she fee seems unjustified. To add
20 the trouble, the tax collector has
no means of enforcing collection ex-
cept through the assistance of a
magistrate who charges costs" of
about SIG to collect a SO fee, an
apparently eXorbitant charge, due
not to the personal whims of the
solicitor or of the magistrate, but
Antirely to failure to provide a less
sostly means of collection. Failure
20 collect the filing fee from delin-
auents has naturally embittered
Shose who have paid willingly and
made them promising candidates for
the delinquent list of the next year.
The report of delinquencies has
been so insistent that many have
believed the filing fee unproductive
of revenue for the schools. In fact,
however, it produced over 100000
last year while the total apprOpria-
tion for the tax collectors for filing
fees and income tax was approxi- |
Fnately $4,000 which was paid from |
the general fund.
C2) The tax collector has had a |
Soroe of assistants much too small |
20 handle the business of his office.
gSirect following up of delinquents
IN filing fees and checking of in
come tax resorts has been impos-
sible and the collector has been
practically powerless to do more
than take in and report upon taxes
Drought to him.
90 The failure to collect has
caused dissatisfaction among prompt
payers and encouraged them to be-
come delinquents. 1t has even been
reported that people have been ad-
vised not to pay their filing fee as
nothing would come as a penalty TO
failure to pay.
ca There has been much irrita-
ton caused by taxpayers having to
wait ar inconvenient and firing
length of time to pay their t,-xes in
person. This has been the result OF 6
100 few officers and offices.
As. Can the proposed taxes he /
Yes. But to collect them several {
.1ings must be insisted upon: t
% Every effort must be made J
De made to show that these taxes
ire just and equitable; 7
(2) Newspapers and attorneys r
must stand for the enforcement of C
he law as a matter of State pride, a
Iuty and justice; r
(3) Political partisanship must 7
,e elm mated; o
"a The State Tax Department v
must be more than a tax receiving
gency; it must be a tax collecting s
gency;
(5) There must be hearty CO.
peration between the State Depart C
,ent of Justice and State Tax De- Il
artment A special Assistant At &
,rney General should be appointed t.
18th the exclusive duty of aiding the n
tate tax collector; v
CO. Every dollar of the money Il
0llected should continue to go to d
le School Fund and the costs of 81
,llection should be borne by the W
eneral Fund; (Our citizens will M
1t object to paying their school nj
xes if they are assured that the III
tai amount goes to education.) bl
(7) Every employer of labor OF
lould be required by law to give to WI
e tax collector a list of the names It
employees with the wages or sal Iii
les received during the fiscal OF
,ar preceding; di
(S) Wherever there is doubt as cii
the correctness of individual cor be
,ration returns, the tax collector pI
-uld have the right to compel the tic
oividual or individuals concerned di
swear to the returns: of
(9) Auditors should be employed ty
check the returns wherever nee gi
sary; pl
(1O) Sufficient tax receiving eq
ices should be established to ac-
the taxpayers; TO
(11) A penalty of $40 should be ca
posed upon any person, citizen 76
resident in Delaware, who failed
file his or her income with the ou
Hector of taxes before the fif- co.
leth of March each year. tn
(12) The General Assembly of va
25 should give careful attention of