Smyrna times., 1925-03-04
tI0DO MORE TAXES AND FEES
\ n b COLLECTED FOR STATE
voRTHWHILE SUM MADE
r,p TO BUDGET COMMITTEE

Jan -
r..,.rd lester, Tax Commissioner,
y p sor $4,000 With Which to Or
i've TO Collect Delinquent Taxes
Z Howard Jester, State Tax Com
I ..,asr. told the joint budget COM
u Friday, that if his department
.rsn ~ an adequate force with which
4 rs work, there will be ample
w collected in for the need of the
Il, He declared he could add to
,o2l collections, on a conservative
sssto from 100000 to 100000
|, tban he took in last year, if he
,be necessary help to do the work
4, oHice. "If our department can
.lm differently from the way it
Erg now" he stated, 1--WE would
nm sticks if we cannot have the
~ necessary for the State Board
rncation." Mr.. Jester is asking
,m appropriation of $4,000, an in
u Of practically $4,000, and with
extra money he proposes to en-
= three field agents, two auditors
4 q additional clerks. His present
y force consists of 16 people and
/, gditOnal y he is asking for
a bring it to %, for two months
A year. During the rush season,
aid he has to have five extra
sg for about two months, but these
\ are engaged whether he is allow
he other additional help or not.
Jester admitted in response to
7Sions from the committee, that he
had certain persons on the pay
lin his office who also are drawing
i8 as state employees in other
s but he did not explain, and
committee did not press for more
h on his reasons for employing
persons. Mr.. Jester said he was
ing for a flat appropriation, with
any contingent fund, because he
n.ed to get away from the contin-
4 fund business.
deral Collection Not So ArduOus
Be was questioned at length as to
number of persons in the Federal
enue Office in Wilmington, and Sen
y Mcdowell asked if it was made
only Of sixteen. Mr.. Jester did
know for sure how many work
re, but reminded the committee
1 the Federal office could draw on
asangtOn for any help they needed.
said he has about 10000 accounts
nandle, involving several times
'e work than the Federal govern
2. has to do. In addition to this,
ad, about One-half of those who
returns with the Federal govern
at do not have to pay tax and their
alnts do not require further hand
g he claimed his employees aver
q far more work monthly than do
Federal agents.
l'ud Produce All School Money
G Jester explained, in reply to
SlolS, that mistakes are made by
once and showed the difficulty
nave with names especially those
@fegners. "If our office is given
slate help" Mr.. Jester said, 81
4a l can increase our collections
a 100000 to 100000, and this,
" me z0-cent county school tax,
1, .-a "a amount to more than the ST.
a'V Tor the school purposes"
-'a asked on what he based his es-
go Increase and pressed for a
--'e answer he said on his collec-
'0t lSZ4 and then reduced his es-
n. -.el os Increase, making it between
.4VVO and 100000. The commit
iOlnd IN his estimated returns
-. i'aIcnlse, corporation and other
I, y under his department for 1926
80. W. showed a big reduction,
!. ll'ng to close TO $5OO,OOO and he
~. Questioned at length about this
~ Mr.. Jester answered that
~ y, Know his Office is crippled and
:. cooperate with him, that they
!. y. y respond as they did the first
Ie Ming fee was in force, and
IaAes it harder for him to make
A.' 'V,lecuons, because he has to go
d. "lg dellnquents. His small force
n,s Gls a hard task and this ac-
4 M largely for the falling off in
~. .''.lectlons and his estimated re-
ssr.. we're made to show falling off
"A ~ :. ne wanted to be conservative
A Nv ~ Set the returns at a figure he
N -'T ne could not meet. He said
long as his department is
bsn landed ~ the returns will continue
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