Evening star., 1929-08-31
COUNTY TAX SUITS
TO co FORWARD
Arlington Supervisors Refuse
to Dismiss Appeal in De-
Iinquent Cases.
Special Dispatch to The s.ar

Special Dispatch to The S.ar.
ARLINGTON COUNTY COURT
HOUSE, Va, August 3l.-A petition to
dismiss the appeal now being prepared
by Commonwealth Attorney William c.
Cloth In the delinquent tax test suit
was presented to the Board of Super
visors yesterday by Col. Charles T. Jesse
president of the Arlington County Bar
Association. and signed by Is attorneys
but failed to receive favorable action.
Col Jesse in speaking before the board
said that failure On its part to dismiss
the apepal would defeat the purpose OF
the board, which it set out to accom-
plish when it ordered the Commonwealth
attorney TO file suits to collect delinquent
taxes. No taxes will be paid except
those which become necessary to COM
plete deals for loans, the attorney said
A Case in Point.
In citing a case, Col. Jesse added that
70 suits have been filed against one
single land owner, and the amount OF
taxes involved in $6l47l for the years
1926 and 1923. of which less than one
half was delinquent at the time the suit
was filed. Should the owner wish to pay
these taxes during the pendency of the
appeal it would be necessary for him TO
pay about $3,00O but if the appeal is
dismissed he pays $6l47l, including
those of 1923, which were not delinquent
at the time of filing the claim.
Col. Jesse. said 1t Is evident that no
business man will pay $4,000 to satisfy
a bill of 5000 and that he would wait
with the hope the Court of Appeals
would sustain Circuit Court Judge
Howard w. Smith.
Commonwealth Attorney Cloth i'll re-
plying declared that it was not the
man with small taxes that did not pay
but it is the promoter who buys acreage
that is not paying his taxes causing the
county to suffer for the want of funds
to operate its government. In most of
these suits which have been filed the
land is unoccupied and is being held
for speculation, Mr.. Cloth said.
He added. regardless of what action
the board takes, the suits will be con-
tinued to be filed in the name OF the
State tax commission. Mr.. Cloth said
that he was a large taxpayer, saying
that he paid between $1,000 and $1,000
a year and that he objected to any
move that will stop others from paying
their taxes.
Salary Cut OF.
The salary of ACHE C. Richards, a
deputy sheriff of S75 month. on mo-
tion of Supervisor B. NJ. Hedrick, was
discontinued. This action brought a
strong protest from Sheriff Howard B.
Fields but the board had adjourned,
The board announced that the con-
tract of Asa E. Phillips. who was en-
ployed to install the countys water syS-
tenn. had expired and that it would not
DC renewed.
At its opening yesterday the board
gave assurance that the work on the
widening and resurfacing of Wilson
Boulevard would be rushed to an end
County Engineer C. L. Kinnier. reported
that an additional 80 days had been
allowed the public utilities to get their
work done and by the end of 90 days
the work on the boulevard would be
completed. The County Chamber of
Commerce asked that work be rushed.
The board failed to take action re-
garding erection Of firehouse for the
Clarendon department.
County Engineer Kinnier reported
that there were 1908 delinquent water
bills. and he was authorized to cut the
water service off unless bills were paid
at once.