The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-04-25
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
DESTROYING THE DEMO
CRATIC PARTY
editor TimeS-NewS:

Editor TlmeS-NeWS:
1t has been a mighty long fight
to persuade the people OF Hen
derSOn county to support the
Democratic organization and en-
trust to Democratic officers the
management of the cOunty's af-
fairs. We have been aided ire
mendOusly through statewide leg
islation in lowering property
taxes to a point not remotely
possible through county financing
and management alone, and as q
result Of this legislation and good
management on the part Of the
commissioners we were returned
to power last fall.
| may be too critical, but ]. Of
fer it to Democrats in good faith.
and aver that we have made sew
Cral mistakes calculated to de-
stroy all chances of continued
power in the county. First, 1T
was big error in selling tax
certificates and getting them out
of the hands of the county; sec
ond, it was q big error in per
suing tax foreclosure sales before
| the meeting of the general as
sembly, thereby imposing costs
that could have been avoided,
and creating in the mind Of the
people that our officers We're
looking with more favor to the
bond-holders than they were to
the people; third, by not giving
all the relief possible under the
| new law with relation to hack
taxes, that is to say, by compel
ing the taxpayer to pay his 1882
taxes before allowing him to
come in under the provision of
deferred payment plan giving
five years breathing spell to those
who are unable to pay the back
taxes for the years previous to
1882, while the law still gives the
right to those who have the
money and wish to take advan-
tage Of it to come in and pay
such years with penalties and 10
per cent discount off. In other
words the man with money can
take care Of his back taxes with
all penalties off and then get 10
per cent discount, while the very
man who needs the help is re-
quired to pay the 1882 tax be-
| fore he can take advantage of
the deferred payment plan. 1t
would look as if taxpayer who
could pay his one-fifth down on
all back taxes and then pay his
1882 taxes would really not need
the help provided for by the de-
ferred payment plan, as all he
would have to do would be to
take the amount he would have
to pay for 1882 and add TO it the
amount he would have TO pay I'M
der the deferred payment plan
and he would, together with the
discount of 10 per cent, be able
to pay his back tax. Only in
case the delinquent taxpayer
should be several years behind
would he fare better or as well
under the deferred payment plan
as he would by taking advantage
Of the open plan, that is the plan
allowing all to pay back taxes
less penalties and 10 per cent.
| can see the fear that might
prompt our board Of commission
ers or commissioners in any coun-
ty at this time-that is the fear
| that every one will stop paying
taxes, resulting in insufficient
funds on which to run the gov
eminent. However, l think this
fear not we'll based as differ
entiating between this and the
fear that tax payment will de-
crease to the vanishing point be-
cause of lack of faith in the gov
eminent and destruction Of in
centive to own. Thousands of
people are well nigh ready to
surrender their property now
rather than attempt to pay be-
cause they have little faith in the
future. To my mind what is
needed most is a reawakening of
the incentive to own property,
and the best way to do that is to
convince the people that the gov
eminent is going to do ali it can
in every way it can to encourage
IL l.