Show DELINQUENTS By Dy M. M M. M Smith Few Pew writers would attempt to produce produce produce pro pro- duce a readable article e on so dry a a n question as delinquent taxes Yet in Its analysis there lurks both amusement amusement amuse amuse- m ment nt and amazement So follow me me and we vc shall see Tho The Utah legislature Is not unlike that of other states and seeks to erect Insurmountable barriers against non nonpayment nonpayment nonpayment payment of taxes As much odium In defining the sin of omission on is employed as Webster will permit Delinquent is a synonym for cr crime me disgrace etc But what it The legislature attempts attempts attempts at at- tempts to make failure to pay taxes on or before Dec 1 a cross between a felony and a misdemeanor The culprit is doubly fined without a jail jailor or death s sentence What are tho the tw twin n positive forces In our lives You answer Death and taxation What is more certain than death You may again answer taxes So much for the enactment of in laws ws ets ets et's see how they work or rather how they are are worked I no longer agree e with our law makers in hi assum- assum ng that the delinquent list has any dishonor attached to it Heretofore I have hustled and 2nd scraped enough cash together ind md paid my taxes on But put I dont don't know but I shall discontinue the practice for several reasons Look at the last delinquent l last st 1800 1300 names out of a possible or 55 and who are they The Tile Jest best moot moat reputable prosperous and popular citizens we have Formerly those found round on the delinquent list were thought to be of the shiftless neer ne'er- well do-well class Not Not- so any more afore Why dont don't people people pay th their ir taxes prompt- prompt y Is It t because taxes are too high Is it because they are unable to pay No vo twice It is because forsooth there is a double drain drai upon the nurse purse at this time of year and that little two l Nits bits ts which the printer gets for bawling us out together with theone theone the tho one per cent interest no longer hold any ny terrifying effect upon the average average aver avex- age citizen who is s perfectly willing willingto to stand up in the disreputable delinquent delinquent delinquent de de- de- de ranks take the count and pay the p penalty in order to have the use of his tax money for 60 days day longer Then there is the man who sees h his s only chance of getting his name in tie tae paper vaDer once in a life time His property property property prop prop- erty is valued described and located all for the price of a quarter of a Col dol- dol lar Many ignore of the first tax tai statement sent ent out in October and wait walt for the th advertising of the names in the paper before taking up the question o of paying paying paying pay pay- ing taxes The looks loos of the thing or orthe orthe orthe the penalties penalties' att attached hed does not enter seriously into inta the mind of the aver- aver ge ge taxpayer Then another thing it is s q quite certain certain certain tain regardless of stringent laws to the contrary that a large per cent of th Ut se fines and penalties evaporate and are never collected Otherwise the county would soon own half hal th the property Speaking of publicity ty I am in favor of publishing the names of persons persons per persons per per- sons who pay their t taxes promptly aswell as aswell aswell well as those who dont Now comes omes the last advertised list filling tilling 24 columns in n the local paper pap papers pap pap- er ers containing 2300 descriptions of property and calling for amounts from 5 50 cents to The Myton l printers did the work The more than oo typographical cal errors re reflect upon neon the efficiency of the proof reader read- read r er r and lowers vers the batting average of the Hn linotype ype This list has ras cost our county about D But t we weare are told that will soon be he recovered recovered in future futuro collections Peter pays Paul Paul PatH pays no one The cash customer at the store pays or eor the goods th the the dead dead beat buys It is a hard task to keep leep off arc that delinquent del list One triese tries hies to yav Imy ay- ay all obligations and thinks thins he lie has hasa a clearance but if he overlooks a small j Item em onto the the- list he lie goes coming eming to get no moral credit L. L A. A Ho Is s s a case in point where he lie overlooked a charge o of o 03 I A A. A M. M Murdock the heaviest tax taxi i gayer yer i In the community with a pad of ot tax not notices ces as thick as you thumb I from for debt But our next tray items around ground th the edges escape his hs notice and he lie heis is obliged to tal take he count on the alleged dishonored list Est lust as ns tho tiro he lie had paid nothing Congress has a spec special al law il soldiers soldier's homestead exempting a a from for debt But nut our next session of the legislature will proba ly Ply e enact a a ala la law v exempting the sold lers ler's property from taxation Local ta taxes es are only an incident Liberty bonds are area are a national sty 3 ty I t would a Liberty bond ond than be the possessor of a tax tai I receipt Numerous suggestions tons might b be made as ms to the preparation of the tax list tho the most glaring ot of which is the repetition of proper names In several cases names of property owners owners own own- wn- wn ers appear 2 5 1 12 to 97 times Most of this might be cured by grouping the descriptions in same township The two abstractors are forever preaching that unpaid taxes creates a cloud on title yet both of thorn are found on the slow list and they took their ther wives along An unique use the delinquent list can be put to by the tho merchants Is a a. cust customers customer's m rs r's mailing list Up to Dec 1 approximately 50 had been collected 2500 receipts re re- ce were issued some men receiving receiving receiving ing as high as A. A M M. Murdock Knight Investment Co Albert Smith and Jessup Jessup Thomas are among the high men l townsIte is s the th joke of 0 the list Real has nothing to do with the defunct townsite yet It a must carry its share shar of the odium of that abnormal list which embraces one one- one eighth o of the entire county l list last st contains descriptions and cost the county 90 90 per year for advertising Less than third one-third the annual taxes are are ever collected on this townsite and the amount is growing smaller One womans woman's name occurs 97 times with the tho Mountain Inter-Mountain Realty Co 95 Considering Consider the disadvantages under under under un un- der which the county treasurers treasurer's office office of of- fice has been laboring this fall much credit is due the entire force Hazel Hemphill Orr the acting act ng treasurer has distinguished herself as s a competent competent com com- pet nt obliging official always pleasant pleasant pleasant pleas pleas- ant willing and alert It will be remembered remembered re re- that she was the understudy understudy understudy under under- study of our first county treasurer Lulu Hood |