Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-03-06
EA' q. ssssss:s.ss w.... s:s....s 4 i'' city
10 fis Editor Of ths Conlnssrcial .

Il kVt4Ate%f
l Permit me to usa space to reply 70 connau-
nicaticn in the daily Gosetis of Tuesday last
/ propose TO state Jacfa e. found upon tho books
of the City Treasurer, and which believe are
open 70 the inspection OF the public. T hsre is
therefore no excuse for either . citizen or :
member Of tho OityOouncil to deliberately make
false siaienef ether In his place in Council, or
through the daily papers.
/ The total funded debt Of the City
msns is. Observation-Disclosures. s5SO,S5O
the floating debt Of the City IS
per annual statement Published In
And We we have total of.......... sSi,sSO
and not, "eight hundred thousand
dollars at the beginning Of this
OF the above amount of indebted
nees the public schools Of this
city stand charged with $1,000
Widening King street. 900
"'0'n'ns "'''' 'i Total. '. .'..'.. sls7,OOo
Leaving total indebtedness charge
able to other causes than the edu-
cation Of children, and the improve
ment Of streets sof................ S46hS60
To find the proper item to which portion OF
this large amount should be charged involved
considerable time, but the result is satisfactory
as may be proven by "Citizen" II he choses to
take the trouble TO find the truth from the Treae
surer's books. ....-
The facts are these. the dominant party (Re-
20, determined to levy tax sufficiently large to
pay on the floating debt OF the city. and start
square with the world. This they did, fixing the
percentage ct 16 and q the latter for school pur-
poses. The income from taxes WAS sufficient to
pay of the floating debt. But unfortunately for
the opposition, the heavy taxes did not ALLEVIATE
the people from the Republican party, and at the
September election majority OF this party was
returned 10 the City Council. A few turbulent
spirits then set themselves to the task OF making
the city Democratic. by creating q new Ward
(Tenth) out Of the first Ward, thipking that this
was the panaceA by which their disease (want Of
power) could be cured. The election came on,
and resulted In the return OF two mt mbers of
their way Of thinking. The committees were
changed and their own men put In charge Of the
Affairs of the city, and 1t the end Of that year,
the books ct the Treasurer's office show an ex-
psnditure of Just eighty eight thousand nins hun
dred and seventy nine dollars, and ninety ono
cents, more han Rle receipts, so Of course this
snug little sum is justly chargeable to the eight
months rule Of the Democrats In the City Coun-
cl
This deficiency is fixed incontroyertible fact.
Let Citizen" examine for himself.
By reference TO the minutes Of the City Couu-
ell, in June 1871, it will be found that the Fl
nance Committee reported the total assessment
for 1871. .F22, ,222, l9J
Interest on the above at per cent. ei 1891
The committee recommended tWelVo
per cent. on tho above for city
purposes, which would have netted
the sum or. f....................... StOV, ,5SS.fz
"0n motion Of Mr.. Quinn, twelve per cent. was
struck out, and nine per cent, inserted for city
tax /" and on 'motion Of Mr.. Fnegan two per
cent. was struck out and one and half insert
ed" for school tax.
This action on the part OF the Dem
ocratic majority lost TO the city on
the oitv aasoeement $40 900. .tl2
The appropriations always made In
January were fixed. ............... S2l2,702
To May, special and extraordinary
appropriation was made by this ex-
traordinary Council OF. f........ SIS 900
Making the total amount appropria-
TED 1........... .............. $x1o,1Uz
Here then we find that these gentlemen in
their generosity. see proper to throv on per
cent Of the assessment, and per consequence
reduce the income of the city $4,000 and then
ask and obtain extraordinary appropriations be-
fore the fiscal year is half ended.
The above facts are from the minutes Of the
City Council, and can be seen and examined by
any person desirous OF doing 30.
The statement Of the City Treasurer is very
plain, and simple for the year 1871, and Is as
Total Expenditures, not including
Total Receipts not inc. School tax. 156, ,95955
Now then It is but fair to charge to
IN the city The item OF ssse7g 81
And we have left total city debt sS75,S70 90
Suppose now we take the latter amount as the
water debt Of the city. and glance for mo
mont at the assets OF the Water Department, and
see ourselves whether this Department has at
any time, under either Republican or other ad-
ministrations, been managed extrayAgAnty, or
the AppropriAtionsi for its Improvement wasted.
In the first place We have the two
best water rights (frst rights) on
the South side of the Brandywine.
costing together S45, 900
Two double acting pumps cost 1880
One Steam Cornish Pump $4,000
One Duplex Worth.ngton 27.00O
Total real estate and pumps actual cost SS9, 500
The second item is the square OF
ground on which the old basin
stands at 10th and Market street, 329
fest on Market street, and 2l0 feet
through to King street, with Survey
or's Department office, and Water
Department Office, Worthington Eu-
gine House, $40, 900
Three squares Of ground, one on
Broome street at 9Th, the others at
sth and Rodney st; $1,000
Thirteen acres of ground for.which
in the indebtedness,) s52, ,275
Add to this 81 milee, or 1853, $50 feet
OF water pipe at the mere nominal
average price Of 81. as per foot, "a
large portion costing from three to
six dollArs) ....................,.. s2O4, SOC
Total assets OF Water Department S45I, ,375
Citizen says that $40 900 water
tax has been received up to the
present time, but Mr.. Taylor the
Registrar, assures me that the to-
tai income from uncollected bills
and fractional water rents for the
present iyear will swell tho total
amount to-. to........................ s44 ,OOC
II then the water works of the city
cost the sum Of. of.................. 1916, $40, ,0s
The annual interest upon this sum
| would Dc. S22. 522. OF
Leaving an annual surplus Of ..... $21, ATT. 81
towards carrying on the yearly operations OF the
Water Department, which sum is sufficienl
| Judging from the last ten years average of ex
penses Of this Department.
A word TO " Citizen !" II a member Of Couu.
Gil, or like myself simple citizen, do not re
sort to personalities, it is mean to do 80, anC
gentleman never do. Fight your opponents
with arguments and facts they are always a
hand, and Il they are not, wait until you can ge
them II the cause is bad one and you have
to depend upon false statements, abandon it.