Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-01-20
LErrERs EaoM &c PEoPLE.
MOTTO OF TINS DErARrzRNr - SPEAK TO TIE
FoTHT.
AN uNJusrIFIABLE ARnRsr.

An urJuetAHAAbLh AhtAhIs
10 De Editor Of he Commercial:
On Tuesday evening last, as Eli KennArd was
comming home from the drug store with medi-
cine for his wife, he met two policemen below
Walnut, In Sixth street. As he passed them, he
heard them say something to one another, but
did not understand what he stopped 10 LOOK in
to q window when officer Scully caught hold Of
his arm and said, "You are the man that
want" Eli asked him what he had to do with
him, when he said; "You are drunk, and am
going to take you to the Office" KennArd told
him that he had not drank any thing that day,
and then Scully called the other police to help TO
take him up to the Hall. where they kept him
until Wednesday morning. at o'clock, and on
Scully's evidence, he was fined for being drunk
John Surratt says that he is good witness Eli
was sober, for he had worked with him all day.
Bnt Wednesday ia mArket-day, and they say
money is scarce and probably part Of q sober
name fine for drunkenness would help lean
purse. Be careful, you who go out Of doors,
who you meet, for II you meet scully he may
A FRIEND OF TIE wRoSaED.
WILMINGTON, Jan. Is.
THE STATE LICENSE TAXES.
TO hte Editor Of he Commercial
This correspondent questions the statement
that persone who have a receipt for their license
tax from the Clerk OF the Peace, would not be
liable to any process in the Courts. He says ::
A resident Of Stanton has already been return
ed to the Grand Jury Bill and found against him
for misdemeanor, not for refusing to pay his
license but for neglecting to pay it on or before
the first day OF June. Now the ridiculous word
ing OF the law puts it into the power OF the Clerk
OF the Peace, 10 add greatly 70 his own purse by
little sharp practice on his fellow citizens The
Clerk Of the Pease returns to the Grand Jurors
every man who has not taken out his license on
or before the LIST OF June, no matter how soon it
has been taken out after that date, the Graud
Jury supposes that these men are striving to
evade the law and indicts them for misdemeAn-
or, warrant Is put into the hands OF the Sher-
ia and these men are put under bail for their
appearance at court for each Of those war
rants the Clerk of the Peace is allowed s5.
and when the parties appear, producing their
receipts, they are fined the costs, which usually
amount to something over 80, the clerk getting
his IS, and the Sheriff the balance. Here is a
wagon-mAker, for instance, who turns out three
or four new wagons in the course Of the year,
with two hundred dollars each, for the mAnufac-
turing OF which he has fifteen dollars taken from
him, Ave dollars Of this money goes into tho
Treasury of the State six dollars and sixty cents
and the balance goes to the officers OF the Court
VIII the Legislature sanction this construction
OF the law WILSON.
STANTON, Del, Jan. 10.
REFoRMs NEEDED IN THE COLLECTION OF COUNTY
TAXES.
To he Editor OF the Commercial:
Having proposed an addition to the working
force in the Levy Court, the number Of Assess
ors and Collectors being already increased, will
suggest some addition to and Improvement in the
way in which those duties are performed.
Assuming, a. the Governor states in his Mes
sage, that " the primary object OF the provisions
Of the Constitution and the laws Of the State
(referred toy Is to compel every citizen to bear
his just proportion Of the public burden as well
| AZ to furnish him the opportunity to qualify AZ
an elector;" Chapter Y, Section l6, of the Re-
vised Code should be further amended by re-
quring the Assessors in those Districts where
newspapers are printed, TO publish, at the ex-
pense OF the county the places where the lists
may be seen or, better still TO publish the lists
entire, 80 that citizens could examine them at
their leisure, who unable to visit the various
places where the lists are hung. 1t was the
| opinion of our retiring member Of the Levy
Court, that more than fifty thousand dollars
worth OF real estate, to say nothing OF personal
and poll taxes, escaped taxation in the last gen
| erai assessment the revenue from which would
pay for the publication Of the lists, hundred
times over.
Again, Chapter XII, Section II, should be so
| amended a. to require the Collector to present
the tax payer bill Of items, specifying the pre-
perty, with the rates, ETC., similar to the city tax
/ bills. This would require the Collectors books
| 10 be an exact duplicate Of the assessment. 1t
would also cave confusion in city like this,
| where property changes hands and voters change
their residence often II q general assess
ment was made, onco in two years, or otherwise
the assessor making the general assessment
shuold hold office during the time for which said
assessment stands, as he is, or, should be, bet
i ter qualified to make the transfers and additions
than an inexperienced person.
II would require too much of your space tc
show all the disadvantages OF the present system
| or advantages of the proposed changes. but we
all see and feel them. Snail we ask our LegislA.
ture now in session to change them, or still go
to mill with a stone in ono end OF bag, because
our grandfathers did We respect those po-
what would we think row OF the man who woult
ride his horse to Baltimore to save his fare il
the cars W. L. A.
WILMINGTON, Jan. 18.