Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-03-01

ACTING, ETo.
Special Correspondence Of DE Commercial
PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 28.
No subject comes home with greater force, to
greater number Of people in any community, thar
that OF Taxation. 1t is one Of direct interest 4
any person Of means, whether those means be
great or small, and 10 is of especial interest Il
Philadelphians, who have the pleasing prospect
ahead Of them. in case their taxes are made any
heavier, or indeed IL they even remain at thsil
present figure, OF seeing large portion of the
capital Of the city sock other places for invest.
ment. What is the remedy2 Evidently, Re
trenchment and Economy on the one side, and
an increase Of Revenue without increase OF the
Tax rate, on the other. And how to effect this
increase1 In part, at least, by largely reducing
the list Of properties exempt from Taxation.
The amount thus gained, If it did not furnish all
the money needed, would go long way towards
doing 30.
As the case standsin Philadephia great deal
| OF valuable property gives nothing in return for
privileges enjoyed. OF course great deal Of
| the dead weight" on the exempt" list is ap.
parent rather than real. A large portion OF it
for example, consists of the Free Schools and
other public property which it would scarcely be
worth while to tax, seeing that the money to
Il
from these classes Of property, however
theie are churches, cemeteries and benev-
olent and charitable associations, all (or nearly
| alD exempt from taxation There is no reason
i why they should be- The strongest plea could
be made for the associations but even there II Is
| the fact that those concerns are established by
people fully able to pay taxes. As regards
churches and cemeteries 1t is difficult to what
pretense can be made for demanding such a
| privilege Any body of men able to erect a
chur. III, or any men able to lay out a burial
ground and buy los therein, are able to pay
something to the State for the preservation OF
sons condition %sSss tSo civic peace which which
There we come to the centre of the
social idea. II man lives by himself in a will
derness, he need pay. no taxes, but IL agrees to
join other men and form society he must help
pay for the protection and general we'll being OF
the whole body Churches and cemeteries are
part of a society's caro- as much as dwelling
houses. Society agrees to protect such property
from outrage and destruction and society should
be paid. There are over $23, 900. 900 worth of
exempted property Of the above descriptions in
Philadelphia from which, in all reason and JUS
tice half million of money ought to be paid
every year into the City Treasury. II we ever
get the right kind of Legislature perhaps the
present foolish policy may be changed.
The Centennial mass meeting was a fair sue
cess. With the music and the hurrahs, it seemed
to be pretty big thing, but II has passed, aud
the matter is again on a dead level. There
IaNN..
The world, but may put this down one of the
sure things-that, IL the Centennial is to be run
throughout by the President of the Y. Nj y. A.,
it will speedily run into nothing. This gentleman
proposed recently in public that Philadepha
shoilld saw to New York, - We will not buy any
goods Of YOU IL you persist in opposing TINS
scheme" That call high-toned and so on
entirely the proper spirit to show 10 the inaugu-
ration OF a national enterprise Doubtless, the
mapagers Of the Paris and Vienna Expositions
talked the same wav And yet what are we TO
do? Men OF that stripe naturally push to the
front and il citizens OF better calbre have less
energy and do aot take the lead themselves they
must bear with being misrepresented.
A fine business improvement is to be noted as
| in progress on Chestnut street east OF Broad
| Messrs Cornelius q s ms. Qate Cornelius ba-
/ ker) the manufacturers OF Gas Fixtures, arc
| altering the residence for a long time occupleu
| by nv. Joseph Bailey, into a series OF splendid
i show rooms and offices. The building at pres
/ ent occupied by the firm is found to be too CON
| tracted for their business, and being forced 70
move they take q determined step westward,
and are to add another to the lofty business pal
| aces In the neighborhood OF Broad street. The
| growth of heavy trade in this direction. wnmln
the past two years is very remarkable Inc
Bailey Mansion was still house in the most ap-
proved modern style, but it had to make waJ
| before the demands of trade. Ten years ago,
there was scarcely business establishment OF
| any consequence west Of 9th street, while there
| are now scores of such. When Messrs. Homel
4 (Jolladay concluded TO build above Broad street
| their friends thought them out Of their heads
| but events have proved the movement saga
| cious one. Mr.. Bailey, whom baye mere incl
| dentally mentioned, was member OF the Wen
| known iewelry firm. He was Spiritualst, who
| claimed to have been connected to that bellef
much against his set convictions, by the persist
, | ent attentions of brother who had preceede,
him to the spirit land. He was methodical
undemonstrative kind of man, and the strugg.
of his prejndices with the proof, as he consid
cred it, greatly impressed me when he reiate
| the circumstances to me some years ago. lie hs
since himself gone the way we must all go, ant
| has learned by this time whether he was rBht 0
| wrong, NJ, pI.
A | ing was very near at hand, and yet the number
q of people interested in the pastlme are AIeau
a | canyassng the prospects Of the coming season
Z The leading clubs are all organized and gym
: nasium practice has commenced by way OF get
| ting ready for harder work upon the turf. L
q this section the interest In the game ls hKel
!, | to be greater than il has been for several sci
a | sons This is owing TO the organization {
v another professional club of ambitious propol
y tions, which intends, il it can, to bear away th
/ crown OF victory from the popular Atn,etlo ~
| The new club is styled the "Philadelphla, an
it's friends claim that 1t was not started fro
"a any unfriendly rivalry to the Athletic club D'
y in the real interest OF the sport, 1t is the IA
. | that except when some Of the strong clubs
~ neighborng cities visited us last season 1t wi
"a difficult to attract many people to the game
,g for the reason that the Aahletic was 30 superb
% to the remaining local clubs that the oontes
n were one-sided and unnteresting The resi-
~ could always be foretold and no excitemeI
an attached to the contests. 1t is thought that
ha having another local club Of equal streng
M with the old champions the interest can be ke
M M even in the absence of visitors. There
N0 reason to believe that the Athletic men ha
also come round to this view although til
we're inclined at first to be rather jealous
.r their supremacy .,...-
an The following are the Philadelphia player
,aar ar Malone, catcher Zettlein, pitcher MACK,
ne base: Addy And base; MeYerle, Sd base; wac
ia worth. short stop and Cuthbert, Treaoy
are beohtel IN the out-held. These men, with
ier exception of Zettlein and Wadsworth, have
ite Of them. at one time or another,played upon
.eo Athletic nine, Malone and Cuthbert being esl
ne cially identified with the old CLUB. lettleln
ies players know as the pitcher OF the Atlantic q
pa Of brooklyn for many seasons. Altogether 7
Dt- nine NAV be termed as strong one as any in
iao field, The Athletic, on the other hand, is not
ue- strong as it has been in other years. Mcbrld
lamp still holds out to burn at the pltche
place, aud Fisher, my fayorite player OF all
py men have ever seen, will stand guard al Seco
ay' The mielders in-addition are Sutton, 30 ba
and McGeary short stop, both fair players,
led, nothing remarkable, and a new conner nan
go, Norman at lst base, upon whom high hopes
built. The out-felders will be selected IT
Bo- McMullen Reach, Sensenderfer, Anson
Vas Fisher. You will observe have sad noth
Nav | OF the catcher's position. Animportant enBa
vitb ment is said to be pending for that place
onA Ia ha will