Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-08-05
RECKLESS or CHARACTER.

a
We take the following from the Republican /;
The city finances were never in better
condition, and our neighbor knows it well. but
he must keep up his unmanly and unjust
filings at the City Council
With city treasury SO corrupt for the last
three years, according to the statement of
their own examiners, any one having char
acter for truth worth preserving ought to be
ashamed to utter the above. Under the very
nose of the committee defalcations have been
in progress ever since 1871, and when this was
known to the auditor it was kept secret for
six months Again the City Treasurer was
permitted to occupy his office for several
months without entering security. and there
is now question whether the securities Of
this officer can be held responsible, inasmuch
as his accounts were reported correct by the
Council Committee and this report was con-
CURED in by the Finance Committee. Never
were the accounts in such state as at pres
emit In fact the Treasurer's Office has cost
the city for the last year about four thousand
dollars in the shape of salaries and it is now
being run at about that rate instead Of one
thousand. Mr.. Woolley has drawn $500 a
month for ten months and is now unable to
give an accurate statement of the condition
Ct the Treasury. Such is the condition of
the affairs controlled by the Finance Commit
tee. They should have in hand at least
$4,000 of money that the city has been de. |
prived Of wrongfully.
There is scarcely Department of the city |
Tint is not now wasting money; and We pre- |
dict that before next June there will be over |
enc hundred thousand dollars Of floating debt. |
We charge upon the Democratic Council |
when in power in 1870 and 7l--that they |
knowingly and wiltully reduced the tax rate
from IL to per cent. on the assessed value of |
real estate, for the simple and sole purpose OF |
influencing the votes of tho tax PAYERS in |
their favor at the succeeding election-that |
they squandered in sheer waste the small |
amount OF money raised. "-Reputltcan
We do not think it necessary to deny the |
hrst charge made, viz that the Democrats |
reduced The ta1 from II to . per cent That Is
an established and admitted fact; and we
have no complaint to make against the motive
alleged. Ii the people can save per cent
cut of II per cent. certainly they should he
made to know it, and they would be foolish if |
they did not vote in the way that their inter.
est run.
1t is true that the Democrats had a small |
amount of money to run the city with But |
that was not SO bad as the fact that they were
compelled to pay about $4,000 for work that
lad been ordered BY their Radical predeces-
sors IN connection with old debts to a very
tedrs amount This absorbed the most of |
their money; but nevertheless they saved
about per cent. of the tax as compared with
the amount Of money raised and expended
nv than
saved about $4,000 by adopting the contract
system for doing the city work. They also
SAY cd the city from mourning the expense of
100000 for paid fire department and we
hope they will be able to do SO again.
but taking what the Republican asserts as
True the Democrats must be credited with
having carried on the city with 9 per cent.
while the republicans required IL per cent. for
same purpose; because the Republicans. after
running the city government since 1871 under
The heavy rate OF IL per cent. We're ut the end
Of the last city fiscal year more heavily in
debt than the Democrats were when they
went out of power
But 1t Is useless for us to attempt an arpu.
ment with our Republican friends; they are
sure to try to escape the truth and to try 10
cover mp their guilty leaders The whole
spirit OF the article in tho Republican is false.
1t says:
When the Democrats were in power. says
the Gazette. the tax levy was nine per cent.
On the rental value"
TINS Is not true, as under the old law the
rate was levied upon the assessed value of the
'i
1t repeats this assertion in tho paragraph +.
quoted at the head of this article. Now, any i
one with the most ordinary education will see !,
by making calculation that what the GA
4KTTE says is true. II the tax had been nine !
per cent. on the assessed raue Of the property"
house assessed at 5000 would have been :
'axed $50 year, more than it would rent for. |
i was assessed on the rental value, which 7
vas $3oo, and nine per cent on that is Just t
what the tax rate was under the Democrats. ..
M: s27. 1t is now just $50 And that is the diff.
erence; our city has been suffering under il. :
hnce the Democrats were put out of power i,
lonses worth 5000 and renting for $500 have q
,een taxed $50, whereas under the Democrats 4
hey were taxed $27