Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1882-01-12
A v0rage cirCUIaIiOO Of the RlPJ r.
LICAN 1900 Daily
imProv emenis and Guy Taxation.

bi"uius anu sldhiuB otl''"'i ''i'0 "''
tenticn to the fact that Wilmington
cannot get along GU the amount of APP.
some large Improvement has been made
on some ungraded street and request
who make the request are met with the
response, mo money" If application
the same response is the answer. We
are not looking at this question in any
lptious spirit, nor for the purpose of
nnding fault with this or that depart
inant of the City Government. Indeed
We know not where the responsibility
for no money should be placed, but al
the feet Of the people themselves. Il
Wilmington was a finished and walled
up city, there would be no necessit!
for increased appropriations, but il
nv ust be evident that while our city il
spreading all around and away out into
the country, ut the rate OF over six hun
bred new buildings year--over five
hundred of them dwelling houses
there must be increased appropriations
by the city to meet the necessary eN'
penses in opening and grading streets
and extending water pipes. Money
spent in either the street or water de.
partment in opening and grading streets
and i'll laying water pipes, is not money
thrown away, but is merely loan
made to the city, which will return
with double percentage in the shape
of city taxes and water rents
The great wonder is, how so much
has been done the past year on so little
money. The appropriation for opening
streets was only $4,000, and that
amount was entirely absorbed when
the fiscal year is only about halt
spent. $4,000 more would hardly
meet the demard for the other
half of the year. Now, what is TO be
done? Are there to be no more streets
opened and graded until another year
when another $4,000 appropriation
will be made, which will be used up
probably in two or three of the first
months of the year? This is rather o
discouraging outlook. A $50, 900 ap-
preparation row would not meet the
building demands as fully as $4,000
met them two or three years ago. The
question is, must building operations
he checked on account Of the need of
money to open and grade streets where
The taxes from the Improvements will
more than pay the interest on the mon,
ey laid out?
The forthcoming report of the Chief
Engineer If the Water Department,
which will he laid before the CITY
Council tomorrow evening, will show
that during the year, closed the first o,
January, there were laid in our city
over II 600 feet of new water pipe. In.
Guiding 200 additional already laid by
the Delaware Western Railroad in
West Wilmington, and which came
mo possession Of the city by the crea
lion Of the Eleventh Ward, the number
OF additional pipe acquired b. the city
last year reaches 1900 feet, rte
greatest number of feet ever laid in one
year before was about 1000 in 1880, and
this was thought to be tremendous.
The water appropriation for that year
was inadequate for the demands for
new pipe, but for 1881 the appropria-
ton was not increased, and yet nearly
two-thirds more pipe was aid. This
shows commendable and economical
management, but it Feed not be won
dered at, That there are clamorous dc
mands for the laying Of additional va
ter pipe that cannot be met. This all
shows the need Of larger appropriations
and at the present time an eXtraordi.
nary appropriation. The great build
ing boom of the last year-the like OF
which was never known before, impera- |
lively demands that the City Council
shall step forward more lively, and
keep step with the progressive spirit OF
improvements that are going on.
But we are met with the inquiry, how
il this additional money so much need
ed to be raised? That is an important
and pertinent inquiry and one that can
not be easily brushed aside. If the ar
preparations for the street and water
departments are TO be doubled, or at
least largely increased, the money
must come out Of somebody's pockets,
Somebody will have to pay more taxes,
and it is useless to disguise the fact
that that somebody means the people
Of Wilmington. No tiukering at the
tax rate will meet the question, unless
1t brings some money into the City |
Treasury. The REPUBLICAN plainly |
told the people the low tax rate Of 81 10
for 1879 and 1880 was a ruinous policy, |
and there are but few now who do not
admit that we were right. A high tax
rate can be avoided by more eql'ita-
bio assessment of property which every
Eody knows ought to be valued higher.
This, however, would make no differ
cree III the amount of taxes paid,
except that it would while increasing
the value of some property which isl
evidently valued too low, leave theI
val Iation of other property as 1t now
is. Every body cannot he judges of the
real value Of real estates, b1t N does
no. require very keen perception to
convince the most mediocre mind that