The daily gazette., 1883-06-04
=-@-TIr1r7- r1Tr--- 777I7 7TT-7T7 !. \ w 'sttE
Bail - GGsette
WILMINGTON. lNaONDAV. JUNE 4.
Tha CITY RlactIon.

There are probably over nine thousand
legally qualified voters in the city, but of
this number only 5,175-a little more than
eEe-half-otook the slight troable OF walking
to the polls on Saturday afternoon and |
choosing men to manage their public fiscal |
and business concerns for the coming ysar, |
Such condition of affairs is almost
enough to make one doubt the propriety |
or usefulness of popular government,
while it is proof-positive that the cit
izens of Wilmington take but little interest
in a local election, no matter how grave and
important the issues involved, unless there
is strong political feeling to create an ex-
eitementiand impress the matter upon their
minds Presidential contest or 3 State
election stirs them to the deepest depths and
brings them to the polling places in dense
crowds, but an election for nothing but
members Of Council fails to create ripple
OF excitement, and they almost allow it to
go by default.
And yet Saturdays election was the most
important municipal contest that has been
held In this city for years. The expendi
lures of our local government for the coming
fiscal year will amount to over half a million
dollars, but the men who will contribute
the largest proportion Of taxes paid no at
tention whatever 10 the choice of men to
whom will be entrusted the distribution of
this large sum. All the newspapers of the
city urged the voters to express their
interest In local concerns by voting
for the men of their choice,
but the voice of the press was comparatively
unheeded, and many of our heaviest tax
payers did not 90 near the polls. Fortu.
nately neither party made really bad nomi-
nations, although there is reason to fear a
continuance of last years mismanagement
of our city's finances, by which deficit has
been created which will amount to between
$4,000 and $50, 900 by the 30th day of June
Although the problem of municipal gov
eminent is now so slightingly considered by
many who ought to give it their best
attention, the time is not far
distant when the people will
be rudely awakened from their leth-
argy by the enormous extent of the taxa
tion that will be exacted from them. Upon
the present assessment it will require a
the appropriations for the coming fiscal year,
without considering the large deficit created
by the retiring Council. 70 this add the
county rate of 80 cents, and we have total
OF 81 on the Sl00, as the very lowest upon
which we can possibly get along, with little
or no prospect of being able to effect any
reduction in the near future. In the
nf al ahi rub
have long complained of high taxes and
municipal robbery, the total tax rate, for
city and county purposes, has never ex-
ceeded 81. .l5, and is now but Sl.9O, includ-
ing special levy of ten cents on the 500
for the new public building. And yet Phil
adelphia owns enough public property to
pay all Of her bonded indebtedness, while
Wilmington's assets-consisting of the
water works, few lots of ground, and our
mcagre public buildings-would not pay
twenty cents on the dollar if put to forced
sale.
There has evidently been something wrong
with our municipal management for years,
as dealcations have been few, and but lit.
tie dishonesty has prevailed in the expendi-
ture of our public funds. The trouble, we
are constl aimed to believe, arises from the
lack of interest felt in our local concerns
by some of our heaviest taxpayers and
most sagacious men of business. Tbey
do not think it "worth while'' to
bother themselves about ''ward politics, -
but perhaps, when they come to settle
with the tax collectors in July upon a
basis of 81 on the Sl0O, they will realize that
our municipal business, amounting to over
S5OO,0OO per annum, is an affair worthy OF
their most serious attention. If the city OF
Wilmington is ever to emerge from the
financial troubles in which she is now in.
volved, and get firmly fixed in the channel
of wise expenditure and intelligent busi-
ness management, the men who manage our
vast Industrial concerns must give to our
local government some of the ex-
perience and wisdom they apply to
their private affairs. 1t is too important a
matter to be entrusted to the Quinns and
the CARROTS, whose influence was SO potent
during the past disastrous Councilmanic
year, and if there is not a change soon the
city government will be financially stranded
and our people burdened with a load OF tax
alton heavier than they can bear