Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1885-01-24
our fioa,iax Deb,


1t Isl current rUmor on the streets
that the 'Alling Of u MASS meeting OF
citizen tax PAYERS OF the city Is con
templated, protest against any action
Of the l. < .lature looking to funding
of the Il "a ing debt OF the city, which
by the close OF the present fiscal year
will closely approx pate one hundred
thousand dollars. That a part OF THIS
debt Vas legitimate and unavoidatls, Is
a. undispute ted q fact a. that the greater
mart Of H. could have been avoided. II
that part only viii h was unavoidable
was the issue, the ciIy could get along
very we'll without any appeal to the
Legislature tor financial relief II can
not be OK pecIrsi otherwise han thai
there must I've Al ovrrdraft At The end
Of the fiscal year, amounting pronaoly
70 twenty tive OF thirty thousaLd dol
lars, but there are always outstanding
taxes which can be collected to offset
such floating debt. This part OF the
debt il unavoidable, unless every tax
payer could be compelled 10 pay his
taxes within the fiscal year for which
the floating debt was created, which is
something quite beyond the range OF
possibility.
The greater part Of the floating debt
cannot be excused by any reasonable
course of argument. To the continual
hawking and tearing At the city by
partisans only intent upon benentting
q few partisan Democratic politicians,
is to be attributed the greater bulk OF
our floating debt that is unprovided for.
The Water Commission bill in one
strike imposed $50, 600 additional tar
upon the city. Never before had the
city to pay taxes for the water It uses
The Water Commissioners are salaried
The amount due them is small, 1t II
true, but still it amounts TO $500. Thu
increased salary of Chief Engineer Il
some $500 more than formerly paid
and the employment Of an extra clerl
in the water department takes 90
more, and the employment OF . waite
inspector, or rather detective, Mt SIS
week, costs the city $50 year NOR
if he is employed steadily.
Each Of these amounts may not ar
pear large separately, but in the aggrt
gate they amount 10 over S23, 600. tn
Municipal Court, which was not nece'
sary at all except TO make offices &c
two or three Democratic lawyers, ais
contributes TO the additional expense {
the city. Owing to the want of symp'
thy between the Municipal Court AN
the police, the fines paid TO the city a.
decreased, and in q great many way
the debt Of the city is gradually IL
creased, and its revenues decreased.
The question is shall the city COVER
ment continue TO be carried on in Ii
manner is, large dehcien
may be expected every year unless
tax rate is raised TO at least $l75 on
500 We do not see how this is to
remedied without stopping impro
ments. There is only one other "
by which 1t can be done, and that is
abolishing the causes Of the increa'
expense 70 the city.
A public meeting called 10 sim
protest against the funding OF the p
emit floating debt, though il might
successful that far, would not pay
the debt. II rests like huge ca
hump upon the city, and it must be
moved. How is 1t TO be removed
cept by funding Only by paying
of ntirely, and If this is done 1T c
all improvements must stop for
1t least. But where is the guara
that the same debt will not be Gre
every year Tue causes that create
one year will create 1t the next.
Clearly, we see no wav out OF
difficulty except for the Legislature
relinquish its repeated attempts 70
ern Wilmington from Dover by P
ran com missions. Let mass indi
ton meeting be called, we SAY, bu
il strike at the root Of the evil and
merely lop off the branches.