Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1889-08-01
.ERLIN AND ITS BUDGETS
MODEL OF BgoBLLENr MUNIoI-
PAL MANAG EMENF.
And GINS and Water departments
'rhat are More Tnan Scif-support-
tng-And All Ihis For n Worry
Moderate Hate OF Taxation.

Berlin Correspondence New York Evening
Post
rOyrus has tasted OF this dish and
wishes that you also might enjoy it,"
These pleasant words of the chivalrouB
&nd unfortunate hero of the Auahasis
came 70 my mind ss l read the report of
Mr.. Baxter's most excellent lee ure on
on our "Model City" in the B9snia9 Post
some weeks ago. This Berlin government
ts now discussing it's annual budget, many
proposais OF reform are debated in tho
daily press, and it may not be without in
lterest to your readers, at lca.t to such as
are active in municipal reform, to learn
The result aud methods of our financial
system in greater detail than it was his
lpurpose to state it, aud with reference to
more recent conditions; for the more the
fetails of the financial management OF
Berlin are studied, the more it seems q
Naodei of what every city government
II aieht be and ought to be.
Ill DEATH and taxes are said to be the two
Treat certaintiss. Here at least tag
odeinR is nearly impossible and the in
FitRble is accepted the more cheerfully
noe all tax payers are convinced that
'lf very penny which they contribute will
je used with scrupnlous honesty and
Sausiness tact for the pablo good. 1t is
= matter of justifi 'ble pride to our city
Rofernment that each year shows an ad-
vance over the last in efficiency and
economy. The officials take the con-
tributors into their confidence, going
over each item of the budget with almost
painful accuracy in a special report, ac
ooupting for each increase and decrease
In detailed comparison with the pre-
ceding year. In the weekly issues of the
municipal paper, Das Gemsinde. Biatt,
all the expenses may be traced. even to
the number Of pencils, Of envelopes and
sheets Of paper used during the year and
every one may satisfy himself that wise
( watohfulness has left no loophole for
peculation. Indeed, 1t may be doubted
II the small tax payer gets aa great q re-
tprn from any other payment that he
makes as he does from his taxes to the
oity.
Before showing what we pay and what
i done with the money, 1t is wosth whlle
10 consider moment what we get. We
have the best police system in Europe,
order is maintained, crime is rare, un-
!. punished crime an exception. The com
i plete control which the police has over
The movements Of the population leads
to leave the country for their
|eountry's good" and honest men profit
& BY their absence. II, as is promised us,
We have general strike thisspriag, there
will be no such scenen as have been re-
ported during the car strikes in Brookl, n
< o. even in New York. There is no street
IL Berlin that the police oaunot control,
Md the right to work on his own terms
m ba saa kA hu ~
men with impunity. Order ia the first
law of cities as we'll as OF heaven, but
eyen in osher ways, in courtesy and in
Nearing, our police need not fear com.
Y pnrison even with ''the finest" Ceauli.
ness ia next to godlincss. our city fur
pishes water at less rate than is usual in
america and the supply is plentiful, the
average used being 81 litres per head
and day. Gas costs us about $1.12 q
thousand feet, or 16 ptenniDg cubic
metre; but it is honest sas and honest
Z measure, and for mechanical purposes it
. 1s furnished sixth cheaper. The streets
SHof Berlia are well lighted, scrupulously
clesn even in this trying winter, and we'll
. psved Already one ninth OF our street
& knrfRce ia covered with asphalt, and Is
N4fbird Of the remainder with hewn 6tone
Blocks laid on cement and joints pointed
With tar. The wooden pavement finds
& small favcr here. Tho elevated road and
, horse. cars furnish Berlin with better
F bansit facilities than has any other oonti-
Rental city. The parks ana squares are
many aud we'll kept; many places are set
epart for the children ana pt from dis
fnrbing elements, while the child as he
eroRs older finds ready for him model
nchools and museums and libraries,
which, If they cannot rival the historic
treasures of earlier collentions, ara most
valuable for training and instruction.
H6 This 10 WI at the taxpayer gets; now let
y Aim count the cost Ths city budget for
f 1S6s-1Ss9 rsckoned the income and ex.
penss for ths year at 6s,OO0 600 marks
We have finished the year with two mil
Hon surplus, and hope to reduce taxation
during the coming year. or the e2 000..
X 600 the people paid in direct taxes about
65. Two systems OF taxation are used
nide by side, aud each helps to corre,l
Ethe inequalities of the ether. These are
the income tex, proportional TO a mans
liability to pay, and tho rent tax, an un.
varying percentage of the rental value,
collected On the theory that the streets,
the parks, and city works are for the
use of all in nearly equal degrees, SO
that, as each renter OF an apartment pays
not only for the rooms occupied, but also
for the common stairways and halls in
proportion to his rent, he should pay for
the benefits given aim by the city 10 the
gstne proportion. This rent tax has been
the subject of very violent attack by
Hocialists, whether Democrats or states
men. Bismarck said 10 1881 that it WAS
tthe most oppressive tax, growing in
burden as it decreased in amaant, in
fact, one of the worst that could be in
Vented" and when year or more ago
the CITY proposed to the government to
make certain exemptions from the tax,
fhe petition was refused on the ground
that it should be discarded altogether.
This, however, was rejected last mouth
4 by the decisive vote of 81 to 90, for our
A Berlin Burgomsster does not agrze with
Won helld0rf, who says OF his party, the
National Liberals: I'VE must go with
The chancellor, though we DO get kick
now and then"
M The present Law taxes all dwellings c.
Is per cent OF the rental value. PROPOSE
Il Don is under consider alton TO reduce the
Tax to 50 per cent on rents below BOO
q marks, and to 5 per cent on rents below
500. 1t has very small prospect of suo
y cess, and would be merely gift to the
N present house owners who bought and
& butt in full knowledge of the law
8 Rooms used solely for business purposes
v he dwellings, of ambassadors, clergymen
nigh officials, and teachers ore exempt
The tax was iemitted also out OF charit,
dnring this yeer on over 81 QUO lodgingi
Nith an average rental OF iii marks. III,
- yielded for the past year about l3 !,