Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-01

an excess over and above all expenses
OF the commission for the past year has
attracted great deal of attention among
{ the citizens.
The fact of the existence of the large
balance, reinsurance of which is given
by Mr.. Grohe, has caused the liveliest
satisfaction in business circles in vii.
mington and also among the citizens
4 generally who look upon the announce.
ment as a gratifying proof of the posi-
bility of having the public departments
run on business footing with financial
success and altogether independent of
political entanglements.
This is the public comment on what
the water commission has achieved this
year and to the conditions referred to
above is ascribed the cause of its sue
cess.
When the water commission came
into power, 'S3-'s4, following the years
litigation, when Messrs. William T..
Porter, William G. Gibbons and Chris
tian Febiger became commissioners they
found "rhe Watering Department of
the City of Wilmington" as its ancient
dignity and title was, in not very ad
mirably financial nor efficient condition.
The departments property had been al
lowed to get out of repair The city
dam third damn was dilapidated-i in
fact everything was out of repair. There
was but one pump running to its ut
most capacity in order to furnish the
city with water.
IL is true the water rents were mostly
collected But here existed (by almost
general consent of public opiniom q
suspicion that the money collected was
NOT applied by Council to the purposes
for which the water tax was laid. 1t
fwas the development of this opinion,
definitely placing the administration of
the water department by the members
of City Council in disrepute, that com
PEELED the existence of the water com
mission which by legislative enactment
took those duties from the hands of the
municipal representatives
The first thing the commission did
was to order the collection of the dclin-
quent water taxes. At the next meet
ing of the commission the registrar re-
ported that the collectors had done as
ordered, but that the delinquents had
paid no attention whatever to the col
lectors' requests for the back rent so
long over due.
Then the commissioners ordered that
another request be made for the money
and that the delinquents be informed
that If not attended to fortnight from
date Of notice their water would be shut
of. 1t worked like charm, for next
day every man came up and paid his
rent. An amusing incident of this little
first skirmish of the new commission
lies in the fact that three of the telin-
quents were members Of City Council
Ii was nm offertive lii of WI, fnr
never since TO this dnle have the cnilac-
tors had any trouble in COLLECTING water
rent.
A glance on The following tables wil,
show with what exact success the vari'
Gus water rent assessments have been
collected and the triflinr amounts that
have zone by defauIt eash vaar md
that throuph no Invitv ~ tho ca,,,,,;s NJ
sion but bV citizens ncrliTenco
Watcr rents ..sossod tg9n a., COO !,
collactf,d isSz al e!s "a m sot,992, az
1883 Sill .o86d3 SID dne tvatnr a.. si",toe sbn, nT
1889, Sll3, 3,l0s52, SIS due, water shut IN
An important mint noticenhla i, ~
above table is tbe Gradual incraaso a. IN i,
the amount of income. II l. nrnbabla
the water rents' firures af tha c9,,,i,ot
January report viii show nm inaa,,e
double of that of 1850 This aion, Il
not unfairly looked unon a. avidnn,, ~
the efiiciency Of the present wafer co,,,-
mission. ! 80 80
From the advance sbeets coon n, tho
Office Tie total surplus since issG NJ 'i'o ~
1889, with the estimated snrrlns e tbis
wear which may reach tbe * snm r., -, nf
$45,000, is SllS,6Sj. This is the amount
earned outside of eyppnditnres If Ill
I-;,J - "ii
MINUS
When the commission first went into |
efrnrt there hainU M fundS ,vba ta,,or i, |
i,,,.l ~ ~ -, i"tofct ~
land, ~ was empowered Dy the Leglsla- |
ture to borrow 100000 on bonds. The |
sum Of S95 0oO is etill ontstonding ,rha
't PyotVN =, ''iii ,. 'tst''iiNiits' ts' ny
CoillIIllsslonefs lmmedlately Cancelled |
thai amount from tho ,nnneS ny 'treG real;,ad "a
s,,i,,.s ~ tiio i"'ioS lcA,i@cu
~ " M Miieii tiiS N"tgt .oilos WcTe pldceu on
raeo;rts r,o ~. M ~ p ron its alhual surplus
avIppsa 'i.e commission mas collected
euar.iet - $40 70 mdpe MP out the legislative
sran. nv q 'sl@o'eoo;
= ne present =. taoe isaeptedhess 5 OF the water
uGpaitiiiel' ';tg y g9oo'oVo, winch, as stated,
VIII oe Ieuuceu py over $i5 ooo at the
eeae too January report. " lhls sum OF
govo,oo9' @ .iic amount OF Sosi, ,ooo was
insured III u previous 10 the establishment
Vi tne MaleI commission.
~ ~ IeSaiu u. " Wllat mas peen accom-