Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-07-28

Tie Saturday Night Meeting Developed
%pthing-- Another Meeting Called for
thursday Afternoon.
The second meeting of citizens IN
terested in the sewer assessment law was
not largely attended at the Builders
Exchange Saturday night. 1t was dc.
termined to hold another meeting
this afternoon at o'clock in the same
place.
The full reports of the previous meet
ing with the position upon the points
involved seems to have had the effect OF
largely formulating public opinion on
the question.
The difficulties in the settling of the
important and urgent question of com
prehensive and single system of city
sewerage as the subject presented itself
at first to the Street and Sewer Depart
ment is gradually becoming better un-
derstood by the public and the result,
especially within the past week shows q
more patient and just consideration OF
the department in the problem it had to
contend with.
1t seems that many of these difficult
ties, especially the apparent victimiza-
ton OF certain property owners here
and there whose taxation seems exces-
sive is condition inseparable to the in
PRODUCTION of a public measure Of its
nature.
In addition there is no doubt of the
fact that among large section of
property holders there exists an increas-
ing concession to the departments posi-
ton and to the validity of its manner of
collecting the sewer assessment.
The position Of another section of
citizens who are anxious for an assur-
ance that should they pay their sewer
assessments that their neighbOrs will be
required to pay their share also con-
tinues just as strong. They wish not
to be left in the lurch. They have well
III mind the record of the Fourth street
macadamizing of 1874. About three
fourths of the abuttIng property owners
paid. The tax became so obnoxious
that the city officials about 1880 gave up
further attempt to collect delinquent
bills and the whole business was aban-
doned. Immediately following that u
legislative enactment was passed order
ing the paving of the street to be
chargeabc TO general taxation.
1t is this peculiar record by which
three-fourths of the property owners
paid and the other fourth went scot
free that influences the last section of
citizens referred to.
They have no difference with the de-
partmGnt as to the desirability, the
necessity and the great public advan-
tage of the sewerage system. Only they
don't want eventually to discover them
selves Disseminated against.
The desire still exists of having test
case brought up in order to ascertain
the validity of the law.
As has already been stated the Street
and Sewer Department has the fullest
belief in the constitutionality and the
fairness as well as can be under the
circumstances of the assessment law.
President Joseph l.. Carpenter, Jr.,
has obtained great mass of statistics
from various cities where system of
sewerage generally similar, and in some
instances identical with ours exists.
Few pay the cost by general taxation.
OF 25 of the progressive cities of this
country the property owner pays the
cost and it is not paid by general taxa
ton.
The supreme court of Iowa, Ohio and
other states have given opinions upon
the present plan of sewer assessment
and have declared it constitutional.