Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-11-03
THE COST OE THE BRIDGE.
1t Cannot Be Met Out of This
Years Tax Levy.

win the Legislature Ba Asked to Add
the Cost to Tho bonded Debt of the
County?--Some Interesting Comments
ny Comptroller Stnats.
That the Republican majority of the
Levy Court jumped hastily and without
proper consideration into the suspicious
Washington street bridge contract was APP
parent from the first and this feature of
the scandal connected with the unsavory
transaction becomes more prominent as
the time for making payments upon the
contract draws near.
1t il now us rlain as can be that the cur
rent revenues Of the county will not per-
init the payment of any considerable sum
on account ofthc bridge, after the ordinary
current expenses are provided for.
IL is an open secret that the hackers of
the bridge project never intended to pay
for it out Of the revenues from taxation
this year, hut proposed to fall back on the
Legislature and ask for an isSle of bonds
to cover the extra expenditure. For this
reason no provision was made i'll this
years tax levy to meet the cost of the
bridge. It would have nccessitated u
much heavier increase OF taxes than was
imposed.
ON Thursday morning GAZETTE re-
porter met County Comprehensive, who
in his official capacity will have to take
NiEIllHdIlNt vi lillS StIlINl5 llllullCitl ulll-
culty and asked him about it. He sad:
"As prudent and economical county
officer am apprehensive that the heavy
contract entered into by the Levy Court of
the county for the construction of Il bridge
at Washington street has been IMPROVE
IDENTIFY made, because it does not appear
that the Levy Court, in making estimates
in order to fix the rate Of taxation for the
current fiscal year, had included the cost
of the proposed BRIDGE
MIR. Stants fears that by the expenditure
of so large Il sum rs $4,000 that the
county treasury will be found empty
by January lst next, and that financial
embarrassment may cnsue to the new
county government which will then com
mence its operations under the new law.
II may be seriously questioned, he also
thinks, whether the unbusinesslike and
Irregular methods of the present Levy
Court in emitting from their fiscal esti-
mates an item so serious as the cost of this
bridge, may not require the comptroller,
in the honest exercise of the spirit, If not
the letter, of his official duty, to refuse his
counter signature to the heavy warrants
required for this bridge until, by vote OF
the majority Of all the Levy Court com.
missioners, it becomes his compulsory
duty under the law.
1t is obvious that having in contcmpla
ton the probable construction of so i'm
pnrtant and costly Il structure Us q bridge
across the liraudywine, the item should
reasonably have found place in the book
Of estimates ami have been duly and rcgu
| larly provided for III the taN levy. Til,
citizens of the county would in this way
have been properly notified that they wer,
to pay for the proposed Improvement.
As the matter now stands II is likely
they were deceived and the responsibility
should rest in the proper quarter, which il
the majority of the present Levy Court.
| The creation of new floating county
debt is certainly To be deprecated yet i
inevitably will take place, unless provision
il made, by proper assessment and col
lection of taxes, to follow the uld-fashiOne,
and safe plan, pay as YOU 60"