Evening journal., 1893-03-04
LETTERS FRoM THE PEoPLE.
Councilman moody Replies.
To ihe Tditor Of the EvenIne Journal.

To the Editor Of the Evening Journal.
SIM My attention has been called 10
some letters IN the public press OF the
city from Joseph L Carpenter. Jr., ana
one from another person, his trpsty lieu
tenant, / presume, condemning my
action In ofieringan amendment reducing
the present sewer system charges,
which are entirely too high. and, in my
opinion, exceedingly oppressive On the
mechanics and workingmen generally,
who own 20 FER cent. Of the real estate
In this city, and consequently pay 20 per
cent Of the taxes That is, the property
Is in their name, with q mortg gage held
by Mr. Carpenter, or somebody or con-
cern for which he is agent. The taxes
are there all the same, though.
Does Mr. Carpenter want to oppress
these people still more by charging op
pressive amounts for sewers double the
cost Of running those collateral or branch
sewers and insist upon payment In 30
days, with penalty of per cent added
II not paid within 80 days and II not
paid in one year authorize the mayor
to ssue q warrant and sell their prop
erty, whether the supposed owner uses
the sewer or noti This Is the law, gen
tleman, and / want to know If II is
just2
Mr. Carpenter tells you II the rate on
sewers is reduced your taxes will be in
creased / say mol His board has moth.
ing to do with the levying Of taxes; thai
is about all that is lett TO the peoples
representatives. the City Council The
annual appropriation for the Board OF
Street and Sewer Directors is fixed by
statute, and they cannot get any more
except by special legislation at Dover
Their appropriation for thisyear is s 1873.
9l5
Secondly, Mr. Carpenter tells you Il
the rate Is reduced, the sewer system
will have TO be discontinued want To
know his reasons for this. II cannot b.
for the want of funds. What do the
majority Of his board intend TO do with
the S2O0. 600 they have asked Council for
and which they will get2 Council Is
compelled by law 10 issue bonds Of In
debtedness on your property and on mine,
without our consent or approval and
very probably against the same, and hand
the proceeds Of the sale of such
bonds over to Mr. Carpenters board TO
do as they please with The board IL
also the recipient Of numerous other
revenues Markets, say SO 500; wharf
rents, say $1,000; telegraph, telephone
and electric light poles at 81 per year
each; curb lines aud surveys aud sewer
liens, will amount toa considerable sum
during the year, Upon careful estimate
firmly believe that the Street and Sewer
Department will have for this year alone
about S4O0, 600
Is not this sufficient money for city
the size Of Wilmington TO spend in one
Year, say that il is more than can be
iudiciously expended The hetax-payers of
this city are not yet prepared TO run large
intercepting sewers below ebb tide In the
Christiana creek, and to the junction Of
the Brandywine creek, and erect pumping
stations to pump the sewerage Of this
city into the Delaware river, as 1 under
stand the board and their lieutenants
contemplate doing Neither are they
ready to build another Panama canal
at East Lake for the benefit Of the resi-.
dents Of Brandywine hundred and few
others
M Mr. Carpenter tells you that no mem.
ber Of Council who has an interest in the
city would vote in favor of the amend
ment 10 the sewer law. / say the mem
bers Of Council are all interested and
voted unanimously In approval of the
same, myself included. ] think / know
the sentiment of the people and their
wants as well as Mr. Carpenter does ]
do not mean the aristocratic portion
Of them Mr. Carpenter tells you
that nine tenths OF the property owners
are satisfied with the present law. say
they are not, and they should not be, as
the charges are too high.
The amendment does not change the
rate per front foot it only strikes out
the one cent per foot Of area and equal
izes corner lots with others, which is
only just, as the present law charges
double for corner lots My interest is
here In Wilmington as well as Mr. Car
penter's and intend to stay, unless Mr..
Carpenters cholera prophecy should
scare me away, and trust that will not
be the case.
II seems to me Mr. Carpenter is trying
TO play a game Of bluff on the people
from the manner in which he advocate.
his sewer system. He had better send
his trusted lieutenant once more, north
south east and west, and he might take
in Dublin, Belfast, Berlin, Vienna
london, Liverpool and Paris and tr,
especially to outdo them, Paris IN par
ticular. 'lo man up tree" it occurs
that It would not be difficult then Z,
learn the sentiments of the people.
Having intruded too much on you
valuable space already and hoping that
Mr. Carpenter will write facts hereafle
in connection with the sewer system,
remain, JAMES MURRAY.
Wilmington, March 4th, 1898.
Philadelphia Capitalists &c Work.
It is said that Philadelphia capitalist
| ara In the ciIN nnnnli niinlt for the rnr