The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-07-05

! q satisfactory condition Every part
the city h geperoualy provided Tor
nd the water works ana the sarvlce
hereof are ample for the demAnds Of
be community. The ootnmission
ave done their work we'll and there 70
'srhaps but q angle criticism that
uggeats ikeelf IN respect to their gen
rAi management TIE water tax Is a.
fact heavier than IL necessary. To DO
ure. thu commission annually turn
'ver TO the treasury of the city com.
ortable surplus and thus aaslst indi.
ectly TO relieve the burden OF taxation
" direct levy. But this suggests ut
nee another Of the anomalies and
wills OF our patchwork systom OF gov
'rnment The water tax should not
necessary for the Water Department.,
md the money furnished by its annual
lurplus would better be raised by d.
'eet taxation, for then the people
Fould know what and how much they
IRE paying to the city. An improve
neut upon the present system OF divi-
led and independent accounts would
70 q conversion to all tho revenues OF
he Street aud Sewer and OF the Water
jom missions into the city treasury,
xhila to your honorable body ehonid
10 given the power Of appropriating
the moneys required for the
Of these two DEPART
nents.
linen. In times Of distrees. as at pres.
INT. City Council could exercise their
to ltlniting appropriations
ss Ia and must be done Ia respect to
other departments of the city. The
Water Commission since it's creation
ten years ago. collected more than
d. 200. 900 and turned into the city
as surplus about 200.oo0, or
IL per oentum Of the total collection.
The largest measure OF generosity
ought to prevail In supplying water
for public purpo ses, especially FOR the
Of the streets and market
houses. On this question there should
he no differences between the respec'
none II both departments were direct
ly under the control Of the mayor
where enlig htened city government OF
to-day places them.
The Police Commission. the latest
outrage po-petrated by tho Legisla-
ture OF the State upon this helpless
community, cost the taxpayers so. coo
this year and they have exceeded this
appropriation by nearly $4,000. Com.
pared with Reading. Pa, O city Of
about the same population as VIII
mlngton, we pay annually $50. 900. m ore
for the maintenance OF the peace thar
Is found necessary by our sister city.
This com mission was created fol
purely partisan reasons. and the next
Legislature ought to wipe it out
Under u judicious naturalization Of
the Mayors office this department
could be conducted at cost not ex-
ceeding $4,000. In the interest Of
public business the police force should
be en- ployed annually to make full
census OF the city and it would DO ex
eeedingly instructive II We could nov
have an accurate census oil the em
ployed and unemployed persons oil
the city.
The brightest page In the cure Mt
history of Wilmington relates to ouI
public schools. These have been left
to local control, and the system in all
its details compares fnvorably with
that OF any other city In tue Union.
Tho children In every part of the city
have equal and ample facilities FOR
education The schools are carefully
graded.
The Public Library. placed upon Q
FREQ bSsis during the past year, Ia Q
worthy object OF our encouragement
and support. Private generosity alone
has made this great institution possible
and both our public and our selfish In
teresu exact from us the small appro.
priation annually required for 1t,
The sanitation OF tine city Is In ex
celleEt hands and the community IL
absolutely protected SO far as human
care and Intelligence can guard
against the ihvidious inroads of CON
taglous or Infectious diseases. The
city has been purged Of the disease
breeding spots and the Street
ad not little to this whole.
some result. The building OF the
erematory marks new era In Local
cleanliness. and this result is one more
evidence that Wilmington is best gov
erned when 1t governs itself. The
crematory was built without any leYis
lative Interference from Dover.
1he collection OF city taxes, In thu
ease and promptness with which tber,
are gathered together annually mor'
than $500. 600, when compared will
the system that holds for the county
Ii constant surprise aud qualification
to the citizens. The city of Whaling
ton yearly raises moro than thre'
times as much EIoney as the county
Of New Castle. and with less cost ant
friction to the community. But whei
We consider the cost tho surprise be
, comes establishment. The two usseA
sors and collectors OF city taxes witt
, their two CLERKS. cost the city lot NOR
than $1,000 per year; the City Treasure
, receives $1,000 per year and his clerl
, $500. The total cost will not reacl
, 10000
! On the other hand, the count.
assessors for Wilmington cost S240u
, for the rost OF the county. not lea
j than 5000; the receiver OF taxes an
. county treasurer receives $1,000 10
a his services, aud the clerk OF til
peace. who tIanscribes the names q
a the county assessment, for the curreu
i year receives not less than $40O0 fC
q that work, making total for I'll
a county of $lS.4 But to this mu
DO added the 8. 10 and 20 per centun
n paid to the collectors OF delinqueI
a taxes for the entire county, which wi
/, swell the grand total to at least S25 %
n 1t Is evident, therefore. that the.cit
a OF Wilmington. under systel
"a which has not been tempered with Il
II several years by the State Legislator
/. Id performing three Times as mut
v W ork for $4,000 as the county hi
= performed for S25. 900. under a syste
" that has been regularly tempered wi
IL by every e2l5lature for the last 10 I
G. Is years. IL Gusts New Castle coun
10 at least IL cents per dollar TO col 10
,e its taxes; while Wilmington pays ON
t-2 cents per dollar for the same servlc
Ia This extraordinary exhibit should su
la gest TO this community that syste
&C OF tax paying, such as holds Ia Phil
1e lde!pha, where the city and coun
taxes are collected in single Oil
\, and by one man would save to US a
"a nually thousands OF dollars. The cl
es is to-day making tho most strenuo
IL efforts to save at the spigot, while I
Va county is wasting for us at the bun
~. hole. The taxpayers OF the emit
!, county should JOIN us in demanding
h. reform of assessing and collecting Q
81 taxes. This abuse has cost the couI
~ hundreds OF thousands of dollars dl
ling the last 20 years, and Wilmingt
iii has paid two-thtrds Of the loss. v
a minglon is wasting as much now,
nm nually, in the collection of couT
1ltaxes as 1t costs US to collect the C
he taxes.
he Too much praise cannot be accord
,rsiour Fire department. Wllmingt
We has adhere d, 0nd wisely, to the vol
nelteer system, and SO long as the prcst
ri efficiency Is maintained no one will
lyl Hound to ask for change. In cost
,erl the community | lind we rank VI
he nearly at the bottom of the llat
I'M cities, and II is constant surprise ii
nd so much excellent service can 10 +
Ier nished fer the amount OF the curri
appropriations 1t speaks volumes
.xt the courage and public spirit OF |
ne mon whose names honor tho rolls
70, lour lire companies.
to In conclusion, 1t Is only proper t
attention should be called 10 the
:. Lnnllnnt nrnIlL Of IhIa mIInIl.lnnI Il