Middletown transcript., 1897-07-24
TAX PAYER ON COUNTY FINANCE.

Mr.. EDfToR.-As taxpayer l wish to
congratulate the TRANscRIPT on its persis-
tence in discussing our county tax system.
Ihave tried to get certain facts printed in
this city, but one editor told me the Levy
Court owed him large sum of money and
he was therefore afraid to say anything
about them. Another editor believed that
there was something rotten in Denmark,
but John Dickey will bring suit for libel
in minute" A third editor did not know
how to go about to get hold Of the facts
and he did notIWant to print anything,
that there is something wrong and that the
TRANsoRIPT win be able to expose it by
sticking to il is the firm conviction of the
| writer
In the first place what is the Levy Court
doing with all the county's money! Last
winter when ex-County Treasurer Dickey
and President of the Levy Court Scott were
haunting Dover for power to borrow mon-
ey they gave it out at the beginning that
they only wanted $4,000. they admitted
having borrowed that much from the Far
mers Bank Wilmington. An act was passed
allowing that much Of loan. No sooner
was the money borrowed when it was given
out by the aforesaid able fnanciers that
the Levy Court owed the Farmers Bank
for two notes of $50 600 each. after the tax
payers had been given time enough to re-
cover their breath, these same able tinan-
ciers allowed it to leak out "there are other
bills, perhaps $4,000 more" The public
made another gasp and then the able finan-
ciers proclaimed that the county must bor-
row $15O.0O0 to square its debts.
What of the taxes? The ex- County Treas
urer smoothly answered that because of the
hard times he had not Been able to collect
the taxes of 1895, that lover 100000 was
out standing in last years taxes" 1t is
worth while to make note here of the fact
that in 1896 when ex-County Treasurer was
candidate for the Legislature and his |
friend and bookkeeper, the accomplished |
paying teller of the Farmers Bank of this
city, Mr.. John N. Garswell, was a candidate |
for tax Receiver and County Treasurer, Mr.. I
Dickey found it difficult to collect the
taxes because the times are so hard" These
same lines were hard in 1895 and in 1894,
thanks to the Wilson bill, but neither Mr..
Diekey nor the paying teller ofthe Farmers
Bank was candidate for anything durirg
tf ose two years.
-Four weeks ago, just before the tax rate
for 1878 was fixed, while the taxpayers
were asking Mr.. Dickey why he did. not
collect the taxes in arrear for 1896, he
rushed into print in the editorial columns
of the Evening Journal and declared that
he already collected 100000 of the $780,
D09 outstanding, and he expected to collect
600 more, the remainder not being at
That was good answer, but what
are the taxpayers saying now to the fact
that President Scott's Levy Court borrowed
$3.50 900 in the beginning Of June, chiefly
because there was over 100000 of uncol-
ected taxes outstanding. and by the end of
June $4,000 Of the latter amount had been
collected and paid over? Is 1t posi- Bile that
the floating debts of the county aggregated
5000 instead $4,000, as professed at first
and $3.50 900 as confessed later? What has
Staats been doing during the
last three or four years that he did not dis
cover this miserable mismanagement of
County finances? People long ago formed
their opinion of County Treasurer Dickey
and President Scott, but they believed Mr..
Staats to be an honest man.
One word about the reduced assessment.
A leading citizen of this county surprised
me last Sunday by telling me that his
county tax was very much higher on his
arm. situate in Appoquinimink hundred,
his year than last " You see." he xplain- !.
ed, THE Levy Court has put up the tax
rate 20 per centum." l answered that t hat
vas true, but reminded him that the total 1
of Appointments hundred was
more than 26 per centum less or lower than
It was last year. Hence ! added" your
county tax ON the Appoquinimink farm
ought to be less and not more than in 1896,
who can explain it2
There have been heavy reductio ms in the
Here are the figures.
40 Il