Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-08-05
ADAMS TAX BILL DELAYED
Cannot Go Into Practical Operation
Until After December list.
OPINION OF COURTS ATTORNEY
Assessment for This Year Can
Not be Changed,
ASSESSORS WILL HOLD A CONFERENCE

The Adams Tax bill will not 20 into
effect for the purpose OF raising revenue
until next December. such IL thu
opinion, informally expressed, by John
II. Rodney, attorney of the Levy Court.
The Levy Court met Tuesday and as it
was thought that the act to tax invest
msnts, known as the Adams Tax bill,
had gone into effect August LIST, 1t was
expected that the court might take
some action concerning the assessment
TO be made under 1t. Mr., Rodney was
in the court room and before the open
ing of the court had expressad his
upinion concerning the act, and he
afterwards discussed it with members
of the court and with Assessor Charles
Whann. Mr.. Whann was present to
see what instructions The court might
give. But no action was deemed
necessary in the light of the opinion
that for tho present the Levy Court
has nothing 10 do In the matter. n.
The act was passed at Dover, May
Goth, although one of the amendments
rofors to its passage as OF May 2lth.
The act went into effect upon it's
passage, but the amendment referred
to provided that section II should take
effect August lat. This section re-
| quires that every bond and mortgage,
| judgment motto or certificate of In
debtedness given after August 1st shall
contain an oath to the effect that the
debtor has paid no part OF the tax, nor
will he be required to pay taxes to be
assessed thereon during the existence
of the debt. But this makes no pro-
vision for an immediate assessment,
Section provides that the president
and secretary of all corporations liable
to taxation under the act shall on the
first day OF December Of each year
make returns under oath TO the sssesEor
of hundred or assessment district in
which the principal office of the cor
poration or association is situated (;
which return shall show the whole
numher of shares in each Of the cor
porations or associations, the market
value Of each share and the aggregate
market or rvul value OF all tho shares,
with the name OF the owner and the
number Of shares owned by each re-
spectively. The time fixed for this
comes in the period when the asHessore
are heginninp thoir work.
In the latter mart OF tho year the
asssssors appear before the Levy Court
to receive instructions as 10 the asseas-
meut. In the city the assessment Is
annual. in the other hundreds it il
made every four years. Tho assessment
books must be completed by January
18th and hung up for inspection. After
wards the aasessors sir six days before
the February Meeting OF the court tC
hear appeals. In March the court heard
appeals, but by March 3lst the assess
ment must be completed, and the courts
power over 1t ceases at that time, &c
that it cannot add to or take from it.
This fact also shows that no immediate
assessment 10 provided for under thu
act. In section one 1t provides that il
addition to the real and personal prop
erty now liable to be taxed under th,
existing laws, it shall he the duty Of thu
assessors to assess at three fourths thei
actual cash value all Investments pay
ing interest or yielding an income ant
which are not now taxed for eithe
State or county taxes, or exempted b,
the act. and such Investments shall b.
taxed for all State and county purposes
Section three provides that the as
sessors shall arrange the returns show
ing investments alphabetically 10 tn
list of other taxable property, showing
that all the assessment 10 to appea
together and not in separate books 10
each class VI assessment.
Assessor Whann thinks II would be
good plan to have all the assessors NEE
by November LIST and determine what Il
do in the matter of carrying out th
provisions of the act,