Evening journal., 1899-03-03
FRIDAY. MARCH 3, 1899
DUrY on IIBG1sIIAroRs.

-r.rr
DUTY OF ILLUSTRATORS.
The constituents OF Senators Pyle
ana Knox and Representative Dona-
hoe McNulty. Robertson, Burns and
Hgltchen will profit by the passage OF
the Pyle water bill We invite the
constituents to take down their water
tax bills and deduct 40 per cent. there
from. Then to take down their gem
eral tax bills and add fifteen cents en-
the 500 to them. The difference viii
be the amount that each consumer OF
water is paying annually in water tax
to keep down the taxes az the big cor
Germs and non-oonsumers under the
genera, levy. In other words. taking
the bills fer 1898. n represents the
part which each waiter consumer com
trlbuted to make up that $4,000 Of
water surplus which went TO the gem
eral fund to keep down the taxes of the
Charles Warner Company, the Harlan
and Hoalngsworth Company, the
Phisey and jones Company, the Joseph
Bancroft Sons and Company. and the
other big concerns which are lmpor-
tuning the General Assembly to kill
the bill.
Representatives Of the people cam
not afford TO defeat such an equitable
measure Fer the sake OF the pockets
OF these big corporations they cannot
sacrifice the Interests OF their poorer
constituents who are being murcted,
year after year, By the present in
idtmtous system Cf using water taxes
ocr generae purposes afeer consumers
OF water have paid their fair share
under the general levy II they were
TO do so they would be false to the
trust which their constituents reposed
in them. A man who Is in politics must
look ta the future, and we ask any
Wilmington member Of the Senate or
House how he can vote against such a
bill as that. and then go home and
face the peop,e whom he has betrayed?
This is a fight fer the people II is
not fight foe tax-dodgng corpora
tlons. Amy representative who plays
The Judas to the water consumers OF
his district win be a marked man. He
cannot explain away his action. It will
be remembered against him every
time the faucet is turned and every
time the water bi.ls come in. No rep
resentatlve can ignore the rights Of the
waiter consumers under this bill II is
in no sense a political measure. II af-
fects Democrats, Reglllar Republicans,
Union Republicans, Prchlbltionists
and Single Taxens alike. The line can
not be drawn anywhere but between
the consumers and non-consumers Of
water The question is whether the
water consumers shall continue to pay
$4,000 Of surplus Unto the general fund
to keep down the taxes OF non-ocn-
srmers. That is all there is in this
matter
The Pyle bi,l reduces the water rates
40 per cent, commencing january 1.
1900. That reduces the revenue of the
Water Department frcm 100000 To
$4,000. In 1898 the expenses OF the
department. were $4,000 The average
increase In the revenue OF the DEPART
ment is $4,000 a year. Thus IL win be
seen that the Water Department will.
under this bilA not only have s62 900
fer eNpenses. but In the neighborhood
OF $4,000 for an emergency fund. THAT
y entirely too much, but it can go for
year or two, and the operation OF
this hisbil.willdemonstrateconcNsivepyto Ia
the water consumers that the Water
Department is not only not hampered
by this reduction. but that atill has
more money than 1t knows what to 40
with
We believe that at the end OF the hs-
ca, year 1900 the Water Commission
ere win declare surplus OF from s45..
goo to $4,000 unless they 90 in and
clsspate 1t by making expenditures
which are not needed
Every letter Cf remonstrance read in
the Senate Yesterday was from a per.
son who profits under existing condi-
TINS. Their fight is rot for the Board
of Water Commissioners. but for their
own pockets and TO continue the pres.
ent practice Of competing the water
consumers TO pay part q their taxes
under the general levy.