Evening journal., 1899-02-25
nHE MArnR enIL FIGHr.

such desperate straits. For years it
has considered itself invlnclble and
unassailable. Ii had come to believe
that it, and not the water consumers
OF the city, owned the water plant and,
when the rude awakening came, II had
become public master instead OF a
public servant 1t endeavored TO save
itself by silence, hut was driven from
that line. Then It tried argument, and
was defeated in that. From argument
It drifted to the cry of 'Tet us alonel"
and that cry went unheeded. Then It
resorted 10 bluff, and the members OF
the General Assembly were not of a
disposition to be b,uffed. Now, as a
last resort. II is hunting around town
for help, and we find shoulder to
shoulder with it the Harlan and Hol-
.ingsworth Company the Pusey and
Jones Company, the Joseph Bancroft
Sons and Company and the Charles
Warmer Company.
These companies consume but little
city water and have much valuable
property. They are each getting a
slice OF that sos, 600 surplus paid by
water consumers and used for general
purposes. The water consumers are
paying for them. i'm water taxes. thou-
sands OF dollans which these companl
les should pay under the general levy
Let the members Of the General AS
sembly ask these corporations the fol-
lowing questions;
what is the amount Of your ASSESS
ment?"
'Swhat is the amount of your water
tax?"
Take 40 per cent. off the water tax;
add fifteen cents en- the 500 OF the
assessment, and see where M win leave
Them. We believe that, I'm every i'm
stance, the water consumers surplus
has been used for years to pay the
general taxes OF these corporations.
III the Board of Water Commission
ers and the city tax collectors will give
us Access to their stub books for 1895
we will select the largest water con-
Germs Of this character ln the city OF
Wilmington and show to a penny how
much OF their taxes other people have
been paying. Samuel Bancroft, Jr,
with his half-rate OF taxation on. $780,
600 worth OF property is not satisfied
with the exceptional privileges which
he enjoys, but he must needs contend
that the mechanic who has bought his
little home and who pays S12 for water
must be one Of many to contribute a
fund OF sos 900 to make Samuel BAN
croft Jrs, property taxes 1915 less
than they ought TO be under the half
rate. and $3.50 less than they ought
20 be under the null rate Not one OF
these concerns represents the interests
Of the water consumers in this matter.
Most OF them pump their own water
from the Cbristiana river and only pay
the city for a few hyarants Tor drink
ing and other purposes. forwhsch river
water is una1ited. Samuel Bancroft
Jr., has his own water plant and se,.s
water to the people he has around him.
These concerns do not represent the
water consumers They represent their
own interest In that surplus ground
from the other people by this Water
Department as at present administered
Talk about the department needing
a water tower, settling basin and Other
things II II needs these things. why
does it not use the surplus 70 obta Il
them instead Of turning It over to Git,
Council TO be used for keeping down
the general taxes OF such concerns a.
those named above. It had $50 900 las
year and will, have 5000 this year
Why give 1t away if it needs it itself
p TatnaM Warner knows that Il h.
has $4,000 which he needs himse.f h
is not going TO give it away and thei
go out and borrow money for his owl
uses. The peop.e understand it, and 8
do the members OF the Genera Assem-
bly,.
Water consumers last year paid S62
900 for expenses; $4,000 for pipe 70
use i'm 1899, 1900 and 1901; $4,000 {
the general fund over and above thei
general tax; supplied all Of the school
with free water; gave $4,000 worth {
water for fire-fighting purposes; mai1
tanned Cool Spring Park; furnished fire
water for all public buildings and th
State Armory, and sDrink,ed the stree
OF the city free, and yet We have thec
corporations writing letters to n
memlbers OF the General Assembly asl
ing them to vote TO defeat a bill wihic
merely makes these big concerns pay
general taxes their legitimate share {
that $4,000. The other burdens undr
which the water consumers are laHbo
ing are not even mentioned in the Ply
bill, which is but the first step t
ward placing the Water Department Z
proper footing before the peop,
This 11ght Is on. flhs, iseare ie raised nm