Delaware gazette and state journal., 1902-10-16
THE TAX BOOK INVESTIGATION
Councilman Kane Wants Infor-
nation on the Subject.
OFFERS RESOLUTION IN COUNCIL
Making a Request of the Attor-
ney-General.
overruied by His Colleagues aud the Mat
ter Goes Over for "a week-The Finnn c Q
Committee Chairman Fights Single
Handed.

At Thursday meeting of City Coun-
Gil Mr.. Kane, the chairman of the |
finance committee, created some sur
prise by offering the following:
Whereas, 1t is matter of common
knowledge that the accounts of the assessors
and collectors of taxes for the city of Will |
mington have been examined by expert ac- |
countants at the instance of, and by the di-
rection of, the attorney general OF the State
of Delaware; and
Whereas, II appears from the return to
the said assessors and collectors of taxes OF
the books and papers belonging to their
office, that said investigation has been COM
pleted and
whereas, The city of Wilmington is en-
titled to the benefit of the said investiga-
| tion; therefore, be il
Resolved, That the clerk of the City
Council ee and he is hereby instructed forth.
with to request the said attorney general
| to transmit to this body the report of said
examination of said accounts.
After the preamble and resolutions
had been read Mr.. Kane moved their
| adoption. A
Mr. Monaghan said he would second
the motion if he understood the matter,
but it was new to him and he would
like to know something about it first.
l I1t lulftu budb lllb anu E6Su-
lutions be laid on the table for week.
Mr.. Kane called for a yea and nay
vote.
Mr.. Cannon wanted to know whether
the chairman of the finance committee
could give an explanation that would
throw some light on the subject.
"The object of the resolutions" said
MIR. Kane, els to get the information
4 for the benefit of Council and save
work in getting the books audited. 1t
is not meant as a reflection upon the
collectors. -
Mr. Monaghan thought it was bad
taste to offer the resolution and ey-
pressed the belief that if there had
been anything wrong the attorney gen
eral would have notified Council.
Mr.. Kane thought it was bad taste
for member of Council to oppose the
proposed action.
Mr. McCafferty said he wanted in
formation and a week or two or three
weeks would not be too long to allow
the matter to lay ON the table.
Mr.. Smith thought there was no use
in Council passing the resolution be-
lieving it would suffice to write the
attorney general note asking for the
information.
President Blaine said if there had
been anything wrong the attorney gen
eral would have prosecuted the col
lectors. If he found nothing wrong
there was nothing to report.
Mr.. Smith wanted to know what in
terest Council had in the matter.
did Council ask the attorney general
to make the investigation" ne in
: quired. "If it did all we'll and good,
but if it did not let the parties who
asked for the investigation ask for the
information.
: Mr.. Kane said he was surprised al
the stand taken by the member from
: the Eleventh ward; that he should OBJ
. jeot to Council getting the information,
y which would be valuable to the body.
: President Blaine said he though
= = the attorney general would act if h'
. found anything wrong.
Mr.. McCafferty said he thought tn
! fact that the books had been returned
! to the collectors was an indication tina
y there was nothing wrong and a vindi
Y cation for them, for if there had beei
T. anything wrong the books would hav
n been sent to the grand jury instead.
~ Mr.. Cannon pointed out that the cit
!. - has an auditor and it is his duty t
W audit the books. tie expressed th
opinion that the investigation made b
is Council unless the auditor had nc
y been attending to his duty,
" Il think so, toc,n said Presider
= Blaine, II consider it a hard slap a
- the auditor,
y The motion to lay the preamble an
., resolutions on the table for week wa
y. adopted by vote of IL to !, Mr.. Kar
~ alone voting against it, Mr.. Zeble
ai was absent.
IL There has been much comment snC
Collectors Sayers and Lewis recentl
printed their delinquent tax lists, b.
cause the lists did not contain Il
M names of all of the people owing tt
Re- city taxes. The matter was looked in
by interested parties and there was q
ess impression that, while the lists callt
of for only about 5000, the actu
red amount due for last year was abo
the SS0,000. This could not be readi
NO 70 understood, as the law requires tt
publication of the names of all
lie, linquentS
When Collectors Lewis and Saye
we're spoken to in regard to the matt
=. by reporter OF The Gazette tn
i'h admitted that the published lists
hv not contain the names of all peoI
II owing taxes for last year. They .
.rd. planned that they omitted the nam
by of all persons who had made part
payments and were endeavoring to p
OBJ Off their indebtedness; also, those W
IL had promised to ray at certain tim,
sSsSI seGI those who had been vouched for
in. responsible citizens and those who
eds, rents had been attached and tho t
ling was in process of collection.
According to athe calculations
Messrs. Sayers and Lewis, the o.
standing taxes for last year amount
about $50, 600. MIR. Lewis has C
at iected delinquent taxes for last y,
loli amounting TO S3l, 100 and Mr.. Saye
her collections of the same kind OF Ia
and amount to 5l9 300, and both said t!
was had collected, they believed, more tt
ZION half of the delinquent taxes and
loer money has been deposited to the ere
ent; of the city.