The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1902-02-20
CITY TO GET
BACK TAXES.

An agreement has been reached be
tween the city and railway compan
les by which the city will collect taxes
on the property Of THOSE companies
| the same as rcal estate.
| The city will receive about $l3, 900
in back taxes within few days, and
in addition 10 this will hereafter re.
cciye 81, 900 year room the gas com.
pan,v a. taxes upon its pipes and
~, 500 or more year from the rail-
way companies tor taxes on heir road
beds.
The money received will greatly as.
,ist city Comet IN passing the end
! Of the present fiscal year without
q large deficit
Two years ~" when the rityaSsess-
mcnt was made ont the wires and the
poles of the electric companies, the
roadbeds u the raiiwaycompanesand
the pipe lines If the gas companies
were assessed Il real estate. lndolDg
This the tax collectors acted under an
opinion OF Robert &. lIarman, their
attorney, who held that under the
new consti,ui ion this kindof property
was liable to the SAME assess ment as
real estate. The road beds of the
railroad companies passing through
Wilmington were also assessed.
Most OF the corporations which were
taxed in this way refused topay the
taxes assessed. The steam railroad
companies took their cases into the
superior Court and won on the ground
that the companies paid Il certain
amount each year to the state in
lieu OF all other taxes. The other
eases were brought in court, but
we're never argued.
Recently the gas company agreed
to an assessment Of $500, 900 on its
pipe. 1t will pay $1,000 in back
taxes for each of the past two years
and like amount in eacli succeed
ing year This means that the city
will at once receive $4,000 from the
gas company.
The Postal Telegraph Cable COM
pany paid the assesSmentu upon itspoIe
lines. but the other companies have
not yet settled. and it is not known
the cases will be taken into
court.
Sometime ago Walter II. HAYES,
counsel for the Wilmington City rail
way company and William $. IIilles.
tie counsel for the Peoples Railway
held a conference with Mr..
llarman representing the city in ref +,
ercnce t. the assessment Of the troll. =,
ley companies
After discussing the matter il
Was finally decided that the assess.
ncnt OF $4,000 mile made on
oddbeds Tor the last two years
'hould stand, but the assessment
his coming year should be but
5000 mile, which is the actual
ost per mile. exclusive OF the paw.
NJ and the equipment of cars and
'olc lines. This was satisfactory
o The railway companies and the
tfcr was At once accepted BY the
nance committee of City Council
nd the money will be paid to the
liy IN a lew days.
The Wilmington City Railway
ompaDy will hereafter pay taxes
pom an assessment OF - mics of
all "ay at 10000 per mile and the
copies Railway Company upon =
lies OF railway at the same rate
er mile. TINS viii make a tot of
'methlng over $500 d year which
It city will receive from the two
which was never receiv-
d before and in addition 10 this the
Ity viii receive $4,000 in back taxes
ON the two companies.
The city will also receive this wear
tax OF - per pole for each pole In
lc city instead Of 81 a year per pole
formerly, and under decision OF
ie court viii receive the amounts
elected from wharf rents and mar.
ct, which with the taxes on the
'Ics will make $4,000 a year which
Juncii wi receive that formerly
cut to the street and Sewer Depart.
cnt.