Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1902-01-23
THE ASSESSMENT STOPPED
City Council Orders the Special
Work Suspended.
QUESTION AS TO ITS LEGALITY
Solicitor Reinhardt Asked for
an Opinion.
Mayor Fisher Signs Fire Ordinance, But
Has Some MisGivingS Relative toS IT.
Policemen seeking Higher Salaries
Other Matters Under Consideration.

The meeting of City Council Thurs.
day evening was OF unusual interest.
The special assessment was again at
tackled by Mr.. Cannon, the member
from the Second ward, and, on his
motion, amended by Mr.. Monaghan,
the member from the Third ward, it
was decided to stop the special Ms.
SCISSORS, in their work, Immediately,
and ask City Solicitor Reinhardt for
an opinion, as to the legality of the
work OF the specials, the object Delng
10 prev ant, If pUssible, any legal oom-
plications which may arise when the
collections begin TO be made next July.
At the proper time Mr. Cannon
brought the subject up. and ut his re-
quest Clerk Hamann read the resolu
tion under which the special assessors
were appointed, which was as follows.
resolution providing for the appoint
ment of three competent persons to assist
she assessors in making a new assessment
for the city of Wilmington.
Whereas, There is an imperative demand
for new assessment of the real estate of
the city of Wilmington, said assessment to
be based upon a personal inspection OF said
real estate; and
Whereas Such an assessment cannot
ing of assistance to the assessors authorized
by law to make said assessment; now, there
fore, be it
Resolved, by the Council of Wilmington,
shat the Board of Assessment, Revision and
Appeals be and 1t is hereby authorized and
requested to appoint three competent per-
Sons to assist and cooperate with said as
SCISSORS in making said assessment, and said
persons to receive for their service an al,
lowance to be fixed later.
The above resolution is not the first
one adopted, but an amendment, and
under it the specials. Marion Wood,
Hubert Cassidy and Charles II. Foulk
were appointed, and they have been re-
ceiving salary of So each for every
day they have worked, an average of
1925 per month each
The original resolution provided that
the finance committee of Council and
the assessors should appoint the as
sistarts, but the idea was distasteful to
the regular assessors and the Board of
Assessment took the matter in Its own
hands and named ths men on its own
account The specials have heen work
ing independent of the regular assessors
and not assisting them, as the assessors
claimed they did not require any assist.
ance. The regular men completed their
work by January I'd, as the law re-
quires, but the specials have not com
peted their work yet.
After the resolution had been read
Mr. Cannon claimed that the assistant
assessors having been appointed to GO
operate with and assist the assessors,
their work should have ceased on ,lanu.
airy I'd, the law requiring the assess
nisnt to be completed by that time. He
al nI AIT f@N e., H. raa l..
extra Glen are paid s. per day each and
did not see how Council could stand it.
He said they began their work last
August They assessed the outlying
wards, taking iu the marsh land and
are still at work. He thought there
was no authority to continue the luer
at WORK, as the Board of Assessment,
Revision snd Appeals was only en-
powered to appoint the men and deter
mine their compensation. He mUvec
that the resolution appointing tht
special assessors be rescinded
Mr.. Monaghan said he had heen in
formed that some OF the figures Of thu
special assessors showed very larg,
and extraordinary assessment and, il
ORDER to avoid any legal complication
which might arise at the time for col
Letting taxes, next July, he moved Il
amend Mr.. Cannon's motion so as &
suspend the work of the special as
SCISSORS at once and refer the Who'll
matter to the city solicitor for BIZ
opinion.
Mr. Cannon thought this would d,
no good. The law requiring the aesess
ment to be completed by January I'd
in his opinion, made all Of the worl
since that time Illegal, and he believes
that all OF Their work before that tim
was Illegal,
Mr.. Smith thought Mr.. Monaghan
plan all right He understood numbe
OF PEOPLE were already protesting agains
the work of the assistant assessors an
threatened to make contest in tn
courts. He thought the original resc
lution was right, as it was dictated b
the city solicitor, but in his opinion i
had not been lived up TO, as the specia
had not been assisting the assessors
they had been, to all intents and pun
poses, apparently, on an equal footin
with the assessors. and not their al
sistRnts,
When the mutton to stop the work {
the special assessors was voted upo
there appeared TO be no opposition 6
any rate, none voted aga INST it, go ia
as could be detected. Nothing furtht
will be done by the speciaIs uni
Council arthorizes them to proces;
and Council will he guided by til
opinion OF the city solicitor
Mayor Fisher evidently ia of III
opinion that some of the firsmen col
template testing the ordinances passe
by Council recently regulating tt
election of officers of the department
He returned with his approval ii
ordinance passed last week, accun
panied by the following letter:
10 the Honorable President and Mel
bers of City CounGil-Gentlemen herewi
return to your honorable body the ordiran
to amend an ordinance emitted IAN orc
nance regulating the Fire Department of t
Glty OF Wilmington, passed at the Ci
Hall June 9th. 1901, passed as amend
january Sth. 1902. with my approval.
approving the same | desire to state thai
heiieve this ordinance has been amend
with sinister nlotire in view, namely,
oppose the Mayor and Councils jurisdictl
in the mater. As q member OF Your nltluI
BILE body. voted for this ordinance
june, l9Oi, on the opinion of the then q
solicitor, now approve the ordinance
the same ground, belieying that, If thare
sinister motive, the contention may
we'll be Hd]udlented at his time. as in l9t
Very respectfully,
Geo. NJ. Fisher, Mayor
Wilmington, dan. 10th, 1902.
t.resld mt Blame declared the Z,
ordinance to be Law. Chief Welsh
the Fire Department, vino was preeal
told 3 reporter of The Gazette til
he did not know what the mayor has
his concusions on, as there 10 no &C
IGNITION in the department Matters &
all quiet, he said, ana there is no &C
troversy at all, go far as he knows.
The patrolmen on the police fol
want their salaries advanced A let