Evening journal., 1906-11-23
Friday November %, 1906.
THAT NEEDED REVENUE.

THE Street and Sewer Department is suffer
h ing from the usual complaint OF the
branches Of Wilmington's government lack OF
funds All the work Of improvement is to be
halted because there is no money forthcoming
TIE directors agitated and President Ford,
OF the Water Department announces his deter
nination to asssl IN getting loan through the
Legislature so that the department can have
more money. Mr. Ford will have his hands FIJI.
in the loaning business. as in addition to aiding
the department, re is scheduled to help along the
suggested loan ->lr the Water Department in or
der that the Lea water rights may be secured.
City Council is short of money, and now that
the Street and Sewer Department is in the same
predicament and the school teachers are clamor-
ing for more pay, the problem OF increased rev.
enue for Wilmington will become, indeed, ser
ious one. There seems to be something radically
wrong in the city government We have tax
rate that is high enough and all that people care
TO pay without protest The revenue it yields
If it were properly administered should be suf-
hcient to meet the needs of the city. II the as
sessmcnts were made in a spirit of justice and
equity we believe that the citys income would be
sufficient But that is where the trouble comes
in. In all discussions by men presumably inter
ested in the welfare of the city, we have heard
not single suggestion ofhow the city should
obtain more revenue AT the last session Of the
Legislature it was urged that Wilmington receive
a share Of the money derived from licenses for
the sale of liquor. The down country" mem
bers were willing, the City Councilmen were for
IT. but for some inexplicable reason Senator
Sparks opposed the measure, and we have
not heard that this member has altered his views.
If this opposing member is still of the same mind
we presume any effort to secure part Of this
license money will be thwarted If he follows
the course that he pursued two years ago, he will
fight tooth and nail any proposal to give Viii
mington share OF what rightfully belongs to her.
Some relief might be expected by proposed
system OF taxation Of corporations The Penn
syyania Railroad Company has preposterous
taxation agreement with the State. The COM
pany is not to be blamed Il the people continue
to wear their yoke Agents and employees OF the
Pennsylvania Railroad Company will be as thick
in the next Legislature as mosquitoes along the
Jersey coast They will resist any attempts to
tax them The street car corporations and the
gas company, with their paid lobbyists, will also
sec that the people are hit in the heart If more
money is to be raised for the needs Of the city.
evidently It must come from property holders
and ultimately the renters of small dwellings
That is where the corporations and the owners
OF larger properties would like to place it.
In all the discussions of the new charter by
the Board of Trade and others, there is no sug-
gestion Of a way by which more money to meet
the needs Of the city can be secured Complain
ing of lack of funds, the Street and Sewer De
partment has not enforced the law against the
public service corporations. Confronted with an
annual deficit, City Council audaciously cuts
down the assessment Of the favored corporations
and deliberately creates a shortage that it pre-
tends to lament.
The masses Of the people Of Delaware, like
Prometheus, chained to the rock while the
corporation and special privilege vultures pick
at their vitals. There is no prospect OF deliver
ance except in aroused, decent and honest
public sentiment.