Evening journal., 1907-11-15
Friday, November IS, 1907.
HoLp-uP BRIGADE BUSY.

r OR greater Wilmington in manufacturing
4 sense cooperation among citizens is neces-
sary. The Board Of Trade wants new industries
to locate here The board has many letters from
manufacturers who, with proper encouragement
would establish their mills in this city and join
the movement for the further development of in
dustrial Wilmington Some letters from pros
pective manufacturers speak in the highest terms
of this city as a manufacturing center They have
Investigated Wilmington They like it. But
often they are confronted with seemingly un-
surmountabe obstacle When attempts are made
by the Board of Trade or by direct representa-
tives of these prospective manufacturers to Sc
cure locations for their plants, they find that own
ers Of property hold out for exorbitant prices for
their land or their buildings. They want too
much for their property.
Owners aresentited to a fair price for their
property Self interest is the dominating factor
in business. But self interest if carried to ex-
cess rebounds upon those who believe they are
helping themselves. Too often they find that the
newcomer, the man looking for site, will turn
from them, and instead of dsposing of their
property, which would be suitable for manufac-
turing or general industrial purposes they awake
TOO late to learn that their property is still their
hands; that they have lost their opportunity &c
make good sale.
To meet such emergencies. municipalities and
States provide for condemnation processes to take
property at a fair valuation when it is needed by
the State, and when the owners refuse to dispose
of it at reasonable figures. OF course those who,
with the Board of Trade. are laboring to exalt
Wilmington as an industrial center have no such
r,lxr f,,r 1c1
ness of the holders of such property 1t is pr-
vate matter although it vitality affects public in
terest. We understand that in many instances
the prices asked for properties that would be suit
able for new industries that are anxious to locate
in Wilmington are considerably in excess of what
members Of the Board OF Trade and would-be
manufacturers consider fair.
Now there is one way in which reasonable
figure can be reached What are the valuations
the city government, the assessors, put upon the
properties OF the hold-up brigade? Are the prices
asked far in advance OF the city assessment of
those properties? If so, and this could be easily
ascerained then the city is not receiving in taxes
what it should get from these properties. For in
stance, if building is assessed at $1,000 and the
owner, when approached by an agent for for
egn manufacturer who wants to locate here finds
the owner holds his property at double or triple
this sum, and is willing to dispose Of il for the
higher figures, then clearly the city is not doing
its duty by not increasing the valuation OF that
building and compelling the owner to pay tax
in accordance with what he considers the property
worth ii the owners refuse to sell at anywhere
near the assessed valuations they should be forced
10 contribute to the support of the city in taxes in
accordance to what they deem the real worth OF
their Ian dor buildings. If they balk the unsel6sh
efforts Of the Board Of Trade and others to adj
vance Wilmington indnstrially, they should b,
made to pay for their obstinacy by increased
taxes.