Evening journal., 1910-12-19
an be carried through or not

can be carried through or not.
I If such a system, as proposed, is
applicable to any one class, then il is
equally applicable to abutting proper
" owners on the county roads, or
abutting property owners on the
Christiana creek in the matter Of
meeting bills for dredging, also II is a
valid argument in favor Of the repu
diation OF the city bonds which would
surely relieve the city of heavy obli-
cations which in the absence of am
pie provisions 20 meet matu ing bonds
will without careful management re-
suit In a condition that will prove
troublesome TO handle later on.
To be consistent the proposed law
should apply also to property admitting
on parks.
Each Of these imaginary and ab-
surd schemes as mentioned is prac-
tically on a level with the proposed
new street paving law. having for its
recommendation the benefiting of one
class at the expense Of another, and
II can only be expected that the other
class will refuse to be coerced II they
can avoid t.
DuN I NdhADl ntit tnANA llllo Aht Ali-
iinity Of confusing argun ~s.tNthat has
entered into this subject in the past.
Simply there is no justice in a tax
which is not intended to fall alike on
all, no-, do I think anyone will have
the temerity to deny that plain state
ment
While it is not more agreeable 20
TO pay taxes than it Is to anyone else.
yet under the condition of the city,
finances as known to me I will will
lngly accede TO any means necessary
TO continue street paving, providing Il
treats all taxpayers on even terms.
II an official thinks It necessary to
discriminate between classes, then the
most valuable service that he can
render the city is to hand in his
resignation and quit. ] will endeavor
always to defeat any such measure.
The city's limit In bond issues has
not been reached and will not be
reached for some years to come even
without an increase in its assessed
valuation on which bond issues are
based. The time has not been reach
ed when obligations to one class of
citizens should be repudiated. mean
time the assessed valuation of prop
erty I'm the city is advancing. There
Is no reason why under capable busi-
ness methods the city may not make
good on all of it's obligations without
violating any of them.
will close by stating that I am
unaware OF conditions under which
various wards which are still largely
unpaved we're originally included
! (prematurely included) in the city
/ limits. In the case Of the Eleventh
ward, my home ward, ! know that it
was included 10 accomplish partisan
! purposes. and much of Il al that time
( (about thirty years ago) was only
farm lands. Some of IL still Is farm
lands, while much Of It Is now built
up and many OF its streets still un-
paved. 1t was included in pronounced
opposition to the wishes of the land
owners at the time. and now having
been subjected to city taxes all these
years, II is not az this late day a
proper obiect Of the sport and whim
of new official acts which aim 10
repudiate the obligations incurred
The above remarks Will. / think, apply
TO other wards OF the city.
In short I can view the proposed
law only as an extortion and an inn
position II class - citizens may be
taxed for say a thira OF a century and
the obligations thereby incurred shall
then be repudiated.
Respectfully yours,
J. L. Banning.
Wilmington, Del. Dec. 19, 1910