Evening journal., 1912-11-25
FOR
EQUITABLE
ASSESSMENT
Will Ask Council to Create Tax
Commission in Interest
Of City
BELIEVES CITY IS
LOSING MUCH REVENUE

Mayor Harrison W. Howell is about
to begin a movement to have City
Council create and appoint a commits
sion TO make complete readiustment
Of the municipal tax assessment be-
fore the end OF the present fiscal year.
The Mayor proposes to use the infiu-
ence OF his office In this behalf and
Will bring the matter to the Council 8
attention shortly. The commission,
he outlines, will consist OF two men,
Democrat and a Republican, who are
capable and with the ability TO Judge
the value Of real estate, and make
an equitable assessment. Mayor
Howell believes that with an equitable
assessment the financial difficulties of
the city will be overcome and there
will be ample revenue to meet the re-
quired expenses OF maintaining the
city government as II should be.
Mayor Howell outlined this plan be-
fore the congregation Of the Hanover
Presbyterian Church last evening,
when city government was discussed.
He said that the tax Office needs as
much attention as any other city de-
partment He asserted that there
was no reason for permitting tax
payers TO become delinquent and all
taxables should be made to pay. The
Mayor asked his hearers TO assist him
In the movement. They said they
would.
Mayor Howell told his audience that
TO wait for the Legislature TO create
additional legislation on the subject
would be too late to do anything with
revised assessment this year. He
! believed in going ahead at once and,
with the assistance of Council, this
can be done. He thought that the
plan to select two men representing
each Of the two dominant parties and
paying them a salary commensurate
with their services. would result in a
| just and fair assessment. He cited
two instances of inequitable assess
ment known personally to him. One
OF them, a corner property worth con-
servatively $4,000 is assessed at &c.
600. and on the opposite corner a
property worth $1,000, is assessed for
So 500.
The Mayor said that under existing
conditions the city had not sufficient
revenue to meet its legimate expenses
without considering the need for in
creased appropriations in several of
the departments for betterments. He
said that the reason for a deficit in
the city's finances at the end Of every
| fiscal year Is that the tax collectors
fail to collect the taxes that are listed
in the budget, whereas the items on
the debit side Of the budget are cared
for He expressed the opinion tn9t
owners Of small properties in some
instances are suffering from too high
taxes and that the owners OF larger
4 properties are benefited proportions
ately from a lower assessment than
the value of their property.
Mayor Howell caused a smile when
he said that one woman, who lives
outside the city. but who owns prop
erty here, said she could not under
stand why assessments were so low
here and remarked that the city Off
Gals certainly were the most foolish
I lot of men she ever heard of. Her
assessment will be increased, the
Mayor added
Mayor Howell who was formerly
president of the Board OF Health,
points out the inadequacy of that de-
partment as an instance of the need
of improvements in Wilmington. He
said that four executive officers now
employed by that board we're entirely
inadequate for city the size Of Will
mington. He also pointed out the
need OF the city's need of a municipal
chemical and meteorological labra-
tory.
The Rev r. L. Jackson. in his ad-
dress, advocated the formation OF
groups Of men to study civic problems
He pointed out that then there would
always be a supply of trained young
men to wrestle with such matters. He
urged the men TO exercise good iudg
ment IN the nominations and selec
tions. particularly at the primaries, il
the selection of men capable Of fillinl
the Offices to which they aspire.