Evening journal., 1912-05-03
The Associntion d
FRIDAY, MAY 3, 1912
MAHAFFE SEEKS TO JUSTIFY TAx-DODGING.


var have received from William G. Mahary, who is
w president Of the Wilmington Terminal Company,
letter in which he discaims for himself and his
sent associates in that company responsibility for the
fact that it is paying city taxes the valuable
waterfront land the Delaware river. In that letter
he says:
"We note but with no surprise that you are far
wrong upon the facts relating the iiverfront that
you cannot get right upon such facts your editorial
OF the 2nd inst AS your chief editorial argument of
that date you assert that the Wilmington Terminal
Company is a tax-dodger and hold t responsible for
the exemption from municipal taxation Of all the
Cherry Island marsh lands. AS matter Of fact the
published statement of the riparian owners explicitly
shows the Wilmington Terminal Company never ex-
listed prior to July, 1903 The exemption from taxation
in question originated years before the Wilmington
Terminal Company was organized, and applied to the
entire Cherry Island marsh tract Neither the VIII
mngton Terminal Company any connect
ed herewith had anything whatsoever to do with such
tax exemption.
"The basis Of such tax exemption is largely the same
exists with reference to other suburban tracts
the city of Wilmington In the nf the Cherry
Island marsh lands, however, such exemption was
simply recognition of the special tax With
in the marsh company itself keep up its banks and
thus protect inhabited Of the city Of Wilmington
from the waters of the Delaware river All this APP
pears at length in the published statement Of the III
parian proprietors.'
We said the Wilmington Terminal Company is a tax
"a
lodges all its city taxes land which is held at from
$1,000 TO $4,000 acre, according location. and it
lodges part of its county that same land II
matters not whether that tax-dodgng initiated by
the Wilmington Terminal Company and those who
m IT, they prohting by It and the other taxpayers
in the city and county paying correspondingy n
creased In consequences We think that it is a
plain proposition that even the Wilmington Terminal
Company aud it's sponsors viii seek contradict
that IL takes much money TO the city aud
much money run the county and that every dollar
of taxes that is lodged by property be
made up by the other property who already
feel that they taxed heavily enough. II the VIII
mngton Terminal Company did not put the city tax
exemption plan through the Legislature it has mani-
Tested every disposition profit by such exemption.
If there is anything in the Of the Legisla-
ture City Council the City Tax office to show that
Il had any desire to pay its fair proportion Of taxes
land held high figures for speculative purposes.
shall be pleased to receive it and, in justice TO the
Wilmington Terminal Company give to it full pub-
city. n there is taxpayer in the city of Whining.
ton from the merchant and the manufacturer to tho
working who is seeking to pay for his home, who
is willing only TO pay his but also tho
taxes Of the Wilmington Terminal Company ahall
be pleased to eushrue his in the golden list OF
Americas philanthropsts and give to him full credit
for his liberality OF heart
lt is useless for the Wilmington Terminal Company
20 intimate that Of the objects OF those who
built the banks around Cherry Island marsh to
would have been flooded by the waters of the Della
ware, the Christiana and the Brandywno That pro-
lection mere incident Those were pro-
tected merely because the Cherry Island marsh
could not protect their land without protecting
the other land spoken of in the letter. The exemption
not granted a token of appreciation of the great
public spirit that animated those marsh owners TO
build those banks. If it were to be inquired into il
would be found that it accelerated as such ex-
emptons invariably are by those who wish dodge
taxes No tax exemption private property held for
speculative purposes has come as a result of
popular demand That is a ruism that will stand the
test all along the line. There may be things which
indicate something of the sort underlying il all
Is the acceeratve sehshness of the private dodger
and Mr. Mahany has been public life long enough
TO know IL.
50 much for the city tax exemption that is enjoyed
and clung to by the Wilmington Terminal Company
by inheritance If YOU please but enjoyed and cluns
to Just the same Now let look the assessments
and taxation for county purposes Two years ago an
assessment for county purposes was made. That
assessment still stands II a matter of official re-
cord in the County Court House. The figures we ci.,
are official in every respect Let us take few o
them. and analyze them.
One piece consisting Of fourteen acres owned b,