Evening journal., 1912-05-17
Mr.. DOLE
ANSWERS Mr.. KURTZ

Editor of THE EVENING JOURNAL.
Sir-In your issue of May Z, Mr.
Kurtz asks me a question. which came,
to me Just as ! was leaving the city.
| will now answer it. Mr.. Kurtz rep
resents me to have said that | am
opposed TO assessments upon contigu-
Gus property for local Improvements;
also that / am opposed to bonding the
city, that would reduce the present
rate of taxation, and give the city un-
precedented improvements. Mr.. Kurtz
cites these things and calls public at
tention TO seeming contradictions.
First Mr.. Kurtz is mistaken in
saying that l am opposed to taxing
contiguous property for improve
ments. never have so expressed my
self. Doubtless he refers to my letter
published in two of the local papers
on May 2. do not there nor any
where, object to the principles Of such
taxation. What | do object to is the
Is
of officers is given authority. arbi-
trary, unmodified and omnipotent
Here is what / said in part. "They
can compel them (citizens) to pave
streets, allow corporations to tear
them up, and when ruined jy so doing
compel owners to pay for repaving
them. There is no provision
made in consideration of tearing up
abutting owners 70 pave is even made
necessary. as is usually provided for,
and no provision for appeal is made.
The opinion of the Board Of Admins
tration shall be final-Sec. As Let
any one i'm doubt as to what | said,
read the letter referred 10, and what
] objected to will be seen as clearly
as words can make it appear. This
disposes OF the first of Mr.. Kurtz's
statements.
The second point. as to bending a
city Mr. Kurtz would not have made,
il he we're acquainted with modern
methods of financing cities. Limiting
general taxes by making rates In ex-
cess Of a certain rate unlawful does
not conflict with special assessms snts.
Here. I surmise, is Mr. Kurtz's per-
plexity. To illustrate the point. In
Ohio il is provided by state law that
the aggregate taxes for county pur-
poses shall not in any one year exceed
mills: township taxes shall not eX-
cede mills: city taxes shall not eX-
ceed mills Thus the aggregate taxes
for these purposes are fixed at not
more than one percentum. A law Of
this kind protects citizens from an ex-
cessively bonded city. But this gen.
ersl law does not bar special taxes. A
special tax may be levied TO build a
school. a bridge. or to further other
= public uses. What Is the difference
{ then. whether taxes are general OF
special. IL one has to pay them I hear
, It asked To make the provisions ef-
fective special taxes go 10 the referen-
{ DUN. so the regular expenses Of the
city are met. and n special taxes be
! come excessive. the people can control
T. them. Carefully consider this, and
there will appear no conflict in what
| I have written on the subject.
j Again Mr.. Kurtz asks how would
get money for our street improve
| ments how 10 get money for watel
J works? These questions are not be-
4 fore us now. The real question is
= will the proposed charter be an i'm
:. provement on the old. The issue
= should not he diverted so as 10 com
y pei the setting forth of the entire sys
j team Of the new economies. and the
s education of everyone in regard there
d to. Yet ] will sufficiently answer Mr.
Q Kurtz in this irrelevant question
X There is absolutely no escape for th'
n citizens as to the present bonds Of th'
j. city They must pay those bonds. anS
they must meet the interest until th'
}. bonds are paid They must also pa.
all the costs in providing and negoti
ating these bonds. They must pa!
4 the 100000 interest annually. Blu
a n the city had been rightly managed
from the first. this $1,000 could q
TO local improvements. and II thi
amount had been and was spent upol
:. the streets. we would now have goo,
streets and money TO continue 10 i'm
Ia prove them, and not raise the taxes
10 Again. in answer to Mr. Kurtz'
n question. how would I raise none,
II for improvements I would do II al
v other progressive cities are doing II
: and at the same time arc paying of
n the bonds left on cities by the advo
. Gates of a system that is proved to bi
i not only fruitless but ruinous.
1 Respectfully.
, George Henry Dole.
a Wilmington Del. May II. 1912.