Evening journal., 1913-02-15
CITY WANTS
CHANGES In
In TAX LAWS
contInued .rom FIrst &c.

Continued rom First Page.
ecute judgment against property |
whose taxes remain unpaid for four
teen months
The amendment to section 80 would /
make the present amounts named that
public utilities in Wilmington shall
be assessed minimum amounts
and enable the board Of assessment
revision and appeals to engage eX-
perts TO assist I'm determining the
proper taxes to be paid by such COM
panies.
Mayor Howell was called upon TO
speak and said that the city was
handicapped mainly by a lack OF
money due to the absence OF regula-
tions for the collection of taxes. He
said property owners are refusing
to pay taxes that are four years
overdue. The city deficit, he said, is
due to the fact that while the city
is spending 100 per cent of the taxes
levied il is collecting only about so
per cent
"The majority of the people of Will
mington believe that we should have
a different method OF collecting and
assessing taxes" the Mayor contln-
ued II do not mean any reflection
on the personnel of the tax Office
when / say that the trouble In VIII
mington Is in the tax Office. The tax
collectors fail i'm their work for many
reasons. and we should relieve the
collectors Of the duty of seizing the
goods and chattels Of persons who
have not paid their taxes. The col
s lectors are not collecting taxes that
g way. The methods pursued i'm the tax
. Office are wrong as result OF laws
that have been enacted and we are
p asking the assistance OF the LeBisla-
{ ture in remedYng conditions In that
p office
h Assessments in Wilmington are
e now made absolutely regardless of
!, sense and reason We need n new
2 method of assessment that Will be
d fair and equitable
D Councilman Weller n. Stover,
r. chairman of the Council finance COM
Il mittee. explained that for the past
t year and one-half Wilmington had
. not had a partisan Council. and that
d the Council was present unanimously
y to ask these laws of the Legislature.
3. He said some people in Wilmington
n have 20 successfully evaded tie 9ay-
e ment of taxes that at the end Of De-
cember last year there was 1851 900
outstanding ia taxes. we need $50
600 to wind up the city's affairs this
year without a deficit he said
: Colonel stoyer drew comparison
Z between the taxes paid by the VIII
mington city Railway Company Will
, receipts of $685. and the amount
paid by company I'm Holy0ke, Mass.
, whose receipts were almost the same
! He said the Wilmington railway paiC
p last year Sl4,400. while the Massa
! chusetts company pays $4,000. HC
q said that it was unfair TO the owners
, of real estate that the tax board coulC
= not touch the assessments on the
= property OF public utilities when suci
assessments needed revision.
s Senator Reinhardt asked ST thes,
companies had been notified o
a the proposed change In thei
W taxation, and IL any attempt ha
a. been made TO reach "a compromis
" with them on the amount of take
rs they should pay Mr. Stover said tina
le they had not been communicated witl
g., I'VE do not notify the real estat
T.. holder when we intend to change hi
y taxes me continue.
81 You might have saved us a lot @
e. trouble II you had notified them, re
marked senator Reinhardt
? Representative Mooney asked If tn
l' Council considered it to be necessar
DE- to add one-half of one per cent
" month after September Mr. Stove
y answered that il had been considere
III proper that the city should have In
terest on It's money Alr Stove
Itt.rf..I tI,, t,4,tt,ler- AZ tho fenfl hI
for tho courtesy in granting th
Councilmen a hearing
Representative Grantland oderc
m and the House adopted a resolutio
A that the clerk shall permit no per
~ sons to obtain possession of bills In
troduced except through a membe
OF the House. The resolution is sim
ca liar to that adopted by the Senate o
he Thursday. and is designed 10 kcc
.r- close trace of each bill
nd Passed by the Senate.
Il Bills passed by the House durin
IN the afternoon were:
~, Representative Moneys joint r.
-, solution providing for a commissio
of six TO decide upon the design an
color combination of uniform stat
on ilag.
se Representative Barnard's bill Il
creasing the Levy Court approprii
ne ton 10 Wyoming from 5000 TO S4'
IN annually.
OF Representative Barnard's bill TO il
Ne crease from $1,000 to $1,000 the amour
ut, Camden may raise annually by tax
IN ton.
Representative Barnards bill 4
creasing from S400 to $500 the Lev
Court appropriation to Camden
at Representative Bradfords bill pr
ril yiding that property of insane pc
'rs SONS may be sold TO form a tru
ar fund for such person.
A Representative TESTERS bill provi
of ing that persons whose names a
vas fled as candidates. by petition, +
NV any political party. shall make al
,sts davit as to their candidacy. Speak
r Holcomb said the bill was des gn
Ter TO prevent a recurrence OF what @
Iiss CURED I'm Wilmington I'm the rece