Evening journal., 1913-02-15
Peoples Column
now TO MAKE THE CITY GROW.


Editor Of THE EVENING JOURNAL. /
sir:-There Is nothing more vital /
TO the welfare OF the business men of
the city than its growth i'm manufac-
turies and building enterprises. We
have our Chamber of Commerce. which
is doing its best TO enrich Whining
ton but IL is slow and uphill work.
Why is this, and what can be done to
make the city keep pace with other
competing cities?
The first thing necessary to be done
in making the city a desirable place
for manufactures is that It have
low tax rate and that it be free from
bonds. Wilmington now has bonded
debt of nearly $4,000 600. and a tax
rate of S2.1S per hundred and the
tax rate the bonded debt. and ASSESS
ment values are rising other things
being equal, no large business indus
try would come here If city with
out bonded debt and low or lower
tax rate were assured Does not ey-
cry business man know that If he in
vests in building In this city he gets
under corner of the clty'a bonded
debt, and has got to hold it up? Does
he not know that for every hundred
dollars that he invests, he assumes
his proportion Of the city debts? Why
is it that Galveston advertises that Il
has paid of during the past year ST.
100000 on the bonded debt incurred
before the commission form of gov
ernment was established there? Why
does Memphis advertise that notwith-
standing the payments of debts
settled on the city by the old
system the tax rate has steadily
declined without increasing the
assessment valuation? Why does
il advertise a lower tax rate for the
coming year. and no decrease in inn
provements? Here is the reason. Dur
ing the last year, undcrN commission
government, the. building Enterprises
totaled over $1,000 600 and through
such advertising, and the advantages
of declining tax rate, the building
enterprises have surpassed by almost
million and "a half all precedent
Is II not evident how economy and
efficiency work? How is il possible
for a city under the commission form
of government TO pay Off old debts
| keep up IN improvements, and lower
the tax rate? lmpossibloi Impossiblel
eXclaims one of our well-known citi.
.zons. But the reasons are simple. Tn,
/ paying on OF the public debt, and an
assured fair tax rate so develop build
ing enterprises and draw capital tha
the gain enables the payment Of i'm
herited debts and the reduction Of th'
tax rate.
This is the economic reason that th'
commission governed cities are vie
ing with each other i'm paying off ole
debts and lowering the tax rate; anl
are magnetic 'centeIS for manufactur
les. Yet Wilmington. with it's bondei
debt of nearly S4,00O,OO0, and tai
rate of S21S per hundred, continue
to pile up the bonded Indebtedness o
the city, which must be paid befOr
Wilmington can be a place sought b.
capital The present methods of car
rying on the city's business is bu
staying off the day of Wilmington
splendid possibilities. Every day tina
she is handicapped with a GROWN
public debt and an increasing tax rat'
already astounding and discouragingl
high, other cities are getting Just s
much the lead and advantage Th
Chamber of Commerce can render "a
city no service so great as TO caus
the enabling act before the legislatuI
TO be passed now.
Here follows a verbatim eXtraC
from a Memphis advertisement.
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT
MEANS PROGRESS.
WHAT is YOUR TAX RATE?
"This is the first and most importaI
question to be answered by any eli
to the prospective investor. Memph
taxpayers are now enjoying the low
est rate in the city's history-a tot
reduction Of rs cents haying bee
made since the advent of CONNIE
SION GOVERNMENT three yea
ago"
And. recall that the assessment va
uatiOn has not been increased.
GEORGE HENRY DOLE.
Wilmington, Del, Feb. "A. 1911