Evening journal., 1913-09-16
WOULD BAND
TAXPAYERS In
ASSOCIATION
DR.. ]. W. BaStlan, in Urging
II, Scores Some Persons in
Official Positions
.,rs,~u ,r.nnrnc roo
MIMI WAkUEkS run
ASSESSMENT REFORM

Standing in darkness in the center |
of the big Sunday School room in the /
basement of Hanover Presbyterian
Church at the meeting Of the Ninth
Ward Civic Association last night,
DR.. J. W. Bastain appeared before the
association and delivered an arraign-
ment of the conduct Of Office holders
and politicians who have charge OF
dispensing patronage in Delaware
that fairly shook the air within the
room.
Dr. Bastian is not a member OF the
ssociation, he living in the Third
ward. but he came before IL last
night with the idea OF forming a tax
payers association with member
ship from 1000 TO 5000 tax payers
of the city and county.
The idea of such an association as
outlined would be TO protect the
rights of tax PAYERS and to look into
the conduct of every state officer
ION ianitor TO governor. no natter
Of what political party, and see that
they are carrying out their duty to
the state and people.
The members of the association
were greatly impressed with The idea
and they decided to have COM
mittee consisting OF w. j. McCorkin-
dale. manager OF the Wilmington Gas
Company; John Paris, Jr.. and Robert
/ Adair attorneys, look into the matter
and report at the associations next
meeting.
A short time before DR. Bastian
arose TO speak the electric lights In
the church went out and lett the
room In darkness u remained that
way for more than an hour and the
members of the association guessed
who was talking by the sounds OF
their voices.
Finally DR. Bastain arose. Although
there was little light in the room, he
proceeded to throw floods of Il upon
his subject. In outlining the associa'
ton and its plan of organization he
stated that the association should mo-
be political organization, ou
simply one 10 protect tax payers an'
see that the officers of the state, cit
and county carried out their duties n
proper manner.
Dr. Bastian said that one OF tn
/. controlling reasons why he had un
dcrfalxcn TO form the association wa
bocause Of the recent actions OF IN
Levy Court IN taking a trip to Chi
d icago. He said that he had though
of trying 10 get an injunction to pre-
vent the county treasurer from pay
e ing the expenses Of the court on thi
Z. trip but decided that IL was of littl
q use for one Individual to fight man
d, land that it would cost too mucl
money He said that he had gone 81
E far as TO call up a lawyer seyera
= times TO have action taken In tn
matter.
"Thc Levy Courtme~ who made tn
y trip did not know anything abou
Z bridges. he said. "In fact" he said
i l"I don't believe they know the differ
( cnce between a right-handed bolt AM
a left-handed one. None of them hav
!. lever been TO Chicago before and
y was a nice trip for them. Comin
: back they got lot of tin horns an
y a badge or two so that they could no
= get lost from each other and the
made almost as good a showing a
. the Chamber of Commerce.
At this point some one said "le
there be light" and the doctor Pre-
ceeded to turn IL on the official act
of oficeholders in the city. county an
y state. A good part of the brightnes
/. was directed at the new county an
= city building which the doctor sal
y was going to be built on a hillsid
so that people could see the insect
over in Jersey. He assailed the teal
ing down of the present court hous
and finally reached the conclusio
that the only thing that could be bui
e TO an advantage on a hillside was
L barn. He spoke of the way in whiC
taxes we're collected in the city an
n. Continued on Page Thirteen).