Middletown transcript., 1915-01-16
A CHANGE NEEDED

G6CHARLES E. Anderson, Building
Inspector, appeared before the
Levy Court Wednesday morning, at the
request of the Legislative Committee.
and declared that New Castle County
was annually losing $4,000 because of
not having his reports as to permits, y
etc.
The above item from Every Evenings
news columns calls direct attention to
one of the most vital questions that can
be considered by the Legislature. We
will not attempt to discuss the quality
of public office who demands $500 as the
price of performing what should be di-
rectly in line of his duties. We do,
however, desire to say the 1--WE told you
So" For at least ten years, The
Transcript has urged the framing of a
new place for assessing property and
has claimed that the man in Wilmington
who owns real estate does not pay as
much county taxes as the man in Mid
dletown, owning real estate Of the
same actual value. A few years ago
we published table or list of Market
street properties with their city and
county assessed valuations, showing 9
difference of from 20 to S5 per cent. ir
such valuations and always against the
county. Them again, it has frequently
happened that farms in Appoquinimink
or Pencader Hundreds have been assess.
ed 60 per cent higher than farms of ths
same value across public road or ovel
an imaginary line in st. Georges Hun
dred. In the latter case, the situation
results from the election as assessors o.
different men and different minds.
One assessor acts on the theory tina
where the law says "shall assess at it
just and true value in money" it mean
what it says, while others think tha
the above words mean so or 60 per cent
The conditions in Wilmington, however
are different. There, the sentiment o
practically all of the assessors in tn
past has been that the city owner shoul
not pay county taxes at all, but as he i
required by law to do SO, we will max
his assessment as light as our cor
; sciences will permit, and as low as W
) think we can get by with the rurs
t Levy Court Commissioners.
The Transcript is now and has bee
for years of the opinion that the Who'll
present system is archaic and wastefu
s When adopted, the county was who'll
d agricultural, ownership of lands was
a large tracts and population scant,
II Then every land owner and his wort
IS were generally known. The assess,
4 elected in November could have his a
n sessment made and returned to Il
ID Levy Court by the first day of Febr
It airy. Then one voting place in Il
y hundred was considered enough. Mo-
t conditions are entirely different 1t
a physical impossibilIty for any man
RS legally assess st. Georges Hundred f
re instance, after his election and NAL
Of his return on the first of February f
lowing. He could not do it if he stal
is ed the minute he was elected and woi
I'd ed without eating or sleeping, provid
in he did all the law requires him to do.
ID We have said before, and we repei
ne we have no particular plan in view,
j" hobby to ride. But we do see the sitI
ce ton as it is and as it has been, and
be do believe that a more modern syst,
ch can and should be provided. We thi
Us that as q start, it would be wise
be The present Legislature to provide fpl