Newark post., 1915-02-17
FRATERNITY TAXA
TION DISCUSSED
Continued from page l J

ton would not permit a local fra
ternity to violate such an agree
ment with civil authorities. "We
refuse" says fraternity man,
"to firt with Council in order to
get on the good side Of the Asses
sor. 1t is either right for us to pay
tax or grong. If right then we pay
an equitable tax the same as any
property and as fraternity men re-
sent any offer of charity or favor
itism. Such would bring down a
strong opposition on both us and
the Council. "
Why FratermheS should be
tared as rieaUed by the Council.
Without going into a prolonged
discussion of the taxing of the
fraternity houses, the Council
wishes to make this statement:
We were requested by number
of citizens to have the bill drawn,
as they thought it should come
from the administrative body of
the town. On Friday, January
29th, we had a special meeting and
requested Mr.. Charles B. Evans,
our attorney, to draw up the bill
and hand it to Senator Hoffecker.
We have been criticized for not
calling the fraternities in consulta-
tion prior to introducing the bill
but as the next Monday was the
last day on which new business
could be introduced and as the
Council or citizens had not been
called in consultation when the
original bill was introduced, we
did not think it necessary. The
President Of Council and Mr.. E. B.
Frazer were appointed a commit
tee to ascertain conditions else
where and to look after the bill.
They accordingly had the Secre-
tary write to the Collector of
Taxes Of various college towns and
while they were selected indiscrim-
inately, in each and every instance
the, fraternity houses are taxed for
municipal purposes and in some
towns even when they are located
on the campus. namely, Ithaca, n.
Y, and State College, Pa. We re-
ceived replies from the following:
Philadelphia, Pa, New Haven,
Conn, Boston, Mass, Ithaca, n. Y,
Princeton, n. j., Charlottesville,
Va, Cambridge, Mass, Boulder,
Col, State College, Pa, Easton,
Pa, Providence, R. l., Ann Arbor,
Mich, Pittsburgh, Pa, Hanover,
N. H.
This leads us to believe that it
is the general custom to tax fra
ternity houses and we do not see
why Newark should be an excep-
ton. We called upon Mr.. Henry
b. Thompson, Trustee of Della
ware College, and very active
Trustee Of Princeton University.
He told us that at Princeton the
club houses were not only taxed
but that the University had given
as high as 81 900 per year toward
the support of the town. The Coun-
Gil believes that the citizens Of New
ark ar" cnly reasonable in asking
the repeal of the bill exempting
fraternity houses from municipal
taxes. The committee met with
the faculty members of the frater-
mites, who act in an advisory ca
pacity, and also with a committee
Of the active members Of the fra
ternities, and discussed with them
the advisability of an amicable ad-
justment Of the matter for the best
. interests of the town, college and
fraternities, but were unable to
come to any agreement.
We deplore the probability of
two rival delegations going to
Dover to argue for and against the
bill as that will appear to the Leg
islature as though the college and
townspeople are pulling in oppo-
site directions-but as officials of
the town, we deem it our duty to
look after the interests Of her citi-
Zens.
Reasons for exemption of fra
termaty houses from toration as
uaeaced By the members of frater-
mites.
The fraternities are really the
only dormitories for Delaware Col
lege today.
The conditions in the dormitor-
! les, poor arrangement, the chem
! ical fumes, the then lack Of heat,
were the factors determining the
establishment of fraternities.
Nheactivities Of the fraterniti,s
are limited absolutely to tduca-
tional lines as fostered or approved
by the college