Evening journal., 1915-06-18
FRIDAY JUNE Is. 1915
TIE COUNTY TAX RATE.

NTEW CASTLE COUNTY is financially embarrassed
IN To escape that embarrassment it must have
more revenue. Under existing conditions the only
to obtain it is to increase the tax rate
short-sishtcd Taxpayers will resent such an increase
Farsighted will welcome IT, not because they de-
f. but because they will realize that it is the only
business-like thing to do in the present emergency
Fixing the tax-rate is business proposition It
never should be made piece of political juggling.
Much of the present financial trouble of county
is due to the fact that years ago. the Levy Court Com
missioners lost sight Of that fact and for political ef
feet established rate low that did not produce
the revenue needed to run the county. The natural
result the creation of debt that would have
been created had the commissioners met the tax-rate
issue in a busness-ike way They committed the
gous bunder of playing politics with what is, next
the foundation of the county fnances
Let hope that the present Levy Court, which has
inherited the i-enects of that political Juggling the
past will not repeat that folly or be afraid to meet the
tax-rate issue in manly way this month. AS it has
been shown clearly that tho present aX-rate will not
suffice to the county's needs under
omica administration of county affairs. it is the plain
sensible duty of the commissioners to increase the
rate a figure that will restore things to business
basis and keep them there.
An inadequate tax-rate Is dear economy The tax
payer who enjoys il pays well for later just
they are doing at the present time as a penalty for
If to have busnesske administration of
the county it must be based upon equitable
ment adequate tax-rate and the application OF hon
esty and sound common to the spending of the
money derived from that rate.
The commissioners will lose nothing by doing at this
time the thing that ought TO be done Short-sghed tax
payers may plead for a continuance of the existing
rate for reductions and they may threaten all
of reprisals unless concessions be made All
such pleas and threates should be ignored The rate
should be made high enough to meet the ineligently
estimated needs OF the county for the next fiscal
year.
Let the commissioners take heart from the exper-
lence Of the Republican city administration of which
Mayor Howell is the head. That administration was
pledged equalization Of the assessment 1t car
ried out that pledge not perfectly but with an energy
and horoughness that blazed the way for the future
Everyone recalls what howl up from many
property owners whose were raised II
was predicted freely that in june 1915 the Republican
party would be showed under in the city of Whining
ton. Was it? Not much II elected its city ticket by
unprecedented plurality and won two-thirds vote
in City Council Why? Because the public had no faith
in the local Democracy that had condemned and en-
deavored to make political capital of that Ropub-
lcan equalization work. and also because the peopl,
knew that what the Republican party had done war
right and honest and the business-like thing 10 do
And so it will be with the Levy Court If it does il,
duty in the present and leaves the future the vndca
ton Of its action. The honesty embodied in tax-rat
that is based upon business wisdom will plead every
where the cause of the who fixed such rate
There is no sensible property owner who would no
rather have tax-rate based upon sound business
principles than based upon political expedienc,
that projects into the future train Of evils that caus
widespread discomfort