Evening journal., 1915-05-27
uBLN RECORD LED BY COLONEL STOyER WHO RIDDLES ARGUMENTS OF DEMOCRATS

future. On the contrary. statute
passed by the recent Legislature,
leads to the belief that the in
creases in taxation already ex-
perienced arc but a beginning.
"The statute above referred to
authorizes the city to borrow
upon the credit of the city and to
issue bonds to the extent of ten
per cent. of the assessed value of
all the property in the city. We
urge upon the people that such
authority in the hands of those
who have already shown a settled
disposition to ignore the peoples
interest is a distinct menace TO
the citizens"
"For many years the taxpayers. or
great many people, realized that
| there was a need Of a new assess
! ment II was advocated II was
! spoken of: it was urged from time
10 time, and yet there was nothing
done with It. The city. from year
to year. stood in need Of additional
money. The different departments
were handicapped by reason OF lack
of funds. Il was simply a case Of
living from hand to mouth year after
year.
"By an Act passed by the Legis-
lature two years ago il was made
mandatory upon the Board of Assess
ment Revision and Appeals. to do
certain work. AS one member of
that board ! want TO assure you that
/ am not so particularly fond of
work. that is. that / was very much
pleased with the amount of work that
was shifted over onto us at that
particular time. In addition to that
II took some little courage to take
up that work. not as an individual
alone. but as a party. because when
you touch on taxation. you touch a
mans pocketbook. and il you don't
altogether please him. he is likely not
to- be with you at just the time that
he might be.
There has been much spoken as to
the cost Of the assessment.
New Assessment viii Benefit City.
I'm round figures the cost of the
new assessment, including everything.
the text maps, and everything as a
whole. was approximately. twenty
five thousand dollars. Il is a piece
of work which will I've of lasting
!
only yesterday man came from
New York City for the purpose OF in
specting that particular piece Of
work and to gain from il any in
formation which might be possible
or which might possibly be of any
benefit TO him in his work.
Il want to compare the cost of the
new assessment with the cost of the
rrIa -,
the new city building An architect
usually gets six per cent. of the tota
cost of the contract If the public
buildings cost one million dollars. tho
architect will get sixty thousand dol
: lars If they cost one and One-hal
million dollars, the architect will ge
ninety thousand dollars Which is o
: the more beneft to the city. an,
which will be more lasting. thI
amount of money which has been ex
5 pended for architectural fees, whicl
I is almost three-fold as much as tina
J spent for the assessment, or tn
q amount of money which has bee,
2 spent for the assessment?
a "They referred to the question 0
/, not using all local mem When III
n Eoard first took up the work ther
s. was an effort made to secure loca
Il men in the city of Wilmington, bu
u they found that the builders, VIII
n were the men who we're thorough
conn etent in that particular line>o
o work, were entirely too busy. in ever
J.. instance. and refused to take it up
h, that is. to take up the work we de
q sired done, bcc5rse they were a
ready fully occupied with their ow
: business and could not afford to ne
glect il for q period of six month
TO take up the work of making ne'
assessments. The Board had as man
local men as ii WAS possible to sc
cure in making measurements Wit
ether work N connection with ia
As. ess ment BOarl.
I'VE do net contend that the as
sessment, as il Las been made.
perfect There is nothing perfec
but we do contend that il is absolute
IL " fair and equal, insofar as huma
s judgment is able to make il; and W
o defy anyone to show one single in
is stance of where there has been an
e favoritism shown, either throug
l. friendship or association. political o
r otherwise, in the making of that as
sessment. II has increased tn
It taxes for many; it has lowered th
e taxes for a great many more.
t, has, TO a large degree. shifted tn
" burden of taxation from the smalle
e property onto the larger prOpert.
n which heretofore has not been payin
10 what il really should have paid.
is "In the latter part of the la:
ID paragraph il makes reference to I'll
authority of the city to borrow te
lie per cent. of the total assessed walt
he alton for any public purpose.
L "If my recollection serves me righ
at the Act which was presented to III
/; Legislature, to enable the city to d