Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-11-06

Mayor jaime. T. iIlct lduuthtu a tuAh-
paign in the interests OF an abuttng
property paving law for Wilmington. X.
Keith Compton, chairman and consult
ing engineer OF the Paving Commission
Of Baltimore. Md, told in detail the adj
vantages of such law and how it had
worked in his city.
The meeting was opened by Mayor
Price, who introduced Colonel George W.
Sparks. president of the Street and
Sewer Department, who presided. Mr..
Sparks said he did not know of a sub
iect before the citizens OF Wilmington
as equally important as that of street
paving. lie stated that the object of the
meeting was not TO urge any special
measure. but was TO discuss n principle.
Wilmington. he stated, had l6S miles
of streets. of which S miles are in marsh
/ land, which was not likely to be paved
I in the near future. When the present
| street paving project is completed Viii
mington will have IS miles of paved
streets, but he declared that the remain
! der Of the streets could not be paved
under the present laws. He stated that
! this city has S76O0O,O0O OF assessed
property and under the present laws the
city can only issue bonds TO the amount
] OF 10 per cent. of this total assessed
valuation. The city is bonded at the
present time for $1,000 600, and S250.OOO
of the bonds have been issued since
these figures were issued, 100000 are
now in course of sale for street inn
! provements. and the Water Department
! will soon ask for s35O0OO. These bonds
will bring Wilmington within three per
.F l..fs mi Colonel
Sparks said. He then introduced Mr..
Compton as the speaker Of the evening.
Al the conclusion of Mr.. Compton's
add 'ess Colonel Sparks said that
Mayor Price had launched campaign
and that meetings would be continued
as long as the citizens would show in
, terest enourh TO attend them. He
said the Street and Sewer directors
were back of him in the movement.
He stated that William p. Bancroft
had prepared bill which called for
e the appointment Of board to APP
praise all paving already done and
provide for its payment by abutt'ng
property owners so that all would
start equal under the new plan.
There were over 100 well-known
citizens present at the meeting. Among
these on the platform We're: Street
and Sewer Directors Rudolph and
Murphy; City Engineer Edgar NJ.
NJ. Hoopes.Jr.. William p Bancroft,
: president Of the Board of Park Com
missionors; President of Council
/ Downward. Councilman A. ~ Will
Iliams and T. Allen Hilles, president
X of the Water Commissioners. The
entire senior civics class of the High
I School. accompanied by its instructor
:. Miss Elizabeth Carlisle, was present
Mr.. COmptOn's Address.
Mr.. Compton spoke in part as fol-
4. lows:
"There are three methods OF pro
, lcedure in the matter of charging th'
abutting interests. In brief they are
'1st. BY the front-foot rule, which
A., means that the cost of the improve
! ment is distributed according to tn
4 frontage Of the property on th'
street.
- "2nd. According to the area. tina
is taking the superficial area Of lot
. abutting on the street and proper
9 tioning the cost of the improvement
: accordingly.
"3rd. BY the advalorem process
}, that is, taking the assessed value o
; each piece of property on the stree
= and proportioning the cost acosd
: ingly.
4 "Of the three propositions outlined
above, the front-foot rule is general!
/, followed, while the percentage Of thu
) total cost of the improvement charged
- against abutting interests varies II
!. different sections of the country.
Charging the abutting INTEREST,"
generally prevails throughout tn
country although there are a few
cities where the cost of the improve
, ment is taken out of the general fund
j either out of the tax lew direct o
u through floating long-term bonds
a bearing certain rates of interest, pro
= vision for sinking fund and interes
If being taken out of the tax levy eacl
II year. Both of these propositions rul
N the tax rate up to a very high figure
a the first proposition advancing the Ia
e rate in very short periods, while tn
2. second proposition advances 1t NOR
20 slowly. but in the end creates quite
r. burden upon the municipality an
1t really puts most OF the burden Oh III
S. ture generations.
IS Mr.. Compton told of the experience
lie of baltimore after the Legislator
le PASSED a law requiring owners
m properties to pay two-third oil the Coz
III of paving streets on which the pro
&c critics abutted. Mr.. Compton added
&c Property owners would state lit is ne
b. fair for the city to charge us wv
III thirds of the cost OF the paving O
RS our streets when the city has pave
ne other streets in Baltimore with III
proved rawlings without any charge
abutting property" Others would e
rs claim. 1--WE paid for our streets; WI
no not make the other fellow pay Il
n his?" It was not easy to answer al
:, of these objections and in as much
a. under the act of 1906 and the amen
. ment of 1908 no plan OF special
VI sessment on the abutting ownel
- could be adopted without an ordinan'
OF the mayor and city council OF ba
no timore. IL became apparent that
er the state of the public feeling and u
ee sentiment of the public no such orc
ne nance could be expected to pass u
Z. city council.
rs after its appointment the Pawn
an Commission made a comprehensi
ia plan for improved paving througho
ST. the city and reached the fonclusi'
that exclusive Of the annex. terrific
IL would take about S10,00O,0OO to pa
every street and alley in the old sc
ng ton OF the city, that is, that terrific
at extending from North avenue to I
mt waterfront. and from the caste
ar boundary line of the city to the {
I'm western boundary line, a territory q