Evening journal., 1915-03-17
COLONEL STOVER
MEETS THE WORKERS
Tells Central Labor Union
of Some Needs OF
the City
NEW LEGISLATION
is REPORTED

part, Colonel StONer Salu,
Il believe that with the expenditure /
OF a few thousand dollars il would be |
possible by City Council and the Cen /
trail Labor Union cooperating, to /
bring new industries to our city. /
Since its organization as a Chamber |
OF Commerce. that body has spent be-
tween forty and forty-fve thousand /
dollars. defy you to show me one /
industry that the Chamber Of Com /
merce has brought to the city. One /
industry did locate here, but that was /
brought about through the personal |
efforts Of one of the members. How is |
il that Chester. New Castle and other /
cities are securing the new industries |
tt is not on account of the labor sup |
ply. Is IL? ! know personally. and |
have heard il said many times, that |
Wilmington has the highest class of
mechanics i'm the country. Is there
a certain element in the Chamber of
Commerce that doesn't want new in
dustries. claiming that labor would
get scarce?
Take the building of the joint city
and county buildings. Only two local
contractors secured contracts for any
OF the work. while the taxpayers
money of Wilmington and New Castle
county foot the bills.
Il am pleased with your attitude on
tho tax rate OF New Castle county.
The Central Labor Union is doing a
good work in leading the movement TO
stop il from being raised"
Mr. Stover then explained the city
assessment He said that the tax rate
had been reduced from S1.53 to $1.35
and that IL was planned in June TO re-
Il .4.tI
when the city reduces the tax rate
the county raises it,"
"The city is in better financial con-
dition than ever before. in spite of
what II has accomplished, while the
county is bankrupt"
The special committee on the Levy
Levy Court investigation made its re-
port to date. which WAS as follows;
Your special committee appointed tol
consider and act upon an investigation
of the Levy Court of New Castle
county begs TO report as follows:
The committee sent to the Legsa-
fure, at Dover, copy of the resolution
adopted by the Central Labor Union,
asking for the investigation of the Levy
Court A few hours after the receipt
of the G. l.. U. resolution, the Legisla-
tllre decided to have the committee on
revised statutes to investigate the
finances of New Castle county"
The legislative investigation of the
finances of New Castle county was held
in the County Court House, and was at
tended by members of your special
committee. The investigation was in
the nature of whitewash. But il was
brought out that the county was in the
hole to the extent of about 100000 and
would need nearly this amount TO tide
il over until about the 18th of October,
when the taxes begin TO pour in b. A.
Groves, chairman of the finance com
mittee of the Levy Court when asked
by the legislative attorney at the inves-
tigetion about the conditions, stated
that the present ."low" tax rate was to
blame for the county being poor. The
present county tax rate is 50 cents, and
Mr.. Groves said that she would guar
antee that it was made high enough
next year provided the Legislature would
allow the Levy Court TO borrow money
to tide il over until the taxes begin to
come in" At the investigation one rea-
SON advanced for the poor condition
was that "too many good roads had been
built" Then Il appeared that extras
would continuously creep in after an ap
UINlIMiAtU Htu NttH iibut 10 10 AiA'
tain things. thus putting the county il
the hole again. Several thousand dol
lars Is invested in automobiles for th,
use Of the Levy Court commissioners
but the commissioners state they buy
their own gasoline; the county paying
for the tires.
Charles II. Simmons and Ellis NJ
Armstrong. special auditors appointed
hxt hn ToOfclafnrn Ia lnnlr IN thn
financial standing OF New Catsle coun-
ty by examining the books OF the
Levy Court. made their report, in a
section of which they state these three
reasons stand out prominently as Ia
the cause of the present condition OF
hnances
L. Public demand for building
stone roads since 1908.
2 The expenditures of moneys other
than provided for in the annual bud
get
3. The lowering of the tax rate
ut must be understood, however
that while the county tax rate re-
NAMED at So cents last year, yet the
county assessment on city property
was considerably raised. thus mean
ing the same as had the tax rate been
raised.)
One of the closing acts of the State
Legislature was to make II legal fOT
the Levy Court to issue a certificate
OF Indebtedness for S63, 900 on the
Farmers Bank, the money borrowed
to be used TO pay interest and bono
Issues. 1t was said before the closin,
time of the Legislature that two Ger
tiicates of Indebtedness amounting Z,
s172.000 would be leealized but tn
Legislature pared down the amount Il
5000. Rumors were 10 the effec
that a ripper bill" would be intro
drced. doing away with the presen
Levy Court and empowering the Coy
ernor to appoint a commission r
three members to handle the affair
OF the county.
AS matters now stand. the Lev
Court is still financially incapacitatt
A strict program of economy will I
necessary and then IL will have 7
funds. II has been said during n
past week that the present lie,
Court Commissioners would resig
but it seems they will stay by Il
ship as long as she stays abo'
water.
The committee then comes to II
question. "ShalI the tax rate
raised? The newspapers have take
w the discussion With one exec
ton the Wilmington newspapers a
strong in criticism of the past ac