Evening journal., 1916-04-27
rROM sl.as no sl.ss.

IT City Council grants TO the Baynard Cooper clique
in the Board OF Education the 100000 II asks for
to run the Department OF Education during the next
fiscal year IL will mean an increase in the city tax
rate of twenty cents each 500 OF assessment
In other words. the rate. $135 the 500 OF
assessed value will be increased to S155, to say moth
ing Of an increase Of two three cents the 500
that viii be required TO meet The natural growth I'm
the needs Of the other city departments.
Il will he seen. therefore that If the educational al
owances asked for by the Baynard- Cooper clique he
made the tax-rate next year would be s1.57 or Si5s
instead Of the SiS5 it is today.
Those facts that should he borne in mind by
Wilmington taxpayers, most Of whom arc avorse to
having their burdens OF taxation increased.
The BaynardCooper clique not only wants increased
appropriations which, II granted would force that in
creased tax rate but is seeking 10 club the Repub-
lican City Council 10 grant them and TO place that
Council and the Republican party IN position whore
they must responsibility for tax rate increase
that IL not previously agreed by all party organiza-
tlons and all nearly all. taxpayers associations
would cause political revolution in our city
II is scarcely necessary to say that the Republican
City Councilmen too wise in their day and genera
on to be led into such action the instance Of the
Baynard-Cooper clique any other politically y-hy-
phenated aggregation that may wish to bring it
about
1t is estimated at this time that the next real os-
tate assessment Of this city will be, in round figures
S790oO0oO an increase Of S15OOOOO the pres
ent assessment Under that assessment each one cent
OF taxation will produce $1,000 Of revenue making no
allowance for denquencies and certain other things
that Invariably figure in the work of tax collection
The Board Of Education wants 100000 TO finance
its operations during the next fiscal year. For the
current fiscal year II allowed in round figures
S305OO0. In other words. it asks for an increase OF
about Sl55000 Il refuses to be bound by any budget
that does not grant its full demands declines TO
assume responsibility for any increased that
may be made necessary to obtain additional funds for
educational purposes.
Those things being true, il is not surprising that
the Republican members of City Council to play
into the hands of either the Baynard Cooper clique or
the Democratic minority by suggesting S15S tax
rate to replace the s1.55 rate which exists Nor
Is it surprising that, when the Chamber Commerce
has cndeavored to compose the differences between
City Council and the Board of Education the rebuff
suffered by at the hands of the Baynard- Cooper
clique is resented II the uterances at the last meet
ing Of the Board OF Education other useful
purpose they enabled the members of the Chamber of
Commerce to take accurate measurement Of the
clique that controls the board We think they also
will convince most of those members that the real
remedy for our educational ills is the enforced re-
trement. by legislative process the clique that has
produced those ills and that seems to glory in its
handiwork.