Evening journal., 1916-09-01

mum.
"That the Governor, before Janu-
airy. 1918. shall appoint the first three
members, who shall serve from the
first Tuesday in January, 1918. TO the
first Tuesday in January, 1919; not
all of the members so appointed to
be of the same political party.
THAT at the general election in
1918. one person shall be elected from
the first and one from the third dis
tricts to serve for two years, and one
from the second district to serve for
four years. and thereafter at the gen
eral election members shall be elect
ed to serve for four years in place of
those whose terms expire.
THAT the Levy Court so constitut-
ed shall provide for and install
modern and up-to date method OF
bookkeeping.
Your committee next consider
ed the method assessing property for
aXation. At present there are fifteen
county assessors elected. one in each
representative district, who make the
lssesshent in their district. with an
appeal to the Levy Court. While this
system has some advantages, the OBJ
jectiOns are that the assessors elect
ed are often chosen for merely po-
liticai reasons and look upon the Of
flee as merely a political reward and
perform their work as quickly as
possible often by copying the prior
assessment; and that the assessors
in different hundreds will often have
different basic ideas Of valuations,
thus making the taxation unequal
when the same rate is laid all over
the county. In this way, a hundred
that elects a competent and consci-
entious assessor, who assesses prop
erty at its true and fair value pavg
greater proportionate tax than the
hundred that elects an incompetent
assessor, who disregards his oath
and assesses at only a fraction Of
the true value The new Sussex
county system provides for an as
sessment board of three who are ap-
pointed by the Levy Court. No
more than two from the same po-
litical party, and term of Office be-
ing for four years. This board as
/ sesses property all over the county
every six years, but each year can
make necessary changes or altera-
tions. At the general assessment
every six years. the owners Of prop
I erty are required to make their own
assessment by reporting the value
Of their property. but the board may
change this after notifying the own
er of a hearing. Your committee Is
! inclined to think that a similar board
( will be better for this county. but
would ask for the judgment Of the
Grange on this matter.
Tax Collection Reforms.
a. The committee also considered
the collection of county taxes. Al
present the taxes in Wilmington are
collected by the county treasurer. who
i is paid an annual salary Of $4,000
with a deputy at 1,200. and a num-
ber of clerks at $500, and in the rural
part Of the county by collectors in
each hundred appointed by the Levy
Court, who are paid in proportion tC
the taxes collected. There has al.
ways been considerable trouble in this
method Of collection in the rural par
I Of the county, and the present Lew
! Court is struggling to bring the de
! linquent collections more up-to-date
l although IL has had considerable diff
= Guilty.
4 your committee feels that a vas
improvement and considerable econ
omy would be effected by a chang'
to a syste mby which all the taxel
/ in the county would be collected b.
the received Of taxes and count!
I treasurer, with a positive provision
/ that all delinquent taxes be entered
up and The property proceeded agains
after the end of one year.
your committee will be very glaC
to have bills prepared covering The
above suggestions in case they ar'
approved by the Grange"
The Grange voted TO have the neces
sary bills prepared to be introduced
at the next session Of the Legislature
in January.
The resolution adopted regarding
milk was as follows:
Whereas, The producers OF milk o
New Castle county do not receive
sufficient profit from their milk {,
warrant them to continue in the bust
ness. and the only way they can bet
ter these conditions is by thorough or
ganization.
Resolved. That in order to accom-
plish this a committee of three bl
appointed to work in conjunction will
other organizations which have takel
up the matter"
]. Weldin, Frederick c. Snyder an,
Charles Megginson were appointed oi
this committee.
The noon hour brought the usua
bountiful Grange dinner. and in tn
afternoon three more short addresse
were given. Frank c. Bancroft, mas
ter Of the State Grange; County Agen
Levi Cooch and Worthy Lecturer Mis-
Eva Waldin were the speakers. TIL
social hour was a feature OF the meet
ing. Several musical numbers wer
given between addresses, and the ses
sion was one Of the most interestini
the Grange has held in years.