Evening journal., 1917-03-20
BUSINESS MEN FOR
NEW PAVING BILL
Will Urge Passage of Meas
ure Providing 1-3 Cost
TO Auditing Owners
CITY ENGINEER
OUTLINES PLAN

MERGE at luncheon today endorsed the
bills under consideration today be-
fore them providing for assessment Of
abutting owners for street paving. The
bill Will be presented in the Legisla-
ture. Explanation Of the bills was
given by Edgar NJ. Hopes, Jr., city
engineer. r. Keith Compton. city en-
gineer OF Baltimore. and chairman OF
the street paving commission gave a
short talk on the Baltimore method Of
providing funds for street paving.
William p Bancroft. designated as
the originator Of the new street paw
Ing scheme. gave a short talk and Col
onel George w. Sparks. president OF
the directors of the Street and Sewer
Department, explained some of the fea-
lures Of the proposed bill.
Upon call Of William b. Megear,
president Of the Chamber OF Com
merce. practically all the members
present expressed their intention Of
writing or telegraphng Senators or
Representatives IN Dover urging sup
port OF the pending bills. There
were one hundred and ten members
present Many expressed their inten-
ton OF going to Dover today or to-
morrow TO urge passage Of the bill.
Inc bill provides for assessment on
streets not already paved of one-third
OF the cost OF the paving upon the
AUDITING property owners. One-third TO
be paid by the city, the citys portion
of the cost to paid from a special
fund Of the city.
Assessments upon abutting property
Owners on streets already paved are
to be made in the same manner. but
upon the value OF the paved street
and not upon the cost Of paving the
street. This money will 20 into a
special paving fund. Owners OF prop
erty where the paving already had
been paid for by the property owners
themselves, is exempted from assess
ment.
By the plan those who have paved
streets will help to gay one ird the
b cost Of paving unimproved streets.
Mr.. Hopes said in part:
ANY system Of assessing cost Of
future pavements against abutting
property owners which neglects the
. existence Of present improved streets
without assessing the latter would be
most unfair The proposed meas
ures contemplate assessing the value
, OF existing pavements against abut-
q ting property owners as we'll as all
e future pavements. with the exception
= of those property owners who have
2 paid for tho existing street surfaces
= The proposed measures further place
u in the hands Of the people the ability
to have their streets paved II they
II so desire, and likewise place on sucl
$, owners the odium OF poor streets.
D. 'The fallacy Of paying for public
y Improvement by general taxation
10 when such improvement is Of specific
r. benefit to the individual, is clearly
IT apparent IL is believed that a sys-
o tenn which may be termed a modid-
= cation Of the Baltimore plan and the
u Buffalo plan will be most equitable
y to the citizens Of Wilmington. The
n principal upon which the proposed
Y bills have been drawn are as follows:
First That an improved street is a
i benefit 10 the community at large.
Second That an improved street
b Is OF immediate benefit 10 AUDITING
property owners.
n0 pau AtltA0Atf 10 10 uoCtHn
, the cost Of future pavements and the
. value of present improved pavements,
. lone third against abutting property
/. owners. the city paying for the re-
e naming third and the intersections
S Corner properties should not be re-
. CURED to pay for more than twice
, their frontage width, as to assess FOL
;, the full frontage on both streets
>. would be an unnecessary hardship.
g 1T may be Of interest to know thai
the owner OF a sixteen foot lot front
ing on a forty-nine foot street could
is under the proposed system. have his
d street paved with sheet asphalt at Z
r cost Of about S22. This sum could b'
7. paid at once or in five annual in
e stallments Of S4.4O or in any othei
r reasonable number Of annual install
n ments which the property Owne
IS might elect. II trolley line should HI
is on the street the cost Of paving t
the property owner would be abou
"a one-half OF the above sum. II may bl
IS of interest to know that for ever.
= million dollars the city borrows, tn
n assessed value Of real estate must b.
> increased three million dollars 4
, keep the tax rate the same. II i
- hardly likely that this rather conven
y, lent state of affairs will long exist II
IA in fact II exists at all.
~ THE problem. therefore. which
confronts the people OF Wilmington, il
IL whether they prefer TO have it dom
m by bond issues. leaving the actual COS
" Of payment for improvements. whicl
d they at present enjoy for future gen
e. erations. II should be noted that il
l. addition to paying for one-third of tn
cost of present and all future i'm
4. proved streets and street intersec
e. tions. the city bears, by genera
ct taxation. the expense of maintenance
pr of streets and keeping them in repair
1.-THE bond Indebtedness of the cit
lie has reached a point where it is prac
or tically impossible to borrow sufficien
,e money to do all the street paving re
5. uuested by the citizens; and even
sufficient funds could be attained with
ing a reasonable period of time. tn
tax rate Of the city would most Ger
tainly be increased, and abutting paw
ing law should result in a lowering o
A the tax rate, or If nothing else, IRE
X vent an increase in it.
"The proposed street paving sohem
provides that streets shall be pave
D. Inv proper petitions of a majority o
to the frontage owners in any block AM
e. also provides for a hearing OF tn
u minority OF the frontage owners be
E. for any action can be taken