Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-02-11
Should be Fair to the City.

The very interesting summary OF
State administration receipts and ex-
penditIIrcs during the year 1917, made
public by the Legislative Committee,
last week, contains some very significant
items. Chief in interest is the item of
5544. COS -, credited TO the Department
Secretary OF State" The major part of
this large item comprised fees received
frou, the granting Of new charters during
The yrN.
These large receipts Indicate the extraor-
,dinary extent TO which the charter busi-
ncss of Delaware has grown. They prove
that Delaware is very popular State for
charter seekers, and so IL Is, because it Is a
comparatively essv manner 10 secure q
charter from the State Of Delaware. The
formal application, the payment of the
required fee and State tax, and the thing
Is done. There is no inquisition into the
objects and purposes OF the company
s-cking charter rights and privileges.
In this important matter the law imposes
upon the State little or no interest
Another item, and in the same con-
nection, is one OF sl42, ,S40S7 received
from franchise tax on corporations.
.Nter being granted charter rights, the
companies are required 70 pay an annual
tax 10 the State Failure to pay the
tax for certain period works forfeiture
of the charter. Combined, these two
F1r vnovlx- <-Nl Gtpn Of shz
States revenue for the year of a little
more than million and half dollars
Very profitable, therefore, is our cor
poration business Whether it is alto
gcther reputable is another matter.
Three other considerable items Of
revenue are: Licenses and fees from clerks
of the pesce, $3.50, ,7sS 93; State tax on
railroads, SIP 600; from insurance and
banking department, s7S,6I0.42. Com
bined, they add largely TO the total of
the wears revenues.
The item OF licenses and fees" from
clerks of the pesce represents the States
business, and very large part thereof,
probably three-fourths, Is paid by business
IN the city OF Wilmington. This is very
heavy tax upon Wilmington, from which
The city administration does not get
dnllar. This Is unjust. Nor does it ap-
peH TO be Just proposition that the city
should tax this business additionally for
n own benefit. In many States this
N-~A - h.,e. g 49, 6x- H. "a
alone, and in others the State divides
With the municipalities from which the
xcvcnm n derived.
Is Il not time the State Of Delaware
made a liberal division of the fees from
tax on business with the communities
from which they are derived?
The summary OF expenditures shows
4 considerable diversity In the distribu-
taon OF the States money. One item that
vn prove interesting Is that of sI63,-
6G070 TO charities and eleemosynary In
etitutlons. This item shows what tre-
mendous strides the State has made In
tins direction during the past two dec
sdcs. The demands for appropriations
for the purposes involved in this item |
arc continually increasing, and each |
session OF the Legislature Is asked for
increases and new favorS
The largest item of expenditure, nat
urzlly, Is for education, which Is S37s.- |
Is2-ol. And il is not a dollar too much. |
u should, in fact, be hbcrally increased. |
During the year, also, the State expended |
352, ,674.16 for improvement OF public |
highways. This year it may spend a
great deal more, mainly from the pro-
ceeds OF bond issue for the purpose.