Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-26
HAMILTON OBJECTS
TO APPRAISAL NOW
Protests TO City Council Against
Firing Value on Gas Co. Prop
erty at This Time.

y
committed of the whole a letter from
John :. Hamilton, who criticised the Board
~ Public Utility Commissioners and pro
tested against il granting the wilmington
Gus Cos request for permission TO IN
crease gas rates in this city.
Councilman Mearns, when presenting
Tie communication, said il contained
many things which Council should con-
slider
MIR. Hamilton expressed belief that
the Board of Public luhty Conmis-
sioners does not represent the people OF
Wilmington. lie asked Council TO oppose
nppraisdment Of the property Of the VIII
mington Gas Co or other public utility
while the present conditions continue,
lie declared i would be urfnir 10 the people
90 accept M appraisal the present fan
,asticallv inflated values. He stated
puhlic utilities do rot pay sufficient city
iaxrs and claimed they would he paying
over $500 600 per year If they were taxed
proportlonatr 10 private property. lie
suggested having Board Of Public
/ tlh,v Commissioners for the entire
STATE instead Of for Wilmington alone
and advocated levying "a public utility
raN 10 50 ~ On each 500 of assessment.
MIR HAMuroNs 3 LETTER.
Following s the text OF Mr.. Hamilton
better
write 10 call your attention 20 the
fpst that the Wilmington Gas Co has
applied ~ the Wilmington Board of
pIbIc Illtr- Is have an appraisement
iutd, and puec hNri upon the value OF
shc propc-tt owned % this city by the
sad comp4,s ncrd not remind YOU
chat ~ TINS particular tlmc the economic
condition Is universally beWiidcred. here
- onlX nu, tiuug uu which all appear 70
agrec and that Is that we are N the grasp
~ au incVuut e prarrss which makes for
tower and lower prices aud some OF us
hone ~ least that thls vii end III prices
that bill mike tor reason and th refore
toI cjnmou hrttrrucnt
Z Write IT. Won o. protest against an
inventor, I'D thc ga~ company property
helng 'qgle tt tfIs particular time
urpe uuan vau thc reason oi what | SAY
whrr remind voa that any prlce fixed
az tins ttuc wall be made the bssls of
prices charged the people 81 Wilmington
the Enthusiastically Inflated values made
h, tho most destructive war when IN
the latuu those values would bc made
= work for the Eas rates ~ be chsrged
nnd coicetfd think i Is likely that yolf
lray think ard cve'i SAY that tins protest
ot mfuc should - 'n the Board Of Public
7 tihtlc~ and tins would not be without
reason. hut ! Vs SAY - yau that VII
mmgtup CITY Council represents the
ueoplr 81 Wilmington and 70 hc frank
with son ! 50 believe that thr Wilmington
hoard IT public tiltirs represents the
people - NiImrgtau
Another thing VI oh urges me 20
vuts Is vouisthat Wilmington newspapers
10 nor discuss public utility matters from
thc terest and view polnt 81 the consumer
and the public Wilmington newspapers
always discuss public utility matters
from the interest and viewpoint Of the
public utilities and more the pity, more
the outrage, this has heen true for many
years.
Having briefly Indicated what
have in mind about this matter, /
ask your honorable body T. protest
against any apDralsarnent Of the gas prop
erty bong made ~ this t,ne would
NOT be oDpuse,i - making an allowance
for any additional expense that the gas
company has been compelled 70 face
during the war. but would postpone Tor
q wear at least any action on the apDlIca-
tpn that has been made What | want
{ ~ Council % dC IS as the representative
az the people al Wilmington, coming
directly from the people, to make a pro-
tcst. or a demand. that this appraise-
ment Or valuation be postponed for q
year.
Another 'h.rc i may be permitted
o. 90 into it. the telephone company IS
now having an issue similar 10 that of
the gas company discussed
IN The statement ~ the telephone
COMPANY ] see an item ~ taxes. which
item speaking hy memory, makes for
about onc-Gfth = the valuation on which