Daily Republican., 1883-12-27

Tao water CoD0 lsslen.
As the Court Of Errors and Appeals
will meet In Dover on the first Monday
Of January, aud as the onstitutiouslty y
of the Water Con mission act for Will
mington will come up for argument, it
will rot be smisS to glance back year
or more and trace the circumstances
which lcd to the passage Of the act and
facts in connection with 1t up 70 the
present time.
For nine years and nine months up to
June, 1882, Wilmington bad been under
the control Of Democratic Mayors,
Democratic police, the most Of that
time under . Democratic City Council
and with Mr., II. b. NcIntifs ~ Chief
Engineer Of the Water Works. The
whole Of that time the Democrats had
the Legislature, the iovsrpor and oil
the political power Il State could con.
fer upon them. d. ING the whole Of
those nine yearH and nine months Of po.
litical power II never once entered into
the Democratic mind that there ought
TO be q Water Commission for the city
Of Wilm ington. On the first Saturday
In June, the new day appointed by the
Democrats themf elves for the holding
of municipal election under . psrti.
san gerrymander Of tho wards incorpo-
rated into the city charter, the Demo
crals were defeated. The Republicans
with strong partisan odds against them
elected DR.. John p. Wales, u Repubi.
can, Mayor Of the city, and at the same
time eecte0 a majority Of Republicans
TO the City Council.
1t was only then that there began 10
BE- whisperinga Of = Police Commission
and Water Commission. What the
people in their sovereign capacity aud
under the guarantees Of the Constitution
had decided ut the ballot box II was
proposed should be 0verriddeu and an.
nulled by Democratic Legislature.
Before this Legislature WAS even elected
in the following November It was said
and never denied, that II. b. McIntire,
then Chief Engineer of the Wafer
Works, but whose term would expire
with the year, had already drafted a
bill for the creation Of Water Com
miss On, which, when passed, would
turn out the Republican elected by
Republican Council and reinstats him
in his old position. When the Legis-
lature met, Mr.. AcIntIre appeared at
Dover. I Is said, a. the paid lobbyist Of
the City Council to secure the passage
ola bill BY which certain water rights
on the Brandywins could be purchased
by tn city Of Wilmington.
His time was we'll employed. Not
only was the Water Right bill passed
but the Water Commission bill also
With indecent haste he 10 said TO have
proclaimed that he would be back in
his old position by the mouth of April.
Here is the last Of December and he is
not in possession Of the Water Works
yet, thanks toa Republican Council
thar had vim, pluck, and backbone.
The Water Commission, what IL II?
1t is AN act which Legislature that
only had two members In It. from
"ilmiu gton passed 10 give two Demo-
Gratis and one Republican, the power
Of doing what the people elected thir-
teen Republicans and ten Democrats
To do. The friends Of the Water Com
mission bill proclaimed that 1t was en-.
tirely unpnrtisaD, but . Democratic
legislature took good care it should be
composed Of two Democrats and one
Republican, and though non. .partisan
") the two Democrats and one Repub-
|ican on the Water Commission met.
and in their NJ bipartisan ,pirit, elected
if McEntire, Chief Engineer, and
Honid If they could have turned out
'lr Coyle, the Republican Chief Eugi-
ne"r that had been legally elected by
he City Council before he had served
more than one third of his term.
But what WAS this Water Commits
non TO do? 1t WAS to take charge Of
VI the Water Works Of the CITY of
" Imington and furnish supply Of
fatrr for the city ~ the City Council
lad previously been doing. To 1t the
hole of the revenue derived from the
'ater department was to b. paid. 1t
as to expend all monies raised from
evenues and loans authorized BY the
legislature.
The Board takes from the City Couh-
Al all control OF the Water Works, but
.aves the Council to pay the salaries
The Commissioners out Of the taxes
people pay for other purposes.
The City Council IL left with the privi
s. of not only paying three hundred
lars salary to each of the Water
Ommissioners, but twenty thousand
plIars annually to the Commissioners
y the use Of water for Are plugs and
liblic buildings.
oHe Of the glaring Inconsistencies of
act is that which provides for the
covery of money legally spent. Suit
10 be brought against the Commits
ohers offending or his surety, when
ere Is noprovision in the act reqnir-
such member to give an Official
md with sureties.
All that 10 required In Commis.
pner is
lst. That he be . citizen Of the
hted States.
mt. That he be qualified voter Of
State Of Delaware.
prd That he be . resident Of the
OF Wilmington for Ave years b.
n his annn;utr.n%