The Wilmingtonian., 1886-05-22
The Committee Meetings

1t is presumed that tn, committee meet
ings of City Council are an absolute necesi
ty-otherwsa they would not exist, no
would we lie afflicted with the sad picture o
many among the Councilmen, Of unr most
respected citizens, copious'y indulgng in
the free loot oblanable by nd GJttVm indul
genGe in the unrcstl ctcd number Of meet.
ings per month. Becluse there is no statu
tory restriction in the MATES the fee hand.
ed and loose minded amorg the City Fathers
influence their brethren who might leasona-
bly, be expected TO make an cxeltun in favor
of good example and the lowering of the
heavy tax burthens Of the city to join hands
with them in this distinctive pillerng OF the
munic pal treasury, II
We appeal to those members or Council to
whom is conceded by their reiluw-citizens,
the character OF uuduubtcd integrity and
uprightness u carrying on tier own bust
ness. Do these gentlemen consider their
course in accepting twenty or thirty dollars
worth Ct scot. fees per month as a clearly
just aud upright piece Of business? The
question is not asked whether the law does
Or does not permit 1t. Outside of law there
is the moral phase Of thu affair. And it is
in this phase and upon the grounds Of NOR
alty and equity alone the citizens can ask
aud have any right to approach these coun-
cilmen whom they have respect 70 and ask
them whether they consider their lublic
position unassaiablc in the matter.
G. unci has given an option in the matter
of the number of commit ttee meetings it may
hold.
Unrestricted freedom is gwen our munich
pal representatives. by the people of vii
mimgton. Iu doing this t cit zsus plainly
implied the trust and confidence they wish
ed to place in their It presentatives.
1t is now notorious that that trust aud
confidence is abused iy tho great majority
of Council. II canbut be denied that the
CITIZENS of Wilmington by great majority
also are strongly Of the opinion that these
doinss OF Cuunclmen are a great wrong
against the people
The press of this ci'y is surchQrgcd with
Complaints, and, councilwalds no honest
equitable explanation u yird;cation has been
Civ II but psihaps The sinister one tlat The
code do.s moi restict the number Of com.
mitlee m,,tirgs!
II is l'i iful that the Z od mel III couroi
resort TO such Il msy arm n, or fence them
stlves in by such negative Argument. The
del'ncc is the weakest that any man of in
te2rty dare ad pit. Beca 80 rhcra is no
written statute nga nst III. ,xc !, therefore
thesa m N exceed the unwrttrl moral ,aw!
Wonid any btnkcr Or Trust c ,uplry dare
stand upon su1h "latlo N in conducting
private business? Yet it is not considered
wrong, but permsSiole ii public tlust!
Where is there any consistency in such
policy. How eau these men retain their self
respect upon olowing such course
Are they not aware that at this moment
the passage OF legislation restricting the
nnm2or Of committee mecjnSS is due, that
the necessity for it exists, that facts demand
it, If this b SO, aud such legislation be de-
manded, its only cause can be ascertained
in the fact based upon the abuse Of such
free p piyegc by those empowered to call
any meet ngs.
This very feeling among the cit zcns then
should easily reveal to auy honest Council
man that there is great wrong in the
matter of unlimited committee meetings
even though there exist no law restricting
the number OF them. We cannot see how
any upright councilman can ayo a clear
apprehension of e posicuI, nad cunse-
quently, how any Of them dare compromise
with their conscience in the matter.
1t is a matter Of notn,i,ty thar a g,u4t
major part Of the business handed "var 10
council committees could with fac ty be
settled up finally in upta council rnlt
practice is made, by wire pulling c5nuc /
men, by those aStntc, ,ioAs s-exp i,iol pa e.
men and politicians, hung for doilats, of
formulating, nventing and dey loplnr, out
of the most trivial mat er before council what
is constructed intp COMMITTEES busircss,
whereby committee me- tings are numrrJusly
created.
How plainly We "a SEQ That naught tut
technical matters need 20 % the con>idesa-
tion of a committee Ai,ti, NJ Dns mss Is
indiscriminately pas ,el over ald div;d d mp
among the various comm ttecs inmed ately
an industrious halr-dojlar hu ter can lis
cover any committee whose nam, bals the
slightest affinity to the matter unler con
sideration. Thus business is often rushed
through Council into committee VIII ch busi-
ness should be disposed Of in pu5lic meeting.
In this way each petty matter costs h IL
zens IS or $40 in addition, when al it