Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-12-28
Mr.. HASTINGS STATEMENT.


reoted to turn the surplus over to City
Council, in accordance with the law.
MIR. HAsTING's STATEMENT.
As soon as the regular business of the
board had been transacted Commissioner
Hastings said at is not a pleasant
matter on which am about to speak,
but one of justice to myself" He then
called attention to an article published
in EVERY EVENING, last week, headed
"Hungry for the Spoils," and continu-
ing said: "There are certain portions OF
this which l desire to call attention TO.
do not desire to be considered as MAX
ing a complaint. Personally, it makes
no difference what is said in this paper
about me, either in public or private
capacity. Ii my reputation as public
officer or an individual depe led upon
what this paper said | should feel like
cettling up my affairs and moving away.
II mention II because it occurs to me
that some of the data or some of the in
| formation on which the article was
based came from this room. | mean to
say that | cannot conceive how 1t is
possible for remarks to be quoted in
| this paper when no one was present at
| the time the remarks were made but the
members of this board and the two Off
GERS now present. l do not understand
| how the correct dates when these by
| laws were first offered could be quoted
| without the information being obtained
| from some one here who was familiar
with the time. October Sd is mentioned
as the date on which the bylaws were
presented by Mr.. Pickels, and that is
correct"
Mr.. Porter-"I think am responsible
for that date, but not for the making of
that article"
Mr.. Hastings-"T'he article says that
the matter came up again for the 10th,
the correct date, and | asked that it be
postponed because had a headache. j
do not mind the slur that is cast upon
me by the article, but do care that the
gentlemen whom meet here in a busi-
ness relation should give such informa-
ton to a reporter to be used for partisan
purposes against me. At that meeting
there was no one present but the five
men who belong here. The point
make is that it has always been under
stood that in cases where there was u
difference of opinion between the mem
bers of the board on business ques-
tion that the board request the news
papers not to make note of such differ
ence of Judgment 1t was agreed that
the public should have all information
concerning the business done by the
board, as they have right to have, but
that no good end would be served by
having details printed of matters in
which the board was not unit. l
heartily concurred in this arrangement,
and yet, when the first difference of
opinion occurred in the board find this
sensational article published in which |
am held up to ridicule. The informa-
ton on which the article is based must
have been largely obtained from this Of
flee.
"Perhaps it would be better, if any
articles recording differences of opinion
are to be published to print all the pro-
ceedings Of the board so that the public
may know the records of Us all. You
deserve the praise which is bestowed
upon you, Mr.. President, but you de-
serve no more credit for what you have
done than Mr.. Pickles and myself de-
serve, so far as our ability approaches
your own.
alt is unjust that one partisan news
paper should be given information in
| reSaIu W uelall5 as reueCtS On one pOI
ton of the board while the papers of
the other side are muzzled. | answered
this article to reassure some who think
are unduly agitated that so far as
knew the board had no intention of
allowing partisanship to control their
actions. have no reason to apologize
for my vote on the bylaws. believe il
was for the best. have no promises to
make as TO my future conduc'. Idid
! what believed was right. Ifcund the