The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1893-01-19
CONSOLIDATION.
What Mayor and Ex-Mayor Think
About IC.

In view of the fact that a committee
was appointed at recent meeting of
the Chamber of Commerce, to consid-
er the advisable and practicability
of the consolida ton under one munlc-
ipal government of the two towns,
Winston and Salem, the SENTINEL
has thought proper to get the ideas of
the prominent men in both cities on
the question.
Mayor r. B. Kerner, of Winston,
said, Just in few words, | think 1T
would be great thing, and it it were
submitted to a popular vote, should
vote in favor of it.
"One matter that would have to be
considered in the water supply. In
land towns can't grow without good
water system, and that's one thing
Winston needs, by the way. The wa
ter works of the two towns ought to
be consolidated, and the city take
charge of them. They are at present
retarding its growth materially. The
companies ought to surrender their
franchises on reasonable terms TO the
towns.
1.-The fire departments of both towns
work together splendidly. but if they
were consolidated under one efficient
organizatition, they could do better
service.
s'This question was voted on in 1880.
The proposition was then to call the
city, Salem. 1t was carried almost
unanimously in Salem, but voted down
in Winston.
s'Salem could be laid off in two or
three wards, and let these elect their
commissioners or we might just re-
gard the dividing line as eliminated
and redivide the whole city into new
wards, aad let the aldermen chosen
from these elect the mayor of the city,
as is now done in Winston.
The greatest difficulty of all, how
ever" continued the Mayor, would
be the selection of name. SaleD
wants ''Salem" and Winston wants
winston. Regarding the compro-
ward and not euphoniOuS. You have
to Jump a gullcy from one to the
other.
Each town owes its debts. and
some fair basis of apportionment will
have to be settled on in this matter
by the committee appointed by the
Chamber of Commerce.
whether in all its details, CONSOLE
dation is just now practicable, LIN
pot prepared to say"
EX-MAYoR MAST.
Ex-Mayor d. P. Mast said, ION
some accounts consolidation seems
to be desirable. I haven't talked
much with the citizens on the sub
ject, but my own opinion is that the
towns might be consolidated without
either losing it's identity, each retain
ing its name in the JOINT name OF
sWinston-S Salem | should certainly
be in favor of it myself.
1--WE have population to make a
city, fifteen OF twenty thousand, now
under two governments when 1t might
be run with one. We ought TO organ
ize on the basis of a city government.
sit would unite more firmly the in
terests of the citizens. We would
not have to stop in telling our popu-
lation to explain to questiOners. that
so much was WinstOn's and so much
Salem's.
II don't think it would be right tc
| tax Salem to pay our debt, but if these
little difficulties could be recOnciled
/ believe consolidation to be practical
| BILE and to the interests of both towns
Mayor J. II. Stockton and eX-Mayor
| H. E. Fries OF Salem were asked fol
their opinions on this subject, but
both preferred to await the report OF
| the committee of the Chamber OF
| Commerce before expressing an opin
ion,