Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1897-10-21

and il would not he pnasihle for the
board OF iienlih TO arraign the Board
OF Education In city court. The
MAYOR is empowered and authorized 10
appoint the beads of departments and
Ia restricted TO the naming at two men
OF his own party. The four heahB,
with the mayor, constitute an advisory
hoard. Then il would be possible TO
got all the departments together, but Nv
1t ia now Mr.. Rossoll was informed OF
M effort mado fur a conference between
two departments to consider question
Involving S75, 600; one department was
willing and the other WAS not.
Under the new charter franchises arc
to be obtained by o.thirra vote Of
Council and the signature OF the mayor.
In advocating thu provision that
questions of borrowing nancy for the
city must no submitted to the voters,
Mr.. Rossell said that the estimated
worth III the real estate Of Wilmington
was SAC, 600, 900. lie did not know how
heavily IT was mortgaged, but he would
not give that amount for the real estate.
1t is heavily mortgaged, he continued,
not only by the owners hut by the city
government, without consulting tho
citizens. The question which comes
home to them ia whether they should
have right to say 10 what extent their
property should he burdened by city
debt. The city debit Inns increased TO
81, 600. 900 and $50, COZ ia nov spent an
nually in interest. The act creating
the water department provides in the
most oxpiclt terms that the surplus
shall be devoted to thu reduction of tho
h0ndeli deht and yet although since
1880 the surplus has aggregated sh0O,
600, only Sl35. 900 has heon implied as
the law directed. Last year the $3.50, 900
water bonds and tine SEC, 600 school
bonds which fell due should have been
wiped out but there was no money to
meet them and hill had to hn rushed
through the Legislature to authorize
new loan.
Mr.. Rossell touched upon the pro.
viaiun making restrictions ns to the
officers OF the city not being interested
in bus contracts with the city,
DECLARING that the moral principle in
volved was that no man can sorve two
masters; upon the molifir2 syaiem of
civil service, saying that the city gov
ernment should lie run as well as any
private business and declaring it to ne
a crime against morals and public
policy TO reward men for falsitying
election returns or causing riot at the
Court House and make the people foot
the bill. lie referred to and advocated
tho pension feature whereby the CITY
may establish fund for the aid OF
policemen or iiremon injured in the
discharge OF their duty.
In discussing municipal ownership OF
light and water plants Mr.. Rossel said
that in 1888 only five gas plants aud no
electric light plants were owned by
cities. hut in 1897 u gas and $40 cleo
trio light plants are 30 owned, and he
read q letter from Governor Mayor Pin
gree of Detroit 10 show the SUCCESS of
municipal ownership in that city.
By comparison with tho present
charter of Wilmington. including the
supplementary acts creating the several
departments, il Will DO found that the
corporate powers set out ID tho pro.
posed charter except in few particu.
lars are Identical with those now vested
in the municipal corporation. Tho new
powers given, namely, those 10 annex
additional territory, redistrict the city,
provide for lighting, regulating the
operating OF railroads, granting fran
chIses and erecting ard maintaining
libraries and other institutions for tho
Improvement ct the people. are all
mltteCliy essential 10 we'll organized
and progressive city and are proper
powers TO bs delegated by tho State to
a community competent TO manage its
own local affairs.
In drawing his speach to close, Mr..
ROsssll said that the roal Issue Is Eome
rule. and made the point that the
trouble in municipal affairs is due not
80 much TO bad citizens az to the hud
citizenship of good citizens The
Citizen's personal interests are more
directly involved in city election than
10 a national contest.
If the city is not ready for tho new
charter then he would favor tho re-
duction OF City Council to fur mem
and thus get rid of tho expense and
annoyance of an election, and the
mayor could lie named by the Chief
Justice of the State. Then after that
another bill could bs passed. to have
the mayor appoint the four councilmen.
The audience relished this bit OF satire.
In closing MIR. Rossell urged a revival
of the civic spirit in this city. The
speech was warmly applauded.
The proportional representative sys-
tenn aB IL prevails in Switzerland was
explained by Harold Su1ell. He gave
figures to show how the present systom
operates against full representation.
thus in Delaware lG, GOO DemDerntic
votes were cast ard 20 Democratic
legislators elected and II, 900 Republ.
can votoa were Gust and only one Re-
publican elected; or in other words it
took $50 Democrats to elect one logisla.
tor and it took 81. 600 Republicans to
elect one. To apply the systom 10 this
city in the elertion OF IL councilmen
each voter would have right to vote
for IL candidates. Tho first step after
the votsa we're counted would be to
total each party's vote and the grand
total OF votes, and this divided by ~
would give the quota, which in tho
illustration given was 94iS. This
quota is divided into each party's vote
and the party receives as many coun.
cilmen as the quota goes into its total.
As worked out in Mr.. Sudell's illus
tration the Republicans would have ak
councilmen, the Democrats five and the
Single Takers one.
On motion of Alfred Gawthrop a vote
Of thanks was rendered Mr.. RoGsell for
his presentation of tho proposed city
charter, after which the meeting ad.
lourned.