The sun., 1898-12-05
REFORM!

i Many Of the letters received by The
SUN in regard to this Reform movement
suggest the advisability Of calling town
meeting. Two gentlemen have offered
their services as speakers but they have
not submitted any data indicating either
| the scope or value Of the data they have
4 Ia hand for such addresses. Glittering
generalities and neatly turned phrases
will not suffice. The workingmen and
poor people who form the bone and
sinew OF this move for genuine Reform
j will not listen to anything short OF cold,
hard facts and they will want them
complete and conclusive.
II seems too early for such meeting.
The information now in hand is too in
complete and diversified to net any good
result.
II the friends of this movement and all
who appreciate the need for Reform in
J, New Castle county will send in all of the
facts they possess concerning the Levy
Court, the Street and Sewer Department
and the Road Commissioners the affairs Of
K all concerned will be much facilitated and
the desired Town meeting will follow in
due time. The Town meeting will be all
right but no good result will be achieved
until the Guilty men, If there are such,
have meeting with the twelve gentle
men by command of the Court.
Here are some interesting suggestions
along the line of Reform:
1.-THE State of Delaware appropriated a
large sum of money for the maintenance
Of the First Delaware Regiment prior to
that command being accepted by the
Government. It is ridiculous to suppose
that any considerable part of this cum
was properly expended between the time
the fund was available and the date upon
which the Regiment was mustered into
the service Of the Government. The
! Legislature should inquire into this mat.
ter very thoroughly and see that the en-
listed men get what is due them or that
any surplus money is restored to the
State Treasury where, the Lord knows,
it is badly needed. It'is quite likely that
you will unearth new chapter in the
story Of militia rottenness in Delaware
Here is letter written by Mr.. G. L.
Ward and first published in Erery Even-
ing:
'It is time that some one made pub
lie expression of the universal dissatis-
faction Of the people of this city with the
manner in which the Wilmington city
railway is being run by the new man.
agement. For months past this dissatis-
faction has been widely prevalent and
I daily growing, until now every car
load of passengers on some OF the lines
resolves itself into an Indignation meet
sMy residence is in that part Of the
city which is most conveniently
reached by the West Eighth street
line and have observed its operations
for some months. | have found that
soon after the new management took
charge the number Of the cars on the
line was reduced onethird. The lay
overs that is the one or two-minute
stops allowed the cars and crews at
each terminus OF the line before the
return trip was begun, were abolished
in order that four cars might do the
work of six, and eight men the work
of II. The result is that tho people
who are compelled to patronize the
line are served in an outrageousIy In
sufficient manner. 1t is very common
thing for an interval of 15 minutes be-
tween cars to elapse. Intervals OF 70
minutes are not rare and even longer
ones have been known when there was
no accidental or uncomfortable cause to
Justify them. In the hour from $50 to
$50 D. M, when the traffic is heaviest,
the cars are literally jammed, men hang
ing from the outside hand rails, and
nightly many people are compelled to
walk because they cannot get aboard the
cars.
"This sort OF thing was never known
in Wilmington before. Hitherto this
corporation, though often and in
some cases deservedly criticised,
has had some sense of its obliga-
tions to the public arising from its
character as o public corporation. But
now, in order to cut down expenses and
pay larger dividends, all semblance of
effort to serve the public has been lost.
II ia time that it was made known to this
company that it is a public corporation,
chartered for the public good, using the
public streets and monopolizing one OF
the most valuable public franchises in
the State. 1t is accountable to the
people. If it does not fulfil its functions,
the Legislature may compel it to 90 So
~ trust that this letter may be followed
by others from the citizens generally.
That the discomfort and dissatisfaction
exists is not enough. Il must be voiced
and the weight OF public opinion may
suffice to produce results without an ap-
peal to the next Legislature for laws
regulating the operation of the road"
This is another abuse permitted by the
Street and Sewer Department. or Coun-
cil. This movement for Reform can In
clude all such outrages upon the people
Of Wilmington as this. There should be
more cars and every car should be equip
ped with fender. Wine and tenders
cost the same. Picture poor working
i man riding home after long, hard days
labor, hanging on strap or holding on
to the rear dashboard of car only to
learn that the very car that brought him
4 -, Il