Evening journal., 1899-01-17

a reduction. The Board Of Water Com
can offer no defense. No
in christendom can prepare
and promulgate an argument satisfac-
toriany sustaining the collection by
this beard Of about $4,000 more than
twice as much money as 1t requires
for the maintenance of the department.
It Is a condition which is without ex-
cuse. II william r. Porter Washing
ton Hastings and Alfred Belts have
any defense, let them come out in the
open and make Il, that the water com
sumers Of the city may know what II
looks like in print. The Every Even
ing and the Morning News may ex-
haust their store OF argument and the
Whter Department win still stand de
.fense,ess before the accusing water
consumers. IL has no defense, and
meme can be set up for it. We have
it's own confession that it collected
over 100000 from consumers; spent
$4,000 to give the department every
requirement, and had a surplus Of $780,
900. These are round figures. but
they tell tale Of extortion which no
Ingenious argument of tongue or pen
can explain away. 1t would be dis
honest FOR the Every Evening and the
Morning News to remain silent with
such an inexcusab.e condition existing
in a public department, but for them
TO come out in It's defense is simply
diabolloal.
We have openly and consistently ad-
vocated the enactment Of new city
charter. We know that by 80 doing We
are running counter TO the wishes Oh
'officia,dom and to what certain large
corporations regard as their interests.
But Wilmington lis made up Of people
and their interests are paramount to
those Of either men who are in office
or Of corporations which are not will
ing to give a fair return for the ad.
vantages which they enjoy by reason
OF the corporate existence Of this mu
lnicipality. Public sentiment demands
the best form OF government obtain
able under conditions which are eco
nomic without bordering On mean
ness. IL is for such sentiment thai
we speak, and when the Every Even.
ing singles out John S. RosseE as the
object OF attack It does itself honor,
for Mr.. Rossell is recognized as an in.
defatlg0ble worker in behalf Of this
needed reform. He has labored, and
his effonts have been inteligently di-
rected for the public good. In no in
stance has he been a volunteer. In
the filt instance he WAS named by
the General Assembly OF the state al
the suggestion Of Senator Pyle, and
in this last instance the Board OF
Trade on this city demanded his ser.
vices and, when he showed a reluc-
tance to resume the work, insisted
that he do SO. and he did it.
But the Every Evening has made Il.
position clear. Heretofore 1t has been
beating around the bush on the new
city charter, but on Saturday 1t be-
trayed decided evidence Of hostility to.
wards the measure, and an apparent
Willingness to misrepresent the stu.
alton. The Board Of Trade has ap-
proved the Bill prepared two years age
by the Municipal Commission, n
acceplng the report Of its own com
mittee recommendingthe measureastht
committee had amended it. Thos'
amendments were that the limit OF city
delhi should be Z per cent. Of th'
assessed value of the real estate in
stead Of 10 per cent; that the advisory
board meet every week instead o.
every month; that the heads Of de
lpartments should be practical men, es
pecialiy fiettd for their positions, anC
should be required by express provi
sion of law to devote their whole timi
land attention to the duties OF their Of
frees during business hours, and tina
the number Of pasrolmen should b
len discretionary with CITY Council
lThe Board Of Trade committee wai
lmlly empowered to take UP the ques
ton with City Council and, If possible
secure it's cooperation ian securing tn'
passage Of the bill by the Legislature
The Every Evening undertake., In ia
attack upon the Board Of Trade anl
Mr. Roesell, to criticise a few figure
Submitted by the committee 10 TN
board, Illustrating the savings tina
would be eflecNed under such a charte
ais that proposed. Those figures wer
understood by al but the Ever
Evening to be merely prospective, an
were not In any sense a strict com
parison as to the saving possible un
. der the bin in the collection and dis
bursement CT taxes. The prosperity
character OF the figures however en-
? 4irelv ereapcg the attention of tn