Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-12-14

era ticket, one-third each year, would,
i think, be likely to give in Whining
ten much stronger body. If the two
large parties should each nominate the
full number of Councilmen it would
rot tako very large number of indie
pendent voters to elect those they might
select as best froni both sides. i5ut
l believe the system Of nomination and
balloting proposed by the National
Municipal League would still more tend
to strengthen our Council. They pro-
pose that nomination shall be by petit
tion, and that the required number of
signatures to nominating petition
shall not exceed so.
| understand from A Albert Shaw's
hook on Municipal Government in
Great Britain that all that is needed
for nomination to an English City
Council are the signatures 10 the petit.
tion OF a proposer, a seconder and eight
other voters OF the district 1t mai ur-
ally occuis TO us that such system
would lead to a large number of nomi
nations, but this has not been found 10
be tho case. On the contrary in the
majority Of instances there being but
one Councilman TO be elected from a
ward each year there is no contest at
all-but one nomination being mado
The Municipal Leagues proposition
as to method of balloting is, that the
names of all candidates for the same
city office shall be printed on the ballot
in alphabetical order, under thetitle of
the office, and without anythin G to in
dictate with which parties they are alfili-
ated.
CITY CHARTER BILL To BE EXAMINED
A resolution was offered that COM
mittee of tive be appointed TO examine
the city charter bill and report what
alterations might be deemed advisable.
AS originally proposed, the mayor,
president of Council, chairmen of the
finance and law committees of Council,
and the President of the Board of Edu-
cation, were to be added to the commit
tee, but this feature was dropped, and
as adopted the resolution is simply for
committee of five for the purpose
designated. Mr. ssRossell drew the reso-
luton and Mr.. Neary moved its adop-
tiCD.
MI. Rossell questioned whether Mr..
Banoroft's plan of improving City
Council would render more effective
other departments. Nj. Bancroft re-
marked that a strong Councii could
manage the crematory.
MIR. Ro>sELL ALLEGES CRooKEDNEss.
The people, said Mr.. Rossell, have
lost confidence in the present city
organization. Speaking of the efforts
| to secure charter bill from the Legis-
lature, he said that a lobbyist told
| him: You will never get a charter
bill through; too much money is
against you; too many men are at
Dover against you, and if bill should
be passed, it should be the result of u
disreputable deal"
| For $1,000" continued MIR. Rossell,
Il could have secured the passage Of
the charter commissions bill. / said
to the gentleman who made the
proposition to me, i would not nay
you 10 cents to pass it;' and at the
same time | was sure that 90, GOO of the
city's money was present to ipreyent
the passage of this bill.
when l was told to take the bill
and insert the names of the five heads
OF departments, | know | could have
secured the passage of it and they
would have paid 81, 500 head. !"
Mr.. Rossell held that as good, intel.
ligent citizens they should come to a
conclusion on the charter question.
Frank Wcolley favored the retaining
OF the charter agitation under the con-
troll of the board and suggested that /;
committee be named of one or two mer
in each ward to work in the interest o.
the charter. He declared that one way
to get a new charter was to elect tn,
right kind of legislators.
W. d. Mullen, Jr., reported that the
Board CT Trade paper will appear afte
the first of January.
The board endorsed movemen
started by the Kansas City Board o
Trade in favor of the establishment O.
an additional cable line to Cuba.