The sun., 1901-09-06
COUNCILMEN'S TRIP.
Committee Report on Jaunt to
Jamestown, N. Y.
Expenses Were 5000. balance OF
1910 Deposited With City
Treasurer.

At the meeting of City Council last
night the committee appointed to prepar.
Il report on the recent trip to Jamestown,
New York, submitted the following
statement:
Wilmington, Del, Sept. S, 1901.
To the president and members of City
Council:
Gentelmen: Your committee appoint
ed for the purpose of preparing IL report
upon the proceedings of the recent con
vcntion OF the League of American
municipalities held in Jamestown, n. Y.
during the week of August 20, 1901, sub
bits the following:
Your committee attended the various
sessions OF. the convention and listened
we feel In;ir tnr ie-,ro,., -----.s4- AZ.
cd there will, in the future. prove of
much benefit to our city. We We're par
ticularly impressed with the paper read
by Mr.. Edward Bibler of Ohio, it being
an essay upon the charter OF his city.
We saw from it that there were many
good points which could be applied to
our city. We learned from his paper
land from the discussion that followed
the reading Of it, taken part in by sncii
men rs Mayor Samuel Jones OF Toledo,
Mayor Hayes of Baltimore, Mayor Har-
beson of Hartford, together with many
more representatives and leading citi
zens of the country that the only sue
ccssful manner in which municipalities
can be governed is by eliminating parry
lnolitics entirely from elections for cits
offices. Mayor Ashley Of New Haven
Conn. described the operation OF char'
ter built upon those broad, liberal. non
lpartisan lines, his city ut present being
lunder such a charter and from his state
ments there seems to be no doubt bn
that the bipartisan charter is the bes
lmethod Of governing municipalities.
Mayor Samuel Jones OF Golden Rul,
fame gave one Of his characteristic al
lr.sses, in which he pictured. as the Oil,
lpermanent American city one groundet
upon American principles: one IN whici
politics cut no figure and one, as h,
claimed, conducted without reference =
lparty. He. of course, is famous as
free thinker and a man without paft.
aud his views are generally efedlted q
being the result of much Thought AM
lresearch and he always commands tn
lattention of his audience. We learne,
too that our city stands in class Al
most by itself in regard to the source Q
Its revenue there being hut few cities !
1.-THE country which receive no reyenn
other than from taxation upon real eS
ltate. Almost every city represented a
the convention receives considerabl
lpart of its revenue from taxation G
franchises and other corporate propert
granted by the municipality to privat
corporations. We learned by our trl
that what Wilmington needs most is
new charter. enc that will place tn
government of this municipality as clos
, to the people as possible: n charter tn;
: will be liberal in its rights to the cit
lzens and thoroughly non-partisan.
From the various reports and discn
siouS that were presented at the CONVEX
) ltion we are strongly Of the opinion thu
D while q trip such as this to the annu
5 convention of the League of America
, municipalities is source Of expense
!, our city ycr the experience and knoN
Hedge which may he gained by coming
contact with various city officials NJ
y men of wide experience in munlcin
! affairs will he helpful in giving to w
lmington better municipal government
the future.
The committee reports that the tot
u expenscs of the trip amount to 1890, lea
9 ing balance in the hands of the col
II mittee OF $210. which amount has tt
a day been turned over to the city tres
i Iurer and placed to the account of in
= icntals and miscellaneous.
:. Thomas NJ. Monaghan
- James Kane.
y David j. Reinhardt,
IS Charles II. Blaine.
The report was approved and order
" filed.