Evening journal., 1909-11-16
Tuesday. November l6. 1909
NEED OF A NEW CITY HALL.


h it is not fit to keep even the lowest Of
human beings for night, bring to mind forcibly
the fact that VIC must have a new City Hall in
the not distant future. However talk about
new City Hall will not relieve the present situa-
ton at the police station. For years the cells
have been foul, uncean and unfit, and it is a
question whether any amount of scrubblng or
repairing new plumbing would make them
much better If anything can be done TO put
the cells in better condition, such steps should
be taken at once. The police station cells are
relic of old days, days when insane were cruelty
used in almshouses, when prisoners were treated
as animals, and when people did not have the
ideas of deoency and clean living that we have
to-day.
1t has been suggested that new building be
erected at the rear Of the present police station
for the accommodation of prisoners, and this
seems to us to be about the best thing that could
be done, for certainly the prisoners should not
beconfined for any length of time in the present
cells. The cells breed tuberculosis and other
diseases There is nothing about the cells or IN
fact about the City Hall that is suitable for the
present demands of the police service.
The condition of the cells will arouse interest
in the discussion of a new City Hall. Often we
think that the city should take big step ahead,
secure large tract of land and erect handsome
building as has been done in Trenton, N. ]. Let
the question of cost be a secondary consideration
We should not be extravagant. but we should
get what we want and what would be credit to
Hall should be built, it should be not a pioayune
affair, but large building which would answer
the needs not only for few years, but for many
years.
Men who have planned and directed the con-
structon OF public buildings in Wilmington in
the past have failed TO grasp the situation that
confronted them. They did not "size up" the
future Of the city. They did not realize the
probable growth Of Wilmington. As a oonse-
ouence OF this failure on their part we have a
I-sser in ru1fr
for room, and we had erected Federal building
which soon proved 10 be too small and entirely
inadequate. II we 70 have new City Hall
il should be ample for years to come.
Perhaps this pressing need OF a new municipal
building will bring home TO our citizens the fur
ther need Of an overhauling Of our machinery oil
city government. Our city charter IS as anti
quated as the City Hall, suited TO unprogressivC
times-out of date. When you talk to the average
man about it, he will be apt to answer that We
cannot get a new city charter because of "po
litics" That has been a trouble in Delaware
We have had too much politics Even now
during an off political year, some of oui
papers down the State eternally brabbling
about politics making regular tempest in Z
tin can as If the whole life of Delaware cen
tered around politics, whether this man or that
shall get the public Jobs, feed at the public po
litical crib
OF course the expense of the new city hal
would be great and there would be groans from
some tax payers but we have often said what We
believe to be true that is, if the assessments wer
equitaby laid, If the government of the city wert
run on an economical and modern basis il thu
interests of the public service corporations wer
not paramount in the minds of many politicians
in other words, if we were a little more moder
and conservatively progressive, the city woul
not be continually oramped for funds and w
could afford new city hall, afford clean street
and other symbols of good municipal life withou
any material increase in the tax rate
According to one of the English Militant Su
fragettes, the attack on Minister Churchill bv
woman with horsewhip is but the beginning ,
series OF similar attacks to be made on 9th,
British Cabinet Ministers. The offending w
man has been sent to prison. The assault, one
the Suffragettes said. was not an isolated ou
break or the work of an irresponsible wona
but it was an official act of the organized Suffr
gettes and was carefully planned. And by SUE
conduct the Suffragettes will furnish their opp