Evening journal., 1911-06-21
TOWNSEND ARGUES
FOR NEW CHARTER

Continued from Page Seven)
how we may regulate our own pool
rooms, but has also told us how We
must regulate our barber shops. There
are numerous situations Of this char
acter.
%. It is very evident that the Leg
islature realized the defects in the
city charter and the impossibility of
preventing differences and legal ac-
tions between and among the several
departments, because at a recent ses-
sion ii passed an act which provided
for an Advisory Board to decide which
department was right when differ
ences should arise.
%. One city department borrows
money and pays five or six per cent.
interest for its use at the very time
another department has greater
amount in bank driving two per cent.
interest
"A. The acts creating the Street
and Sewer, Water, Park, Police De-
partments contain in many sections
almost the some language; and the
same condition OF affairs applies to
various other repetitlons in the char
ter. To make each separate act com
plete, this is probably necessary. but
in one act, covering the whole sub
Ject matter II would be necessary to
refer but once, instead OF several
times, to matters such as: What shall
constitute the membership Of the de-
partments; what oath they shall take:
what bond they shall give; how they
shall award contracts; how they
shall expend the moneys appropriated
TO them; what shall be done with
their revenues; and many other mat
ters OF power and regulation 1t Is
almost impossible to reduce the bulk
by amendments and If sections COW
ering similar subjects are eliminated
from all the department acts. and
elsewhere set forth, the remaining
portions Of the department acts would
IN themselves, be incomplete. On the
other hand. II you determine what Won
want in your charter, Il is simply a
question Of arrangement and there
will be little difficulty I'm inserting in
an entirely new instrument, all OF the
valuable existing provisions in the
present charter.
These are only few Instances
showing a positive lack Of reason and
theory IN the construction of tbt
miserable mass Of statutes piled to.
gether and called a city charter. TIL,
meaning of many OF these statutes will
never he known. IF there is any on,
present, who can pick up the Sinkins
Fund Acts and from those acts alone
tell what they mean and what amoun-
of bond can be issued Hereunder II
any one year. he will confer a lastins
favor on Judge Dillon, the world
greatest authority on municipal law
VINO has told me he cannot understand
e0em, and such person would ais,
90nfer an equally great favor OF
lessrs. Delafield and Longfellow. o
New York, who frequently pass upor
the validity Of our bonds and who ar,
guided by the practice which has beer
followed relative TO the Sinking Fund
Acts, and not by the law. Speaking o.
Mr. Delafeld, might say that or
one occasion when we were workint
together on city bond issue. he re,
marked that Delaware was conspicu.
Gus by reason Of the fact that II was
the only state which has no municipal
law.
In the preparation OF this paper
have made no reference TO and have
not contemplated the acts affecting the
city passed at the last Legislative ses.
SRA, as they are not yet in print. but
from Information given me. / cannot
believe that any material improve
ments were made in the city char
ter.