The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1911-04-18
LIQUOR PLAYING A
PROMINENT PART
At Commission Primary
in Wilmington Today
LETHARGY AMONG VOTERS

66 tbtbtbOt utUt WV ~ GtsO
Candidates for Commits
toner's With Five Ia BE Chosen
One Of Them a WhisLey Salesman.
Who the Others Are Most fake1y 10
Win-Chance in Police Chief Prob
ablc-NOt as Much Interest i'm F2ec-
ton As should Be.
Especial to News and CbserVer.)
Wilmington. April 17.-The pri-
mary to nominate candidates 10 be
voted on in the regular city election
May 1st Will be held tomorrow and,
although there are twenty-fonr can
didates III the ace for commissioner
from the different wards. bat little
interest has been shown. less in fact
Inan IN Il primary held here dur
ing the past ten years. The citizens
appear not 10 have Vet awakened to
the Importance OF the necessity Of
electing the very best men TO look
after the affairs Of the city for under
the new plan the tive commissioners
will have absolute control and. III
addition to the regular city income Of
S225,O00 per year. bonds were voted
a few years aGo for $500. 00o for street
improvements and for sewerage and
this money is to be expended. Their
will be no check upon the commission
whatever except the recall which can
be taken advantage Of where one
third Of the registered voters sign a
petition for such recall.
Liquor in The Contest.
rs usual. the liquor question has
played q prominent. part in the con
test, although it has been done in q
very quiet name 1t IS n well recog-
nized fact that the anti-prohibitionists
are overwhelmingly in the majority
and there is no doubt about them
placing in office the men they de-
sire. The mayor now has nothing to
do with the trial of cases but he will
have it in his power to require the po-
Ice department to be Nigilant and in
this way the liquor interests would be
affected. h unuSua feature OF the
race is. that there are no regular
tickets and no complete ticket has
been openly, at least, e~spoused.
1t now looks like there viii be no
doubt about the following candidates
being anon the ten that VIII be noin-
mated tomorrow:
First ward. w. L. West, whiskey
salesman, and at present member OF
The board of aldermen Second ward,
William f. Springer, wholesale and
retail hardware merchant, former
III VI bodiN VI tHiNS
mayor and at present chairman OF
police and fire commission; Third
ward, =. A. Merritt coa and wood
business: Fourth ward. Walter e.
Iopp, undertaken, member OF the
board. OF aldermen; Firth ward. Nj. 9.
Der OF board Of aldermen n for
several years past has been member
OF board Of audit and finance.
Springer or Tiencken for Mayor
The general opinion is that William
J.. Springer or NJ. G.. Tiencken Will
be hosen mayor. the hance favor
ing Springer. Under the new law the
candidate for Commissioners receiving
the highest number OF votes becomes
mayor.
The commission government act
make 1t q misden1eanor to make any
promises during the campaign relative
to political Offices and the result has
been but little has been said about
the many city Offices. The most lucra-
tive office for some years has been
thai Of city attorney, there being no
fixed salary other than 5000 per year.
but with the fees paid for appearing
in various cases. commissions Tor
looking into the collection Of back
taxes, etc. has made the office worth
about &2.50O per year. The commits
sioners will probably put the office
on q fat salary basis. It is said that
ex-Mayor A G. Ricaud IS slated for
this office If certain of the commits
sioners are elected, and Herbert Nc
Clammy, EaQ.. city attorney at the
present time, il is aid has not given
up hope Of securing another term.
Probable Change in Police Chief.
The likelihood Of a change IN the
office Of chief Of police is regarded as
very probable. At the present time
y J. Williams is chief and has held
the office since 1905.
A Giddy Girl.
Baltimore Arnerican.1
&c x,p. danDGfec of a prApris3I