Evening journal., 1912-05-06
Peoples Column
~WIDE OPEN CHARTER.

10 the EDITOR OF lhE EN ENlING /
Journal.
Sir: Section 13 of the proposed
charter provides that office holders |
shall be paid sums ranging from two
hundred to three thousand dollars |
Notice the reading of the section. It |
says officers shall be paid mot less
than two hundred dollars" mot less !
than three hundred dollars, mot less |
than three thousand dollars" have a
packet of modern charters, and not
one Of them provides for the minimum
sum. They each fix the amount def
nitely, or state the maximum amount.
cannot understand why such a prop
osition as this in Section 13 should ba
offered for the endorsement of intel
ligent people. nor adequately express
my surprise. Is It TO be supposed that
office holders are so modest that af
ter election they will vote themselves
too little? Does not all experience go
to prove that they will take all that
they can get? Did we ever hear Of an
opportunity being given that eventu-
ally was not taken? / beg of my fell
low citizens to read this section, and
search out the wisdom Of no limit on
moneys to be voted for salaries. / can
not explain this provision on any
other basis than an oversight But
mediate; you are put in a position
where you cannot amend the charter
even II this provision is an oversight
Councilmen are now receiving two
hundred and forty dollars a year
They meet once a week for about an
hour. | am told by councilman. True
there are committee meetings, and
time used otherwise. But the point is
this. What will be the effect upon the
council elected under the proposed
charter when they find that their sal
airy has been raised, and the raised
figure is put at the minimum? II says
to councilmen, three hundred dollars
is the very least that the city is will
ing to pay you. It suggests that their
services are worth more. and that the
people are willing to pay more. Who
can say that they will not vote them
selves a thousand dollars a year? or
two thousand, or three thousand? In
voting for the charter the citizens give
them power TO fix their salaries with
out limit. The point is not fair salary,
| but unlimited salary.
A new charter was desired for the
! purpose of having an economical min
istration. There is not from the be-
ginning to the end of the said char
ter the faintest trace of economy It
Is absolutely wide open, and this pro-
vision goes even further than that, fof
1t puts premium upon extravagance.
II makes possible the appropriation
of any amount of money under the
name Of salary for services. And mark
you again; Sec. 25 takes away the
power TO veto Ordinances appropriat-
ing money" which power the mayor
now has
Suppose any one Of my readers
were 70 manage a large business.
Would you put your clerks in the bus
mess for five years, and say. Now
you can fix your salaries at what YOU
please. but see that they are not less
than a thousand a year?" How long
would any business survive bank
ruptcy under such management Yet
that is Just what the charter requires
you to do. Is It just to our citizens
that you vote such a condition upon
our city, Is il wise. or business-like,
or fair7r
Who can tell us what the aggregate
salaries will be under the proposed
charter? We hear the cry going IN
for more taxes It will be louder than
ever under the proposed charter.
where the office holders are given nm
limited and unrestrained authority IA
vote themselves as much as they
please There will be need then of
bonding the city up to ten percentum
Of It's valuation.
But this is not the only provision in
the proposed charter that shocks COM
mon sense and bewilders al the auda-
city Of this document. In my next let
ter. to appear in ten days. for I am
called out Of the state for that period
VIII show how the proposed charter
takes away the last remnant of the
peoples power over the treasury. and
that If bad men should get into office
under said charter there would be nc
limit to public exploitation.
Respectfully,
George Henry Dole.
wilmington, Del. May 4.