Evening journal., 1914-02-10

come TO the verge OF bankruptcy,
and why to remedy the condition. the
commission form of government is
so rapidly extending throughout the
country.
"A commission form OF city govern
ment, with the initiative and referen-
DUN, will do more than any one thing
toward making a new Wilmington.
AS early as this, It ought to be
generally known that plan for a
commission form of government for
our city viii come before the next
/ legislature. Every individual should
do all he can TO increase the interest
of our citizens in such a measure.
The only reason why we have not a
commission form of government now
is because the people have sent to
/ the legislature representatives who
will not lot the people say whether
or not they want a new form Of city
! government. This early, therefore,
/ the people should be awake 10 the
3 character Of the men they have sent
there, and to the kind that they are
TO send in the future We can do
nothing Tor the new Wilmington as
long as the people will send men TO
I the legislature who after being elect
ed, will work to suppress and to de-
feat the will OF the people.
"Only IA the last few years have
the people in any Of our States or
cities had anything TO say as to the
laws that shall govern them As a
result, taking our city as an example,
the very form Of city government has
fallen into shape through which IL
is impossible for public sentiment even
family to be reflected and the city IS
at the mercy of any form OF selfish
exploitation, If only an act can be got
through the legislature. Designing
men know this fact. and place in the
legislative body men who will vote
for their schemes. Home rule for
our city would prevent this ascendant
evil. Such things have been going on
80 long that the great masses OF the
people seem to be utterly hopeless of
any reform. But a new day is surely
dawning. In feudal times, the peasan-
try went with the land like chattels.
We have something very similar in
cur times. The peasantry does not
exactly 90 as chattels with the land,
but they 60 as chattels with the poll
ticians and the interests that have
dominated the parties and instituted
methods supposed to be profitable for
themselves and certainly against the
good of the people at large
"New civic organizations are perpet-
ually springing up in our city. These
are evidence of an awakened public
sentiment and a general desire 10
remedy the present abuse. They all
promise good 10 the city, and by es-
Ia f.N los 1--we
they can become mighty powers In
making the city new. They bespeak
organization. What has made Il pos
sible for a few politicians TO carry
out their schemes against the welfare
Of the multitudes? Organization. The
people must organize. They must
band together for Justice. These nu-
merous civic organizations can be cas-
ily united in one great and good pur-
pose Of elocting men who win stand
for a government not by and for a
few. but by and Tor the whole
"All should desire a new Whining
ton, If for no other purpose than OF
sharing In It's prosperity There are
right ways and wrong ways OF work
/ ing to make Wilmington what Il
/ should be. Some think that II is a
good thing TO raise large fund, and
pay a bonus TO companies for coming
here TO establish new industries. This
Is good In certain cases and bad in
others. Suppose a company Is given
bonus sufficient TO pay its taxes for
ten years Would that be fair to a
competing company already establish
ed? Evidently not. Similar methods
have been tried in this city. resulting
in radical opposition 10 the establish.
ment of new manufactures. Indeed
IL is not necessary to resort to meth
DDS that have an element of injustice
In them. The opportunity Is before us
] 10 make the city most desirable 20 all,
and equally just and desirable for all.
MANY cities are making haste to
adopt the new methods of drawing to
them new enterprises. At the basis
OF the inducement Is a city free from
bonded debt; a city with a low tax
rate. These things are now funda-
mentally essential to the highest well
fare of any city that hopes to enter
into competition for thrift, enterprise
and growth. For other cities east and
west of us have gotten politics out OF
city affairs. and are conducting the
city's business on an economic and
/ Just basis IL is being demonstrated
that the continual issuing OF bonds is
as unnecessary as it is wasteful and
expensive. The spirit OF the new civics
s. that we have no moral right heay-
ily TO bond cities for personal and
immediate profit at the sore expense
OF the future. It IS being demonstrat-
ed that under business manage
] 81 a..
for what they pay I'm taxes. and have
the taxes greatly reduced. We are
under a continually rising bonded debt.
and an Increasing tax rate. How can
we expect TO compete with other cities
that advertise no bonded debt, and a
decreasing tax rate?
"Some say advertise the city. But
what shall we advertise? The state
OF the citys tax books? The list OF
unpaid taxes? The tax rate and the
generalization OF small properties and
the undervaluation Of large interests?
In fact We have been getting a
great amount OF free and undesirable
advertising in the frequent announce
ment of new bonds necessary, TO meet
current expenses, and also In the no.
tices Of the tax collectors. pathetical-
) ly threatening in their demands upon
citizens to pay their taxes. These no.
tices ottimes would be highly comical
If IL were not a fact that the condi-
tons that they portray are actual.
Go 10 any adjacent State and recito
the conditions, and everybody would
think you were joking or gone mad.
The Commission form Of government
will Of itself greatly remedy this