Evening journal., 1915-02-27
AN INSULTING PROPOSITION.


members Of tho Delaware Legislature who value
the good opinion OF the inhabitants of Whining
should their votes against the bill under which
the control of the markets in city would be
taken out of the hands Of municipal officers and,
through general act vested in non-resdents who on
joy the market privileges
The legislation proposed is an insult TO the inelli-
gonce of our community II is outrageous viola
ton Of the Home Rule principle. It is menace to
local consumers
The people cf Wilmington have a valid right to be
indignant that such bill receives serious considera-
tin by any legislator who processes to have the
slightest conception of the duty he the people
II would be better for city TO be without such
markets than to have them under conditions which
would place consumers at the mercy OF outsiders who
have no consideration whatever for the rights of con
sumers in the premises,
Let It not be forgotten that the people OF Wilmington
own the streets in which such markets are con-
Quoted; that II their money that created them
that It IS their money that maintains them; that it
is their money that dofrays the expense Of cleaning
them up after they have been filled with litter by tn
marketmen; that it is their money that keeps the
markets alive through purchases made therein, and
that If they free from municipal control they
might easily be used for the purpose Of exploiting
local consumers and increasing the expenses of
taxpayers There already is too much of DISPOSE
ton in that direction under existing conditions, and
constantly increasing complaint by Wilmington house
relative to prices they have TO pay for country
produce sold in such markets.
The sentiment in favor of the proposed law comes
almost wholly from outside city. II is confined to
relatively small number of who would like to
the street markets for their very own, regardless Of
the interests of Wilmingtonians Such persons seem
to forget that there is mutually of interest in those
street markets demands legislative recognition and
support
The men who are behind the bill now in Dover need
markets gave the streets to those who obtained per-
mits to stand therein and sell their produce. that
the power conferred to do so was right and not a
privilege Wilmington supplies the customers for
such markotmen and the marketmen supply the stuff
to be sold The weight of favor is the side Of the
city because the markemen a rule take much more
out of the city than they bring into it in the OF
money SO long as the railroad lines and the steam
boat lines are in operation the city do without the
nearby marketmen much more easily than the market
men can do without the city Let that fact be borne
in mind at all tines and also the further fact that
If the nearby marketmen persist in their market
grabbing scheme for the purpose OF getting rid Of mu-
ncipal regulation in the use of our streets and also
to create conditions that will enable them to sky
rocket prices on Wilmington consumers. such con-
sumers will have a remedy in their hands that they
will not hesitate TO and that they ought to in
defense not only Of their Home Rule rights but also
of their pockets.
Wilmington has suffered much injustice at the
hands of legislators in Dover. That injustice has
tended a long period OF time. It has cost our
people in the aggregate millions of dollars. To fol-
low such injustice with the insulting proposition that
we have city government here that is incapable OF
running couple of street markets; that the Logis-
iature a sovereign State must take charge of them
that delegate that control to the very per-
sons whom the city should be kept in position to
regulate the its streets and in the selling OF
foodsiuffs to people. is carrying the matter en-
tireiy too far Wimingtonians have right TO protest
against nonresident and self-interesed control o
their market facilities and also against the Legisla
ture attempting TO in the dual capacity of Legs
lature and City Council and interfering unduly and un
necessarily in what essentially the ciys inerna
affairs