Evening journal., 1915-01-04
MONDAY JAN. a, 1915
THE GIBBONS REMOVAL.

rFNHERE has been such a conflict of official and un-
official utterance with respect to the trouble
between the Delaware Child Labor Commission and
State Inspector William J. Gibbons that II is
Of time for any impartial person to attempt to recon
cile 1t. because It, is simply irreconcilahle
As view It, there three things that should be
borne in mind by the public Of commonwealth in
considering the matter. One is that the economic
and humanitarian fundaments underlying child labor
legislation in this State are of infinitely greater inn
portance than is either the commission or Mr. Glib
bons Another Is that the commission u.s. or ought to
be- Of infinitely greater Importance than is executive
agent tho inspector. And yet another is that with
commission and its inspector hopelessly IN conflict It
is useless to expect proper beneficial results to
flow from such State department Either tho com
mission or the inspector must retire from public SER
vice. with the odds in favor Of the retirement of the
Inspector IL the commission be properly constituted
As the inspector is servant OF the commission and
as It is his duty to work TO the satisfaction Of the
commission long that body directs his energies
within tho four corners OF the Child Labor law, it
would be departmental anomaly for inspector to
place himself beyond the and direction of
body by the favor Of which he holds Office
The mistake made by the Child Labor Commission
lay not so much in the removal Of Inspector Gibbons
from office in the manner in which il was done II
It had framed formal charges against him; served
upon him copy of the specifications; called upon
him TO them and given to him full and public
opportunity TO do inclined TO believe that
ine IttuS Nlcn To-Day oNStS against the commission
would be non-existent the vote of the commission
showed clearly that most the members we're of the
opinion that Mr.. Gibbons not temperamentally at
least. proper to hold the inspecorshp and
that mistake had been made in appointing him.
Unfortunately such formal action was not taken.
The commission relied upon certain complaints that
had been made to Mr. Gibbons time to time dur
ing the last year for its resort to request
for his resignation The further mistake was made OF
holding session Of public commission behind
closed doors and pledging the participants policy
of silence with respect to an exceedingly important
public matter that involved the interests of the child
hood of the State and the standing Of a State official
against whom nothing than incompetency and
ncompatabiity might alleged Those mistakes were
made understand IT, in the hope that they would
result in avoidance of undesirable publicity on the
of the assembling Of the Legislature and spare
the feelings Of Mr. Gibbons.
The result Just the opposite. The informal and
star-chamber proceedings used to arouse public
indignation against the commission and public SYM
pathy for Mr.. Gibbons Il asserted that he had
been proceeded against and convicted without being
accorded proper opportunity to appear and defend him
self Further contention made that the inspector
the victim of the spite of one particular member
Of the commission Those things flashed the length
and breadth Of the city and state and a most unfa-
sQrable impression created against the commits
sidN No immediate effort made to correct IT,
which another mistake made by those who seemed
to plae too light value upon favorable public opin-
lon. ThS result is that the statements and explanations
made on Saturday in behalf Of the commission will
never catch up with and overcome the statements
which previously had been sent broadcast in Mr. Glib
bons' favor. Rightly wrongly. many Delawareans
will continue to look upon him a victim Of depart
mental spite and star-chamber process even in the.
face OF the fact that six Of the members of tho
commission voted against him
That the commission made the mistakes above re-
cited and that Mr. Gibbons has been removed from
oh constitute water that has passed over the dam
None Of those things should be permitted to interfere
With the future effectiveness the work of the COM
mission in behalf of the childhood of our state AS
We have said before. think the objects underlying
the Child Labor law transcendently more important
than is either the commission or the Inspector and
that the commission IL properly constituted is in
hnitely more important than any of its agents We
feel however. that if the members Of The COM
mission find themselves confronted in future by a
situation such has confronted them IN the near past
they Will handle It differently and more formally and
with greater regard for that American principle that
defendant shall have his day in court; that he shall
know specifically of what by whom he is accused
and that he shall have reasonable opportunity TO de-
fend himself before judgment is pronounced against
him
Our candid opinion is that Mr. Gibbons would hav,
been removed. even in the face of such formalities
The situation had become such that either he OF IN,
commission mad TO gel Naturally when Il broke
Il broke against the weaker side. The point we max,
Is that Mr. Gibbons probably would have received les.
public sympathy If the commission had done IFS worl
in more open and formal manner and taken the pub
&c more fully into its confidence. While keeping in