Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-06-10

in cold storage ut the very outset and
half dozen times thereafter, but Presl-
dent Lyon might as we'll have saved his
voice, because the handclapping broke
out again and again despite his efforts
and those of Chairman of the Finance
Committee Robertson, who cautioned
the audience that all hands present were
Americans and ought to act like such,
by giving the other fellow a square deal
The grand inqulsitor of the evening
| was Mr.. Robertson and he had able as
sistants and coadjutors in the persons
of Councilmcn Abbcrger, Ward and
Cathcart They bombardcd the com
| missoners with query after query, some
of which were almost vitriolic in their
capacity to eat beneath the surface OF
things. And alongside MIR. Robertson
sat Robert G.. Hartman, counsel Tor the
opponents of the 7-cent order, dong
assiduous duty as an ammunition factory
| for the chairman of the finance committee,
who might be likened to the big gun OF
the battle. T.. NJ. Davis, head OF the
| Non-Partisan League, sat beside Mr.
| Cathcart and made bullets for him, while
others in various parts OF the chamber
| also engaged in similar munitions business.
| In the breach. where the shells flew
| thckcst. stood land sometimes sat) the
president OF the utilities commissioners,
! Richard {. McAlulen. lie bore the
brunt of the opposition's onset, by reason
of his office. Question alter question was
hurled at him IN the corner where the
commissioners elected to sit, and save
for few isolated Instances, he did all
the answering for himself and his col
leagues Commissioner GarrctSon was
the chief ammunition maker for has side
and City Solicitor Bayard appeared oc
casionalv on the skirmlsh line on behalf
of the commissioners.
OVER THE Tor.
From the very Start-of, 1t was PLAIN
10 be seen that the commissioners were
to bc let in for tremendous grllllng,
and that things were to- DC more or less
one-Sidcd. Petitions OF protest from BOB
Pullman employees and % residents of
Marskalton having been read, President
LYON asked MIR McMullcn, as president
OF the board of commissioners, to make
report of that hody's findings IN the
carfare matter. Mr. McMullen responded
that he did cot know this had been asked
in the summons for the board to appear
and the case was instantly nj issue.
Informed that a report was what the
councilmcn wanted. the bone OF cdnten-
| the commission : findings.
Then came few preliminary questions
| from Councilman Ward, while Mr. Rob-
! crtSOn was Numbering hls batteries Tor
| act ion. He wanted to know II the com
| mission had gone back as far rs four
wears in hunting through the traction
( conpany's books concerning dchcitS.
! He was told that the company state
! ments for the past three months only
! had been examined Asked # that had
/ been deemed sufficient. Mr.. McMullen
| SAID that the commission had worked
| through it's engineer expert.
Then Mr. Robertson began firing. FIRST
! he wanted to know what WAS the under
/ standing the commissioners had 81 their
| duties and Mir McMullcn started IN 70
/ read parts OF section ,, paragraph 81
| the acting creating the commission, which
! defines the cOmmission's sphere OF power
| and action.
WHERE DID DUTY LIE THE QUESTION
Do YOU feel that your hrst duty IS TO
the public or the traction company?
then demanded Mr. Robertson Mr.
McMullen sand that in the first place be
wasn't interested in the traction com
pany. but was pressed 70 he more eN-
pliclt. finally responding that he ''couidn t
take sides To this he later added that
AZ a sworn public ofciAl he felt he had
done his duiy by the city in voting for
the 7-cent fare. Ii was Ut this point that
MIR. Robertson admonlshcd the spectators
agalns: showing p9rtlSanshlp some Of
. them were whIstlIag derisivel v-and urged
s,illIarc treat ment toy Americans 70 Amerl-
cans.
Then Mr.. Robertson asked 8 series
OF questions designed TO bring out this
! matter OF duty still more clearly and
/ Slr McMullen said that he telt the
/ intluations II the dulzzlng 70 be IN
Just and that if any person thought the
/ commission had not taken to heart the
! matter Of the increase the thought was q
( very mistaken one.
/ The ensuing budget Of queries con
/ cerned what, if anything the commits
! soners had done for the public benefit
i with regard to the traction company.
/ Reply was that the company attention
| had been called 10 certain Deficiencies IN
| the matter Of extra cars and service I'M
! provcments. but that no drastic action
| such as putting men IN !aIl-h been
taken because il was felt the company
was doing as we'll as could be expected.
! As to cleaner and quieter cars, that was a
matter possibly for the Board Of Health.
OFF or : NEW TACK.
Mr.. Robertson then took a new tack
He wanted To know how the hauls here
compared with those in other cities at
the same fare Mr. McMul en- responded
that the hauls here ". re- said by the
engineer expert to be short
is it justice, demanded Mr. Robert
son. at this, to charge The people Of
Wilmington seven cents for 4 shorter haul
than in other cities
I'm not familiar with other cities
retorted Mr. NcMulen, and besides
this is really a "a cent fare
is it far to make people pay fare
when no seat is provided the lnqulsitor
went on, and the inquislted said that il
was # il was agreeable to the company
and the people The query pressed in a
little different form, Mr. McMullrn said
Mr. Robertson was asking personal
questions. TO which Mr.. Robertson came
{ back with the statement that he desired tO
! show that the commissioners had done
/ nothing ii the interests Of the people Of
I he cItN.
/ Mr.. McMullen said they had IN 9Ig-
costing more cars cheaper fares, etc.
! They hadn't succeeded because they
/ Ladn power and money