Evening journal., 1919-02-13

borne by the State Council OF Defense,
in connection with this matter2
GOVERNOR TowNSEND-None what
ever that | know or No bills have been
paid as yet. | would like to have the
opinion OF the gentlemen present We
can express ourselves frcnkly.
MR.. RAsKOB-Mr. chairman. at the
time the Spanish "Flu" broke out, ]
was out Of the city and the Mayors
committee, which is the city commit
tee. I understand. were before the City
Council and asked for an appropriation
or funds 10 cover the cost Of lighting
this epidemic. And for some reason not
known 10 me at the time, Council re-
fused assistance. which is, as | under
stood e. And the next day they had a
meeting in the Street and Sewer De-
partment room, thing II was. and they
called me over Within twenty-fOur or
forty-eight hours the epidemic had
reached an alarming state. so / told the
Mayor and the members Of his COM
mittee there was no time 20 bubble
over the matter OF paying the bills, that
II the City Council didn't pay the bills
they would have to be paid by some
one else, but, II they wanted some su-
thority 10 go ahead TO go ahead. and
that I would see that they were re-
lieved OF any personal responsibility
In II, So they Immediately formed
their subcommittee and went ahead
and fortunately acted very quickly and
lost no time in getting the thing under
control. In fact, the government OIL
GERS who came here later. were very
high In their praise Of Mr.. Lawson's
committees. particularly that headed
by Mr.. Topkls, and they thought the
Wilmington situation had been handled
better than that Of any other city or the
country / Immediately asked DR.. Wells
whether, In conjunction with the Board
OF Health, he wouldn't help Mr.. Top
kis In keeping as close as check as pos
slble, TO keep In a thoroughly practical
way, the expenditures necessary TO be
made. And the bills. aggregatlng about
$4,000, have been presented. through
Mr.. Wells and Mr.. Topkis' report, TO
the Mayor, Of how the situation YVES
handled. Personally, ] think there is
no question but that the City Council
should pay those bills. and think the
people are unanimous in that.
MR. ROBERTSON: You evidently
didn't understand the situation. The
Mayors letter 10 the Governor does the
Council an injustice
MIR nASKOB-I don't mean 20 criti-
else the Council, Mr.. Robertson.
MR. R0BEnTSON-The situation Is |
this: A few Of the members Of the |
Board Of Health, about three or four, |
asked for a hearing before the Council /
as a committee as a whole, which re- |
quest was granted so far as the mem |
bers present were concerned. There |
were not more than half OF the mem |
bers present at that meeting. And the
question was asfed as TO whether this /
thing would be taken up by the State /
Council Of Defense and whether the
State Board Of Health would enter into |
this thing. We were assured that the
state Council Of Defense had already
taken cognizance Of the matter and had
entered into Il, and did because not only
Wilmington was effected, but the whole /
State was effected. There are two sug-
gestiOns that present themselves: That
as this was a Statewide matter. II
would have TO be looked after, not only
by the Board Of Health Of Wilmington,
but by the State Board OF Health and /
by the State Council OF Defense as well, |
and that the logical thing 10 do would /
be 10 pay all bills out of the State /
Treasury. or, the different counties TO /
pay those bills through their Levy
Courts. For this reason, the city OF
pays three-fourths Of thel
revenue Of the State OF Delaware. 10
also pays three-fourths Of the revenue
Of New Castle county. and the only
fair way for the people OF the State.
who were entirely effected by the mat
Ter, would be TO have those bills paid
by the source into which all the peo-
pie paid. Now the city Of Wilmington
IS not only called upon TO pay about
Of the revenue OF this
state and about three-fourths Of the
revenue Of this county for the running
lf those different branches Of govern
nent, but they are also called upon to
1ay every penny for running Of our
,ity government / think any man will
lgree with me that the proper place
rom whence TO draw funds 10 pay
hose bills would be from the State
Treasury. for the reason that all have
)een effected by the epidemic.
GOVERNOR TOWNSEND-Then It is
lour feeling that the City Council
hould not pay the bills?
MR. ROBERTSON-Ye for the reason
hat we pay our share into the State
and into the county treasury.
I we have to pay for the cost OF this
,pidemic in the city Of Wilmington and ,
he State Council Of Defense pays the
.ost out OF the State treasury for the !
Expense OF the epidemic In the other
,arts Of the State, Wilmington viii not
inly have paid her own In full, but she ,
will have paid three-fourths OF the
lther as well. ,
GOVERNOR TOWNSEND-But sup !
,ose you put It this way: II the State ,
,Ouncll OF Defense has not paid the ex-
,ense in any other part OF the State,
hen would you still think that the J
tate Council OF Defense should pay the
bill?
MIR. .ROBERTSON-Wilmington wants
o bear her share.
MIR RASKOB-If those people have :
ONE forward and paid their debts |
Without calling on the treasury's funds, 2
Ia YOU stlll feel that Wilmington 9
houldnt put her hands into her pock-
is?
MIR. ROBERTSON-I say that the
tate Council Of Defense should not be :
ompelled TO pay all those bills. =,
A MEMBER-Mr. Robertson, we had
N idea or thought that the State Coun-
n M Defense would pay IL and we had
N. "a - H. slt.as