Evening journal., 1920-03-31
NON-PARTISAN
/, BOARD OPPOSE
w. p. Bancroft Writes Mayor
|, Taylor Urging Change In
appointing System
BELIEVES 1T WOULD
IMPROVE EFFICIENCY

D6SeS MS etdi vi OA thS bAouAAu 'Aob sON
many changes take place In the work
ing stan OF the board whenever there
is a political change In city admins
tration.
In his letter TO Mayor Taylor. Mr..
Bancroft also tincloses correspondence
on the same subject which he held
last year with John w. Lawson and
Mr.. Taylor, while they were candidates
for the Mayoralty. The letters as
given out by Mr.. Bancroft are as
follows:
'3rd Mo. goth. 1920.
William G. Taylor.
Mayor OF Wilmington.
Dear friend:-
Before our last municipal election,
addressed q letter as follows to John
w. Lawson and thee. You were re-
spectively the candidates for Mayor OF
our two great political parties.
John w. Lawson,
William C. Taylor
18Th Mo. 26th, 1919.
Dear friends -
II am writing 1nithis way. and will
send a copy Of this letter 10 each,
because I wish TO say the same thing
60 each or you.
1T seems to me that a different
course by our Mayors from what has
usually been pursued would do much
TO promote efficiency in our city
affairs.
"Our mayors have usually seemed TO
consider themselves under obligation 10
give preference in appointments to such
as are considered members OF their par
ties. do not say this has been with
out exception or Limitation.
where there are three commission
ers the law requires that they shall not
all be Of one political party, but II does
not require that whenever the mayor
can make it so the majority shall be
Of his party. Making 1t so often en-
courages and promotes partlsanship in
the appointments made by the COM
missions.
IN appointments TO membership OF
the Board OF Health, the Mayor has
power TO make all the appointments
from his party. They have done So
This has caused a general change in
the employees Of that board whenever
there has been a change In the party
anlliations Of the mayor making the
appOintment. / am under the impress
elUU lllAA 10 has EUllt ~ AaA NlAah W.
male employee OF the board has usually
been changed. II the mayors in making
appolntments to the Board Of Health
could do It with a very evident inten-
ton That 10 should be nonpartisan, IL
might be an almost permanent body,
and such change would add much TO It's
efficiency.
II would like, in voting, TO be able
TO consider that II was for a candidate
who would so act as to promote bet
ter conditions in these respects. Can
YOU not each OF you promise me that
IL he should be elected. this will be
the case while he Is in office?
81 do not know that l VIII desire 70
publish this letter or your responses,
but l would like to feel at liberty to
do so.
"NNf. p. BANCROFT"
Il received courteous replies from
Won. but there was nothing in them
that would allow me TO consider that
If either Of YOU were elected, the
course pursued would be likely to be
different from what has been the case.
I responded as follows. and your let
ters and mine were published.
10Th Mo. 2nd. 1919.
John w. Lawson,
William G. Taylor,
Dear Frlends:-I have received
your responses to my letter OF the 26ih
+ ultimo. l am sorry you could not, each
Of YOU, promise more as to non-parti-
sar. appointments, and as to appoint
ments which would be likely to be
followed by less partlsanship and more
efficiency III subordinate appointments.
in conversation with each Of you,
YOU both emphasized the need OF
changes in the City Charter, which
would lessen the partisanship and pro-
mote efficiency ! agree with you as
TO the great need Of such changes, but
even without such Improvements In
the Charter, II The appointments by
mayors were as clear Of partlsanship
as the present laws allow, there would
be a very great improvement In con-
ditions. The laws do not require that
wherever the mayor can make 1t so,
t1No-thirds Of the members of the COM
missions shall be Of his party, nor that
all the members OF the Board Of Health,
or even any OF them, shall be so.
whichever Of you shall be elected.
shall look and hope for care that ap-
pointees shall be efficient. / wish
could hope that they will be made
without the care heretofore given that
they shall be OF the party that elected
the Mayor. This would add to their ef-
ficlency, and give more hope that the
city may keep good men.
II will probably offer our letters, in
cluding this one, to the newspapers.
They may serve as a suggestion to vot-
ers not to put candidates under partisan
obligations such as ! understand you
feel yourselves TO be under.
Respectfully,
"WNf. p. BANCROFT"
"The time has come when thou must
be considering the appointment OF
members Of the Board OF Health.
81 am sending this correspondence to
the newspapers again, with hope that
by doing so IL will promote the con-
sideration Of non-partisanship In our
city work.
II believe that II thou could appoint
a Board Of Health so evidently non
partisan that thy successor, IL a Demo-
crat, could more easily avoid making
changes therein. It would promote
what l think almost everybody would
believe TO be a great gain. and that
II would help. not hurt. thy party.
Respectfully.
be- 'NM. p. BANCROFT"