Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-10

should furthermore be made responsible
for prcparinp and laying before the city
council the annual budget of the ex-
pend,turcs of the city. He should bc gwen
mowers commensurate with his respon-
sibiltics and should be the one man on
whom the spotlight Of publicity would con-
tinuously fall. He would be the one man
whom the citizens could fairly and squarely
hold responsible for failures and ih1i-
fcicncy in the city government u u nc
objected that this gives too much power
10 one man. the answer IL that ne u NOT ~,
hereditary monarch, but man 'icct1u
bv the voters If this is not su'iic'eti,y
democratic safeguard, IT may be supPr,
mentcd by q system ot recall which "ou'u =,
hermit 25 per cent of the voters to coInpei
the ,no,,or or chief administrator @t the
end of the wear. let us say, to submit ms
measures and policies for public review ot
election.
.'2 That the administrative tunctiohs
of municipal government in Wilmington
be distributed among eight great depart
ments of government ms follows
Finance. public works, water supply
public health, public safety, law, pupho
utilities education.
'3. That tho city bc protected by homo
rulo provisions IN the state CONSTITUTION
against constant Legislative interference
with the organization of the above enum-
GRATED departments. This would mean !"
constitutional prohibition on what is
known as ripper legislation enacted i"f
political purposes and not based upon
principles of efficient administrator ~.
"a By charter provinon tho Wy
Council should be required To hssien III
newly created administrative fuhcuone W
ono or more Of the departments eh'uhe'"'
cd Failure TO establish the prihciple Oh
homo rule and a limitation on the 'lty
Council IN this regard would leave the
State Legislature and the Council free 10
continu, IN the future the old polcy ol
ostobl;sbing now agencies to undertake
now functions without any roteronce 70
agencies and work already IN existence
| II Is not probable that the city VIII IN the
noar fllt,lr,, nccd 20 perform new fuhc-
tiona which cannot he included under one
of the enumerated eight departments bu'
e great changes should come IN the prob
loms and policies OF Wilmngtons govern
mcnt an alteration could easily he made IN
the charter authorizing the orgahKatioil
Of a now department to take chat9e oi
work radically different from that al
ready performed
At MERCY or LBGIsI'ATUFE
Nr Groom continued There Is no
constitutional guarantee protecting any
scheme Of government that the city 0t VII
m,ngton has or may adopt 1t has been
decided in several cases that the CITY
government is altogether creation :" th'
\ law In one case (Covlc vs. Mcintyre
I : Houston. 4a-lSSil II was stated,
Being the mere creatures Of the law, y
fthc citvl possrsses only those proporti''
which tho charter of its creation coui"'
Inon !, either expressly Or ~ Incidental e
its very existence. The legislature ma,
circlImsrribc a. extend the limits Of tn
corr grafton II may divide the city mt
t,wo. four or more cItics and give 10 each
s',parate and independent organization
the Legislature may enlarge Q
4 mluiEh it's territorial extent of MS iunc
ous or destroy It's very eH
lstence
/. The city legally and geographically - q
The mercy ~ The State Legislature
To meet this situation three scheme
have been suggested and adoptcd through
4. out the country
|. Prophlhition Of special acts relatnl
20 municipal corporations.
> Legislative grant of large powers IN
general municipal act which permits con
siderable scope to the municipality u
management Of its own affairs
Z Home rule.
Following MIR Green 5 address the We~
nIrster Club adopted 2 resolution II
dorsIng tho movement, launched hy ~
Rotary Club, for new charter for WI
mIngt0n