Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-11-04
ROTAR|ANS HEAR OF
CITY GOVERNMENT
p. Warren Green Shows Why Pres
ent System Should be
Revised.

The government Of the city of Whining
ton was discussed by Percy Warren Green.
at a regular meeting and luncheon Of the
Rotary Club this afternoon in the du
Barry room OF the Hotel du Pont.
Mr.. Green explained that Wilmington
was covered by an elaborate blanket OF
government agencies and claimed IN
study Of the structure OF the government
of the city Of Wilmington" di-closes that
il is a hodge-podge IA futurist concep-
ton of beauty"
Mr. Green said that the history of the
several agencies ms shown by the charts
made in a municipal survey OF the city
indicates that new offices, boards aud
commissions have been created from time
to time with little reference to existing
authorities, either as to- form OF the Or
ganization or the scope OF their powers
"The Legislature of the State, instead
of regarding the government OF Whining
ton as n single business enterprise. de-
irving its strength from the voters OF the
city and responsible to them, has treated
functions of the city government a. 40
many different undertakings to be dts
tributed at will. 1t can be safely said,
THAI at the present time, the structure of
the government of Wilmington is not a
democracy, due 10 the fact that the people
have little saw as to the various officers who
shall perform the corporate work, and also
to the fact that such officers are not
directly responsible TO them.
at cannot be said, he continued, that
any Legislature has attempted to develop
for Wilmington a businesslike plan of
government, carefully adopted TO the
needs Of the city Official duties which
should naturally he linked together under
a sir gle responsible authority are scatter
ed among several different agencies. The
secret OF good government, which is
clear and open responsibility TO the elec-
torate has been defeated. and com
plicated meshwork of authority has been
created.
A sYaIEM OF BOARDS GOVERN IHE CI1f.
''The government of the city Is prae-
tically conducted by boards or by com
missions. independent and unrelated.
sometimes appointed not by the direct
representatives Of the people OF Whining
ton An examination shows that there
arr al least fifteen boards and com
missions in Wilmington. 10 say nothing
Of the courty boards In a survey made of
the CITY scheme of government, the fol-
lowing criticism was made Of such agencies
WHICH ItElNIli
II Boards seldom show any real lnitia-
tive and therefore businossllke leadership
IN improving services is not 70 be expect
ed from them, They are a check upon
work, not spur to invention and ac-
tivity
- In addition 20 being drag upon
administration boards ard commissions
are so constructed that definite response
bilitv for action or inaction cannot be
located In fact. board government IN
general may be regarded rs q clever means
of escaping accountability and corse-
ouently criticism or blame Hence the
board system appeals particularly 70 3
certain class Of administrative officials
who wish 20 shift responsibility from them
selves
While the MAYOR is nominally tho
chief executive. his control over the
numerous departments of the city govern
ment Is very slight, for the reason that
he cannot appoint and remove the Of
ficers in charge Of several executive
branches of government Ii is impossible
for him to assume active and vigorous
supervision over the independent admin
strative agencies because he does not have
the power or because such assumption
would he regarded as an invasion OF the
rights CT the department. As a result esch
administrative authority Is left practically
free to determine the character of its own
work