Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-10-12
GSan5af'SG Gsenmf Ye55sfdsy sSeg 1885
TUESDAY, OCTOBER II, 1920
Fm a New City Charter.

The Rotsry Club, always alive TO any
movement that promises good TO the cIty'
bns given practical attention 70 Snat
,r.str.t of sIl Cur municipal needs---s ne"
a,d effective city charter. At a meeting
A>st vrek the club adopted declarstions
Which sfirr s.rttIrg forth that the e-1is'iiig
ftun of government m our CITY Us Dad
nth no prospect Of relief except trorn the
Yxyiztatxrre. advocated such chanefs IN
rrr fundamental lsxs 81 VIII erafhe
Wilmington to make the progress IT justly
drrn susi II urges the men and women
of cor city, both Sc individuals nrio as
rnna11Yf,rrs Of e-ivire organizations to rom Nh
bringing Shout ttresse desired results
This movement e both pTactich sTsd
.tan,e.x Essh,w,Id chsIhnge the attention
,os our r.-yra-- szrd hold IL untd after the
rte<-t;ars--<t1rr- weeks only from to<fsy
when II shcss,ei resolve itself INTO general
and united campaign Cor the real desired
osyrct-a crnrrrAete nev e1ty CHARTER
ASSSrs-h cilsngrs N or fundazne-ftai laws
,.s vii ersbic Wilmington 70 MAKE the
rr,rr-Ss IL irlstiv deserves is the language
of che Rptarv Clubs declaration, bus All
Who are conve1saD3 with the Seuatlon
hrnr rurv--iIIng under our present esty
charter know that such changes should
BE- RADICAL changes, and that the best
change would be 70 an entlreiy new
charter
Prscticsi progress IS impossible under
the present charter. Il provides Tor a
Civ Council based upon the old and IN
effective ward apportionmcnt-one mem
her to each Of the twelve wards and
president elected at large-and TINS sys-
tom of representation has been proved
clumsy and inefficient for many years
The need Is for an effective body Of small
membership, chosen generally from large
districts. preferably from the entre city
without regard 10 sections somc prefer
this or some other kind Of commission
system. and others would hsve It sup
plemented by city manger. which plan
has been e1cccssfuI'y employed by many
cities. notably the city ot Dayton, Ono
At present we have s City Council
practically shorn Of al authority N the
detail Of city administration. 1t has very
limited authority, manly that OF making
the annual appropriations and apporbon-
ing the revenues among the numerous rnde-
pendent departments. And even N this
work of distributing funds it is hampered
by legal restrictions, 50 that at best IT Is a
peri unctory body, with only 8 limited and
Ineffective range II which 20 operate.
We have far too many independent
sgrpcies operating each within itself and
independent Of the others OF OF any cen
tral authority. THIS naturally leads to au
the evils arising from . lsck Of cohesion
and cooperation, and also from al ao-
snce Of direct responsibility. A change to
the commission form, or 20 srnaH CIty
Council elected without regard 20 wuro
lines, with co-ordlnated departments,
each responsible 70 the central authority,
bat with ample operative range for Itsef, ls
the kind Of administration that n needed /
in Wilmington. And st the head OF the Z
government should De a mayor. or q chief /
under some other title, with official func /
tons and authority, not mere hgurehead, /
az the occupant Of tire chief magistracy Of /
Wilmington long has been, 50 completely /
has he beeushorn Of his former powers and /
functions by changes II the city charter
No interested citizen can doubt the /
necessity for radical change IN our
municipal system. and We should secure
this change at the next session Of the
Legislature II can be done if the people
Will only take hold IN earnest. Let other
civic bodies follow the lead Of the Rotary
Club and take action without delay Il
2ught To be possible by appropriate Sc
ections from each body TO have capable
commission IL existence. representing
these bodies and also the present muni-
,ipal bodies, to take up the work Of charter
Immediately after the election,
md have complete and effective measure
eady for presentation TO the next Legis-
ature when il assemblies at Dover 10
January.