Evening journal., 1920-01-22
LYON PILLORIES
OFFICIAL LAXITY
Summons Department Heads
Before Council and De-
livers Sharp Rebuke
BROKEN WATER PIPE
NEGLECTED 8 WEEKS

The surprise promised city Counci
lasi night by rs president. George 7
Lyon. lnrned out to be a general dress
lng down of the city departments fol
lnattenfion 10 complaints mado by pri
vate citizens. Mr. Lyon planned the sur
prise ny silimself. even a majority o
The councllmen not knowing what wai
coming
Executives Of the Police. Street anC
Sewer, Health and The Water Depart
ments. summoned by Nr. Lyon, were
present, ana combined with the mem
bers Of Council and about two score Of
onlookers, formed an unusual array FOR
q session Of Council in committee Of
The whole so large, In fact was the
humber present that the meeting was
held IN Council chamber instead OF a
commitlee room as is customary.
AIr. Lyon. in a lengthy Introductory
sddress. cited The particular case which
had led him 20 summon the depart
ment heads. lie said that on January 8
he personally had received word from
the tenant in house at No. 800 Lom-
bard street that O broken wator pipe
WAS flooding his rear yard, cellar, side
path and the front sidewalk Mr.. Lyon
said he Immediately reported the
trouble by telephone 20 The Street and
Sewer Department young woman
clerk who answered his phone call as
sned him the trouble would receive
immediate attention.
Nothing was done. however" con-
tlnued Mr.. Lyons, "and later / called up
the street aud Stewer Department. Not
accomplishing anything there, ! called
Up the health department and the police
department Yet 10 was only yesterday
that the water was shut OFF. Meanwhile
n has frozen until there Is ice y inches
thick In tho alleyyay beside the prop
erty. the cellar is deep with Ice, the
front sidewalk Is coated with ice and
abe condition as a whole is the worst
have known since I have been presi-
dent OF Council. and ihat Il two ana
half years
The condition Of that property is a
disgrace 90 The city Of Wilmington
continued Mr.. Lyon, his temper rising
10 then cited a complaint made last
limo concerning another property where
the alleyNsy became so filled with 9th
and garbage, the garbage collectors re-
fused 10 pass through II without wear
Ing boots. And the conditions COM
nlained Of there have not wholly been
remedied,n he exclaimed
Its high time something was done
10 prevent Councilmcn from being ham
mered every day by indignant citizens
because city departments fail TO pay at
tention TO complaints Of evil condl-
tions'
With this lengthy preliminary, Mr..
Lyon called upon Police Commission
er s X. smith 20 answer why nothing
,had been done. sooner by the Police De
nartment with regard 10 the Lombard
street complaint Mr. Smith said he
knew nothing whatever Of the details,
and that a report OF the leak and ice
on the sidewalk had been turned in
by a policeman Tuesday for The first
time.
"Humph.-ihat was yesterday" inter-
iected Mr. Lyon. That's a long while
after January 9Th
Mr.. smith said that the police had
notified the agent Of the owner OF the
properly. and the water had been turn
"a OFF. He frankly admitted his de-
parlment party was to blame for The de-
lay.
Commissioner James I Ford, OF the
Water Department next said he knew
roihing Of the Lombard street COM
plalnt. but that one might have been
0lcj with a telephone clerk In the de-
fariment and forgotten. Sometimes
even telephone clerks are negligent -
Bee added
aIr. Lyon questioned II The Water
Department bad not sufficient employees
who could be relied upon TO care for
complaints Of citizens, and whether 10
was necessary for citizens 10 carry
their troubles all the way 10 the heads
OF departments before they could re-
ccive any attention.
"There has been aud is entirely too
much passing the buck between the
city departments" exclaimed the presi-
dent Of Council, heatedly "That is
what I am trying 20 show now. and 30
stop That's the trouble today with
Wilmington-ioo much passing the
buck II We had a commission form Of
governmental would be halted quickly
enough"
Dr.. II. F.. Ellegood. president Of the
ii. why his department had not paid
ioaion 90 the Lombard street trouble
epied as had Mr.. Ford, shat he had
before heard Of it. "lou '''t eX-
itet members OF the Health Dcl lrlmcnt
III 10 the work its employees are hired
lo do" he declared Il do not con-
slider your sttitude any reflection on the
Health Board.
Dr.. Elegood did not however. deny
categorically the charge that the depart
ment was partly responsible for the
failure to act promptly.
When Frank W Pierson. City Street
Commissioner was asked by President
Lyon. what he knew Of The Lombard
street food. he very promptly replied
he had himself received a complaint Of
It over the telephone. He added he had
told the person making the complaint
that the remedy lay with the Water De-
partment and had had the telephone