Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-07
FIVE COMMISSION
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The meeting of the civic organizations
with the Charter Committee, held in Par
lols A and II of the Hotel du Pont was IN
some respects a reflection of the arguments
that took place few days ago, when the
charter plan was being discussed by the
committee. When Leon Walker of the
Rotary Club called the meeting to order,
he called upon Colonel Sparks as char
man of the Charter Committee to tell the.
civic representatives what had been done
Colonel Sparks in thrn called upon former
u s. District Attorney Charles f. Ctnley,
who prepared n tentative draft of n bill
for a five-commisson form of government
which was the one the Charter Committee
had adopted at its last meeting.
DETAILS OF NEW CHARTER.
Mr.Cllrley explained details of the two
plans which the Charter Committee had
discussed. One of these cal q O the
election of a Mayor, and for that oifeial
TO name other commissioners, much siml
lar to the plan now in effect here. The
other plan was for the citizens To elect hve
commissioners, on a non-polltlcal basis
each commissioner candidate being re-
quired to file petition containing the
names of 500 voters of the city before he
could be placed in nomination.
The latter plan appeared from the start
of the discussion that followed to be the
method that the representatives OF the
various organizations approved. Nhllc
they were not conversant with all the
technical details of the tvc-commissloner
scheme. vet the fact that 1T gave all the
voters an opportunity to elect all OF the
commissioners, rather than TO elect one
man and Permit him to name the remain
der of the commission was favored.
The opposition to this system was sup :
ported by Colonel Sparks, City SOLICITOR
Huxley and Attorney Z. Warren Green ,
all Republicans, and who voted agm ST
the five-commissioner plan when 1t was
discussed by he Charter Committee.
Mr. Huxley told the meeting OF what
politicians could do. MIR. Green, " liie
opposed 10 the people electlng the tlve
commissioners, yet favored the eiectioh
of one man rs ayor and wanted the
decisio as TO which plan should he
adopted referred to a vote OF the people
| Their views were not supported by the
others present. not even by their Republi-
can colleagues. What politics WAS inject
| ed into the meeting came about through
| references made To how the new charter
! legislation could be killed when II reached
! Dover.
Colonel Sparks suggested that wher
/ the details of the tentative charter were
| finally drafted that as much as possible
/ of the the powers 10 frame municipal legs
| lation for Wilmington. should be piaceC
/ in the hands of the citizens Of tins CITY
! This would give the citizens an opportun
1 itv 10 direct their own affairs. wlthou
4 having 10 appeal 20 the Legislature
every time they wanted 20 make an,
| changes.
One Of the Republican members Of tn
! Charter Committee referred 10 the rep
1 rescntativcs present, as 'sllk-stockingcd
/ and that they did not represent the peo
pie. He wanted the question left 70
referendum
STILL IS HoPE.
AS a result Of the meeting last night
business men who favor 4 change ~ tn
| municipal government today expresses
little hope Of obtaining q new charter q
| this session But they were IN favor q
going ahead with the project and lct thos
responsible for its defeat bear the odnIu
Of II There were rumors atinat this morn
ing that strong financial and husincs
interests. aroused by the opposition Z
the project, which seems TO forecast u
failure. would strive 10 exert their IN
fuence TO rescue the legislation from dC
feat and, at least, see that i was give
a fair chance before the Legislature. bu
they realize, il is said that they mus
swing the opponents INTO line 4 they wei
to demand proper recognition OF the iegi'
lators.
The phraseology q the propose
measure did not please some q the dele
gates. who declared that the worur
was too general 1t was then explain e
whv this had been done. The purpose wa
not to limit too closely - duties oI re
sDOnsibilities of the CnrnmlSslor ers-
Herbert II. Ward said that there Is a
opport,Initv now 10 get a charter an
that the thing 10 do IS for the vaI1ou
delegates 10 get together on some iori
and then 60 to Dover 10 secure It's F'assag
by the Legislature
Senator lanes W. Robertson, a dele
gate from the Kiwanis Club, asked 70 b
excused from voting. Rev Zack Well
voted against the resolution as Offered
declaring that he personally favored IN
plan. but that he did not approve Of IN
CITY manager plan, which was posslbl
under the Eve commissioner plan.
The delegates from the Central Labc
Union did not vote.
A d. Warner made the motion for IN
resolution that finally ended the aTg'
ment. which was seconded by Mrs Cha
r. Miller. After the motion had bee
passed another motion was passed
elect the temporary officers as permaner
officers Of the committee. LeoI
Walker and John L Krauss, of IL
Rotary Club. were elected permaner
chairman and secretary, respectlvel,
Another meeting will be held shortly /
the eau of Mr. Walker. The adopted forl
Of charter viii be presented at the ne'
meeting.