Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-02-07
PRESS COMMENTS.
sCHAOTIC CONDITIONS.

The report and recommendations
submitted to the Delaware Generm As
sembIyg by the Delaware State Survey
Commission reveal a state of affairs by
no means surprising to the Well In
formed people of this State.
We refrain from commenting upon
the charge made by J. Bennett Gordon.
secretary Of the commiasion. that VIII
nington papers boycottsd his report
because they are controlled by the IL
nancial aud political machinery OF the
State and city. for that is more or less
personal controversy between Mr.
Gordon and tho newspapeip. There
has been friction between Mr.. Gordon
and the Wilmington papers for some
length of time.
But the revelations contained In the
report. the setting forth of the defects
in the existing machinery of the State
government, and I'm the city govern
mont OF Wilmington. are interesting
| They are interesting because they
| merely confirm facts that have been
| known 20 the people Of this State for
| years.
| MIR. Gordon in his bill of indictment,
finds that the newspapers of the state
| foil to analyze the State treasurer
| report: that there is no inventory OF
| State property. no payroll list of the
/ State employees, that state officehoiders
leave office with unpaid debts. Of which
they leave no record; that tho laws OF
| tho state are printed on cheap paper !,
that double taxation is prevalent be-
cause of archaic laws. that land x
laws are obsolete. and In fact about
| everything that could be listed under
the head OF government inefiicieney.
ann FssaH
agree with all of Mr. Gordon's findings.
we are quite aware that the affairs OF
this state have been sadly tnisma uaged
for many years In which connection
Il is significant to remember that the
administration of state affairs has bee1i
in the hands OF the Republican party
for approximately a quarter Of cen
tury.
II in a peculiar fact that despite ita
gross inetiiciency in public office thf
| Republican party IN the state. ana u
| New Castle county, has never been re
bukod by the voters, The Republican
Organization has had the situation s'
we'll in hand that il simply laughed a.
any exposures of misinanagement. con
fdent in the knowledge that the fol
lowing election would see the satn'
old Republican majority rolled UP bl
the voters of the state. And up Z
thIs time il has never been dlsappoint
ed Ia that expectation.
Many times In the past the Whining
ton Every Evening has directed tn
searchlight OF publicity and has brouEh
tho pressure of editorial criticism Z
bear upon glaring inefllconciea that haF
occurred In the Republican county 40
rniniatration of New Castle county "
can ali recall the old days Of "Bnut
site on Washington street bridge. N
gross inefficiency in the awarding 9
the contract for the Third stree
: Bridge: the extravagance Of the IL
J | publican Levy Court Of New Cnsti
county. as we'll aa mismanaEement 9
, state affairs. In the latter connection
1 however. IL must be admitted that th
4 administrations Of Governors Mile
, | and Townsend have been vast i'm
provement over many administration
az tho past. Democratic AZ well as ke
publican
2 R,,t despite these exposures Oh IN
mart Of Every Evening. coupled Wit
5 the fact that the efficient county BoV
: ernment Of Kent county had change
I a large Republican deficit into a ban
s balance OF many thousand dollars /
that county. the voters of New Castl
county continued, year after year. I
elect hte Republican ticket. Taxes ros
! but still they stood by the old Organ
ization However, the expenditure
d money had much to do with the resus
: DeIawareans haven't forgotten how II
0 Republican party bought a Unit
: states Senator IN this State less tha
: three years ago. by the expenditure {
. thousands of dollars which We're nevt
accounted for ia legitimate expenses.
Perhaps Mr.. Gordon's belated rspol
= will at last open the eyes Of the peop
u Of Delaware We hope so. at an
: rate But--?-Delaware state New