Smyrna times., 1921-03-16
STATE INTEREST IN SEEING
WILMINGTON GET CHARTER
LEADING CITIZENS OF WHINING
TON AND STATE IN MOVEMENT
Review of the Work Being Done By
the General Citizens Charter Com
mittee in Getting Bills Through


charter for Wilmington have enlisted |
the support of practically every i'm
portant organization in that city.
Business and professional men, labor
unions and women's organizations,
have given the movement their en-
dorsements. The present effort is a
development of the movement which
has been under way for years in Will
mington to obtain a more centralized,
responsible and efficient system of
government.
In the proposed city charter now be-
fore the Legislature every effort has
been made to meet the honest objec-
tions of critics. The bill was drawn
by a Bipartisan Committee consist
ing of leading members of both the
Republican and Democratic parties.
1t was then submitted to a General
Citizens Charter Committee and
agreed on. 1t was afterward changed
in details by this Charter Committee
to meet objections. 1t has since been
changed again to meet objections of
legislators. In fact, the efforts of the
Citizens Committee and their willing
ness to meet all objectOrs more than
half way have been very evident from
the beginning, for the one big object
has been to get better form of gov
eminent for the city and to try to Sc
cure the cooperation of all in this re-
spect.
The sincerity of these efforts has
been recognized by all the important
organizations. AS an instance of how
united Wilmington is in this subject,
it might be cited that the proposed
charter bill has been endorsed by the
Central Labor Union, the New Cen
tury Club, the Rotary Club, the M. E.
Preachers Association, the Kiwanis
Club, the Business and Professional
Women's Club, the Wilmington Cham
ber of Commerce, Eureka Council, Jr.
o. U. A. NJ, Mercantile Section of
Chamber of Commerce, Washington
Camp No. 6, P. o. S. of A., Mems Club
of Hanover Presbyterian Church, Del
aware Commandery No. So, P. o. S.
of A.; Delaware Section American
Chemical Society, Consumers League
of Delaware, Hanover Christian En-
deavor Club, John L. Fisher Post,
American Legion; Christian Endeavor
Society of st. Pauls NJ. E. Church;
Delaware Post, American Legion; I'M
manuel Church Mems Club; League of
Colored Republican Women; Mems
Barnabas Clas of First Central Pres
byterian Church. all the Mems Clubs
of the Episcopal Churches, both joint
ly and as separate units; Delaware
Association of College Women; Will
mington League of Women Voters;
Delaware Safety Council; Washington
Heights Century Club; Wilmington
Chapter II, Woman's Order National
Association of Retail Druggists; Vet
erans> of Foreign Wars, Jacob Ferdi-
nand Speer Post No. 615; Wilmington
Council of Jewish Women; Women's
Club of Peoples Settlement Asocia-
ton; Knights of Columbus; Athletic
Association of Peoples Settlement
Association; New Castle County
Graded Sunday School Union; Della
ware Association of Life Underwrit-
ers; Junior League, Kemery Studio
Club; Mems League of Second Baptist
Church; Mems Brotherhood of Mt.
Salem NJ. E. Church; Wilmington
Tulngemeinde.
The Brownson Library Association
is on record as having refused to en-
dorse the Charter. Other organiza-
tions are considering the Charter and
it is expected will endorse it.
The action by the organizations
mentioned above is enough to show
the widespread, general feeling of the
people of Wilmington for a better
form of government and their support
of the plan proposed by the General
Citizens Charter Committee.
This new Charter plan embodies the
following general fundamental princi-
pies: five commissioners elected at
large on a non-partisan ticket; the
employment of city manager; the
initiative and referendum; a general
centralization of the government; de-
tails of municipal administration and
powers of commissioners which are
fully in line with the best and most
successful practices in modern muni-
cipal government.
The cause of the general demand
for a better form of government in
Wilmington on the part of business
men, labor organizations, women;
clubs, and citizens generally, is the
fact that the present government is z
patchwork system. This is due tC
the fact that from time to time the
Legislature has created commissions tt
take over certain work and authority
in the city's administration, and dur
ing the progress of years a condition
has grown up where there is a lack o.
the coordination and Capitalization ne
r cessary to obtain efficient results. Foi
instance, one department might hav'