Milford chronicle., 1921-03-18
GIVE WILMINGTON A CHANCE


4 The efforts to obtain a new city
= charter for Wilmington have enlisted
I the support of practically every i'm
I portant organization in that city. Bus
Y mess and professional men, labor un-
ions and women's organizations, have
given the movement their endorse
ments. The present effort is devel-
opment of the movement which has
been under way for years in Whining
ton to obtain more centralized, re-
sponsible and efficient system of gov
ernment.
In the proposed city charter now
J before the legislature every effort has
been made to meet the honest obiec-
tion of critics. The bill was drawn by
a Bipartisan Committee consisting of
leading members of both the RepubIi-
can 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 OBJ
jections. It has since been changed
again to meet objections of legisla-
tors. In fact, the efforts of the Citi-
zens' Committee and their willingness
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 govern
ment for the city and to try to Sc
cure the cooperation of all in this
respect.
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
Der of Commerce; Eureka Council, Jr.
o. U. A. M; Mercantile Section of
Chamber of Commerce.; Washington
Camp No. 6, P. o. S. of A.; Mems
Club of Hanover Presbyterian Church;
Delaware Commandery No. So, P. o.
S. of A; Delaware Section American
Chemical Society; Consumers League
of Delaware; Hanover Christian En-
deaVOr Club; Jorn L. Ffshed Post, Am
erican Legion; MEMS Club of McCabe
M. e. Church; Laurence Roberts Post,
American Legion; Christian Endeavor
Society of st. Paul's NJ e. Church; ;
Delaware Post, American Legion; I'M
manuel Church Mems Club; League
1f Colored Republicans; Mems Bar
labas Glass of First Central Presby-
erian Church; all the Mems Clubs of
he Episcopal Churches, both jointly
md as separate units; Delaware As
ISOLATION of College Women; Will s
ningtOn League of Women Voters; s
Delaware Safety Council; Washington )
Ieights Century Club, Wilmington :
,hapter 12, Woman's Order National ;
-ssociatiOn of Retail Druggists; Vet :
rams of Foreign Wars, Jacob Ferdi-
and Speer Post No. 615; Wilmington
ouncil of Jewish Women; Women's I
lub of Peoples Settlement Associa- I
on; Knights Of Columbus; Athletic ~
ssOciation of Peoples Settlement; N
ew Castle County Graded Sunday
chool nion; Delaware Association of
ife Underwriters; Junior League;
emery Studio Club; Mems League of
econd Baptist Church; Mems Bro
lerhood of Mt. Salem M. E. Church;
ilmington Turngemeinde.
The Brownson Library Association
on record as having refused to en-
'rse the Charter. Other organizations w
e considering the Charter and it is
pected will endorse it.
The action by the organizations
entioned above is enough to show
e widespread, general feeling of
e people of Wilmington for a bet
form of government and their Oh,
pport of the plan proposed by the
neral Citizens Charter Committee. -
This new Charter plan embodies
following general fundamental nrl
five commissioners elect kfI
at large on non-partisan ticket; w,
employment of city manager;
Initiative and referendum; a gem
j Capitalization of the government;
ails of municipal administration IN.
l powers of commissioners which uII
fully in line with the best and ] nl
st successful practices in modern
nicipal government.
he cause of the general demand m
a better form of government in
on the part of business
I, labor organizations, women's
os, and citizens generally, is the
that the present government is
atchWork system. This is due to
fact that from time to time the
stature has created commissions
AXE over certain work and author
in the city's administration, and
ng the progress of years a con-
IN has grown up where there is a
OF the coordination and central
on necessary to obtain efficient
lts. For instance, one depart
I might have idle in the bank a
sum OF money, and another de-
ment might have to borrow money
1eet its pressing running expen-
There ought to be a general Dur
ing agent for all the city's needs
not have each separate depart
buying for itself, and perhaps
Ilng up on supplies, while other
-lcaI supplies were lying idle in
her department. Through the
e fabric of the Wilmington City
rnment runs this haphazard
cd of administration, built up as
suit OF years of tinkering with
municipal structure. Some two
5 ago survey of the present
lngton City government was
by the Bureau of Municipal Re-
n OF New York City and the fol-
lg comment was made, among
s.:
Not a great amount of space
ID be used in describing the kind
government which has followed
Sc successive partitionings and
pers1ng of public administration
Wilmington and New Castle
lnty ..... Chaos is the sim
st term to apply to il. and On