Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-01-03
MONDAY. JANUARY 3, 1921.
Promising Charter Measure.

A Promising Charter Measure
When the Rotary Clubs committee
an nav charter measure, after making
,nouising start upon its work, deleSaeon
he duty of preparation 10 committee
,ompoeed of representatives of the Dem
,er,tic and Republican City Committees
n.nv rood citisens drcsded a failure.
Tbev we've afraid that partisan political
.on.;dera.ions would interfere with the
xorl 20 such An extent that it would not
be possible for this bipartisan working
agency to come anywhere near agreement
upon non-psrtissn charter.
The result, however, is pleasing disap-
nointment. This bipartisan committee
h.. done its work WELL and in manner
that promises charter measure OF such
.Ycsllenoe that IL will commend itself to
all citizen. who are sincerely desirous OF
mch . change in our system Of sdministra-
ton A viii relieve us Of the evils from
which ~ have suffered from years. 1t is
vel, the community has such an oppor-
tunity for improvement.
On the decisive vote Of ten 20 three IN
,he bipartisan committee-composed OF
seven members from each OF the two city
committees, one member Of the Dem
cratic committee being sbscnt-the com
mission form Of charter was adopted All
he Democrntic members present and
rour Of the Republican members favored
this nl,n The other three Republican
member. favored the commission plan.
hut with mayor TO be elected by the
rcople and the mayor 10 appoint the mem
hcrs ~ the commission.
The commission plan favored by this
Encouraging majority Of the committee
- which. we understand, the support Of
he entire charter committee is pledged
nrovides for five commissioners, 10 be
chosen from the city at large, on ballot
free Of all partisan designations These
commissioners will organize and select
me Of their number 50 mayor. The plar
further provide. for the division Of the
-tv administration into FIVE departments,
,S follows: Department Of Public Affairs
Department Of Public Safety; Depart
ment Of FIanance and Revenue; Depart
ment Of Public Works; Department Of
Public Property. Each department viii
be headed by the commissioner detailed
bv the entire body for this purpose, and
zach will be in full control Of his depart
aent. The Board OF Education and the
Harbor Commission sre left as 81 present.
rhe charter also provides for the Initiative,
Referendum and Recall.
The work Of the charter committee
will now be referred TO the committees
# the Rotary Club and Of the other civic
bodies that took part in the new charter
movement, for their consideration. II
approved by these agencies, the work OF
putting the measure in shape for presents-
tior 70 the Legisls tsIre viii be Immediately
entered upon
II does not seem possible there will he
ANY serious opposition TO such g charter
measure as i. hereby proposed. It's gen
.ral features are sound and prscticsl. and
tend 70 the creation Of an effective, busi-
nesslike municipal administration. The
commission plan thus approved has been
10 operation in large number cf cities,
and generally, ii is said, with much sue
cess The city Of Trenton, n j., has been
under similar system for the past nine
wears, and only recently Mayor Donnelly
# that city, in an address at the Hotel
du Pont, gave it great praise. II would not
therefore, be an entrance upon new and
untried field for the people Of Whining
ton TO adopt this system Of administra-
tion but an acceptance Of a system that
ass been practically tested and found all
sufficient
It is hoped the subsequent proceedings
will not be DELAYED, and that the measure
will be prepared as speedily as possible tol
presentation 10 the Legislature. The de
tails. we are sure, may safely be left K
the working committee that already ha'
brought forth such admirable results. NJ
matter what these details may be, it il
certain that practical experience vii
make apparent some necessity for future
revision or amendment. But in its genera
provisions the proposed new charte
measure is most promising, certainly 1
vast improvement over the evil condition
our people have so long, and with sucl
surprising patience, endured Cordia
support Of the new charter measure by tn
people will insure it's enactment.
lpropos of the recent ministerial pro