Evening journal., 1923-02-13
BETTER GOVT. IS
MAYORS PLEA
Tells Century Club New
Form of Administration
Is Needed
CITY STILL USING
OLD 1882 CHARTER

MuHlClpai tfnmenl was IN ?
theme of Mayor Harvey in an ad-
dress before the Current Events
Glass of the New Century Club in
the club house this morning. The
mayor declared that Wilmington
should have the best form OF govern
ment obtainable. regardless of the
form thar government might take.
and struck n note in favor OF the
ommission- manager form.
Mayor Harvey said in part:
THE most important current event
in Wilmington today is attempting
to get a better form OF government
than what we now have. For many
years this has been attempted. The
city is still using the charter origin
ated in lss2 when the borough of
Wilmington grew into the oity OF
Wilmington.
This charter We have been work
ing under for 80 years. 1t Is not
bad form and has many good points.
Since IL was formed there haye been
many additions made TO the original
one. These changes have been made
by the Legislature as the city grew
from little into a big one. In the
originsl charter the mayor was the
chief executive OF the city. and with
tho Council governed Wilmington.
But since these several changes
have been made, the powers of each
OF these city officials have been dl-
minished. While the Mayor Is still
the chief upholder OF peace. the
Park Board. the Water Department
and other civic departments have
aided him. Today the Mayor is able
to go around on such occasions as
this, make himself generally useful
and appoint commissions. The City
Council has 10 vote the money to
run the city.
Council generally tries to keep I
down taxes" continued the Mayor. /
while all departments OF the city |
are trying to raise the taxes. While |
things have gone along well. Council 1
hasn't been able to keep down ali .
taxes. namely because .here have
been so many demands on the city
during the last fve or six years.
While the people are getting a great
deal more out of the city than they
used to. assessments have gone up.
We Wilmingtonians run tie city and
most OF the county and Wilmington
provides three-fourths of the money
which runs the state. The problem
n government has become complex
and intricate State taxes have
doubled in the last four years.
I'm the last or % years the form
ot government by commission man
ager form has been tried out in
many cities. I believe that this new
form OF government will he eco
nomic II the right men are in Il. II
don't think" continued the mayor. !
that the new form OF government /
viii succeed unless the same form OF /
men that have been serving in the
past will serve in the future. II we
adopt this form OF government here
n this city and don't like IT, Il can
,e dropped and the old form re-
umed or a better one evolved
The Mayor urged the women OF
to become interested in
his movement and do all in their
-ower to get the most for the city
( Wilmington. concluding HIS sd
ress. the Mayor gave out some early {
istorical facts OF the city. and how J
was named after the Earl OF VIII
lingtou Wilmington. n. c.. he
Did his hearers. was named at the |
anne time as this city in the year :
739.
Current Events were discussed by
Iiss Josephine Prickett. A review Y
the book, "The Cathedral" by q
ugh Walpole. was given by Mrs. !
ohm G. Philips. The review was
ritten by Miss Lorena b. Emmons. a
usic was in charge Of Mrs. Clar-
ice W. Dickey. Violin solos were
ven by Mrs. Arthur McGeorge.