Evening journal., 1923-02-07
LABOR WOULD
amend CHARTER
Tank Five-Member Council
Should Be Elected by
Districts
STORM BALKS
MANY MEETINGS

Labor Union last night went on rec
ord in flvor Of new City Charter
but with important changes.
At meeting in the Labor Tenn
PIE. Tenth and Tatnall streets, the
following motion was passed unani-
mously.
Moved. that it is the sense
Of this meeting of the Central
Labor Union that new city
charter is an absolute necessity. but
wat we do not endorse the bill as
presented. recently. at Dover, until
certain most important amend
ments or alterations. in which the
workers Of wilmington are intense
ly interested are incorporated
therein"
This action leaves to the delegates
representing the Central Labor
Union on the General Citizens Char
Ter Committee the responsibility Of
working out the amendments to the
Charter bill desired by the Union.
1t is practically certain these
amendments will include the cleo
tion of a Council or Commission Of
five by district, instead OF at large.
Two plans have been suggested. one
TO divld, the city at Eighth street.
elecfing two members of the coun-
ell from the north, and two from the
south. with the fifth member at
large The other is to split the city
into five districts each having a
member OF the Council.
Another amendment favored by
the labor body would require the
director OF law to devote his entire
time to the city and prohibit his
engaging in private practice.
A third change would be the in
clusion OF a section in the charter
requiring the payment OF the pre-
vailing wage scale on all city CON
tracts Il is claimed that while the
new charter provides for the forty
four hour week, the wage question |
is left out.
J. Edgar Rhoads and c. r.
Greens. representing the General |
Citizens Charter Committee, explain
ed the provisions OF the Charter
bill as presented 10 the General As
sembly In Dover. Much Of the op-
position by the labor men centered
about tn, election OF city commits
sioners at large. After hearing their
criticism OF this feature. Messrs
Rhoads and Greene admitted il
might be. desirable to provide for
election by districts if such a change
would aid passage OF the bill
John c. Saylor. secretary OF the /
Union and member of the commit /
tee representing II in the Charter /
movement, urged that the II should 7
be made mandatory that the direc- 4
tor of the Department of Law. who |
viii correspond with the present
City Solicitor should devote his en-
tire time 10 the city's interests. Mr..
Saylor maintained that the city law 1
officer could not consistently serve [
two masters"
The presentation OF the bill at Do
yer before it had been finally ap- I
proved by the General Citizens Char ]
ter Committee was also scored. Mr..
Rhoads explained that this action
was necessary in order to get the
measure before the legislators in
time for them to give IL full con-
sideration. /
The labor men urged that the ex- I
isting sanctions for an eight-hour- a
day and requiring that tho recog- 4
nized labor wage scale be paid on all
city work be included in the measure )
Mr.. Saylor condemned these provi- E
sions in existing ordinances as fun
Of loop holes" and cited existing con- c
tracts as proof.
Meetings TO consider the proposed
new City Charter, which were to
have been held last night, were call
ed off because OF the storm.
Leon Walker, chairman Of the !
General Citizens Charter Commit !,
tee and speaker for the evening,
reached the clubrooms OF the Han
over Presbyterian Church, but the
attendance was so small that the
session was called off. Similarly, a ,
League. scheduled to be held at 604 i
Market street. was abandoned be-
cause of the small attendance.
Endorsement of the Charter was
given by the Daughters OF the
American Revolution and the Lions
Club at meings ysrday afrnoon.
Speakers from the general com.
mittee viii be before various or
Plantations in the city this afternoon
and evening and will discuss in de-
tail the provisions OF the proposed
charter. At 3.45 there will be
meeting of the Women's Retail
Druggists Association at the home
or Mrs. p. A. NJ. Rovitti, 700 Wash
ington street. ,
Tonight az s o'clock there will be
a meeting OF members OF the Ninth 4
Ward Central Improvement Asso-
ciation at school No. 4. and al the
same hour at Welcome Lodge, Jr. o.
Z. A. N. Ninth and TatnaH. The
subject viii also be presented before
the Beth Emeth Brotherhood at the
Temple OF Truth on Washington p
street at $40 o'clock. Two meetings a
already have been arranged for !
shursday. both at eight in.the even :,
.as- The members Of Winona Coun- n
81. j. o. y. A. n. will meet at .
Nin-a and Tatnali. and the Mems a
cirb of West Presbyterian Church !,
~ Eighth and Washington. c
Among the epeakers who will pre- b
sent the subject are J. Z. Fuller. 81
Icon walker. o. A Wedler, wilbur Il
!. Adams and James ". Lattomus