The Topeka state journal., 1908-11-06
NO WARD POLITICS
Topeka May Abolish Old Plan
of City Government.
Necessary Petitions Are Already
on File.
ONLY ONE STEP MORE.
That Is to Call and Hold Spe-
ciaI Election.
Four Men Will Do Work OF City
Government.

Now that the fall election is over and
the nation, state and county have been
saved it is time to consider the saliva
ton of the city of Topeka. Do the
majority of the people want to try the
commission plan of city government?
II they do it is up to them to express
their sentiments in the matter and thus
get the plan before the voters for a
finaI decision.
It will be an easy matter to get an
election called to try this case in the
public court, as the petitions circulated
some two years ago by friends of the
plan are still available. over 900 names
were secured at that time and all that
is necessary to have a special election
called by the mayor is to present these
petitions to the council and have the
validity of the signatures verified. The
following is the heading on the petit
tion and there is nothing In it's con-
struction that prevents it's application
at this time as well as when it was first
written and signed:
''To the Honorable Mayor and Council
of the City of Topeka, Shawnee Coun-
ty, Kan:
I'VE, the undersigned legally qualified
electors of the city of Topeka. Shaw
nee county, Kansas, respectfully petit
tion you, as mayor of said city, to call
special elecIlOn Tor the ADOPTION OF
chapter ia of the session laws of the
state of Kansas of 1907, being An act
relating to cities of the first class and
repeating all acts inconsistent and in
conflict with this act, in so far as the
same relate to cities of the first class
which adopt the provisions of this act
as herein provided said chapter ia
providing for the government of cities
of the first class by a board of COM
missionerS composed Of a mayor and
four commissioners elected at large.
Respectfully submitted"
The friends of the commission plan
are only holding up these petitions un-
til an expression of public sentiment
on the matter shows that there is a
chance to carry the election. If the
commission plan is to be tried in the
next two years in Topeka now is the
time to push the matter to head. 1t
will be next to impossible to carry
the plan through after the city election
next April for then the administration
and its friends would be sure to fight
1t and they would be justified in their
opposition, but at this time there is
not likely to be a fight on the plan
from the local politicians as an even
chance is now offered to all of them.
The strength and practicability of
the commission plan lies in the fact
that it does away with ward politics In
city government. A mayor and four
commissioners do all the work. Each
is placed at the head of a department
and each can be held individually re-
sponsible for the results achieved or
the failures recorded in that depart
ment.
Several of the larger cities of Iowa
and Texas have tried the commission
plan of government with marked sue
cess and great saving in expendi-
lures. while In Kansas, Leavenworth
has adopted the plan and Independence
will soon vote on the proposition. A
large number of the heavy taxpayers
of this city have expressed themselves
as favoring the proposition. A little
work and boosting right now will
bring the matter to a vote here.
Speaking of the plan, the Atchison
Globe has the following:
Petitions are being circulated in
Topeka asking for an election to vote
on the commission form of govern
ment. 1t is hoped to have the petit
tions ready to present to the mayor
by December 1 and to hold the cleo
tion in February Do Atchison peo-
pie favor the commission plan? Leav-
enworth has tried 1t and proved it's
success. The five commissioners there
are not charging for their services.