The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-30
Portland Plan.

Portland Plan.
The Portland plan, which is strongly
advocated bg a committee at the head
OF which stands James r. Baxter, five
times mayor OF that city, and which
Is shortly TO be voted for 10y the Port
land electorate, provides for the aboli-
ton or the present eoIheli1 ana me
merging OF legislative and executive
power m tive hands oL a. mayor ana
four aldermen elected at large Tor terms
of TWO years ITUUs nominations made 10y
petition and without party designations.
The mayor is To he paid salary of
$3.50 and the aldermen $3.50. and they
are TO bee required 10 devote their whole
time TO the glty-WhICh indicates 40
practical purpose go draw active EusI-
ness men 10 tho local government Full
power of removal SIS given 10 the mayor
aE' aldermen, and city employees are to
De- chosen under civil service rules. Al
regular meetings OF the mayor and aid
eTmCu- who are all eG-eUual iu power.
any citizen has the right to- speak.
All proposed ordinances save those
/ declared urgent must lie over for ten
DAYS before final action and be given
publicity. and monthly bulletins of all
revenues, Expenditure and acts aud
proceedings of the mayor and aldermen
must he issued. Provision Tor the recall
1 ls made petition OF 81 per cent OF the
voters charging incompetence, neglect
Of duty mailea=auce Oh other mIscou-
duct on the part Ut any elective official.
( rAEafANE I'D HfltiH lilIE Dttt.g ltlt Ll-DAfIE
! Tor reelection or rejection ass the case
may bg- and uU petition Of 500 voters
any proposed franchise grants must Zoe
I submitted To popular vote; and no fran
/ chise shall he granted for o. longer term
/ than twenty years.
/ No one can dispute the radical charar-
/ ter OF this plan. the provision HEoIisEuE
/ party nominations for city Offices, and
I especially the power Of removing oEie-
/ ials. The present plan of Impeachment
/ is VIGOROUSLY faulty II is slow. aEU-u-
/ sIFe ana generally falls Whereas II
/ the people have the same right TO vote
/ am official out as 20 vote him Iu, To- may
/ get rid of "a great many uutUstworthy
or inefficient servants of the people.
Oregon Citizens Progressive.
The people or Oregon have approved
nearly every political experiment put be-
/ fore them, and are just now boo "a great
state or confusion over the remarkable
condition iu which the laws m regard to
/ the election of United States Senators
have involved 10. fEa rest of the C0ur-
try viii probably prefer l9 watt some
years before trying the Portland proc
gram. 90 see how 10 works
/ The defect Iu an these systems Is that
they do not prevent the election OF l1-
/ efficient of Enthusiastically men 90 a1-
minister the affairs of the CiI2-oulg
they administer ST. as a. commission. 10
. DeS Moluez5 Tor instance. f.r organize.
tiOu of regulars carried the election,
. so that the commission is composed of
practically tine same meu-oHIy fewer Son
number as those who governed tine city
/ under the CID charter. aEiUsL which So
I many complaints were made.
After ALL the people of C.tH are
/ going to have good government only
o. / by their own eEertious, by the perform
sIce OF their political duties, by putting
} the right men iu control of their affairs
. The sole recommendation of the com
, mission plan It's that it locates the re-
sponsibUily better, IN the hands of a
comparatively few persons. The present
charter Of New Orleans was q modern
, one when adopted, intended to have this
very purpose, to give the mayor extra
I ordinary powers. and TO Fix tie re-
D / sDoasibUity for the administration on
{ him. but it has been so twisted and
- changed by the constitutional cCpVen
7 ton and the Legislature that IL has los
b many of it's best features.-NeW Orleans
Times Democrat