The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-02-23
General Opinion That If Re-
publican Party Wins Out in
MayoraIty Contest This
will Be Required.
PLENTY OF WORK FOR
CITY'S NEXT MAYOR
Successor to Dr.. SchiIlinger
Must Needs Be a Man Fa-
miIiar With Business A.
fairs and Human Nature.

ut will be more to the benefit Of the
republican party than anything else 1t
could do to nominate practical busi-
ness man for the Office, of mayor" re-
marked a well-known attorney today.
The attorney is a democrat, but does
not believe his party will have any
chance, IL the republicans place in the
field a man about whom all factions
will rally. That there are factions in
the republican party is not denied and
1t is becoming the general opinion that
1t is up to the party to- select as its
leader a man, who will run the city's
affairs as he would private business
in which he was interested.
Will Have No cinch.
Indications are that the next mayor
will not have the real easy time as
chief executive of this city that has be-
fallen his predecessors under the cities
and towns act of 1905. There is an
uprising among all the fourth-class
cities of the state and it is claimed the
mayor does not have enough work to
do to warrant his salary being of the
tion either to pile on more work SO that
the incumbent of the Office must de-
vote all his time to the Office and the
affairs OF the city. or reduce the salary.
This condition has begun to be felt
among the prospective candidates for
office In this city. One Of them who
announced his intention to enter the
race four years ago, now believes and
says that IL the mayor be made police
judge and given more or less onerous
duties, all the seeming dignity Of the
office will be removed. Furthermore
he admits it would require SO much
time that another line of business or
profession could not be engaged in at
the same time money was being drawn
from the city.
Must BE Business Man.
The proposed measure governing
cities of this class puts the mayor at
the head of the city's business and
makes him and his appointees directly
responsible for the conduct of affairs.
For this reason it is declared the repub-
licans can benefit by nominating a
man, who has gained experience while
conducting some line of business. That
coupled with his business ability. he be
able to judge human nature is held to
be another requisite. To a certain ex-
tent, cases in police court are decided
upon the law, but 1t has not been the
custom in every instance to follow the
restrictions of the law in exact detail.
It may be that the jurisdiction of a
mayor as Judge of police court will be
restricted more than has been that OF
The city Judge.
Merely Figure Head.
Under the present municipal code
the mayor Of the city of Richmond Is
merely figure head. He is seen about
the city's business too seldom. He pre-
sides as chairman of the city council
and once In awhile meets with the
board of public works. He attends oc-
casional conferences. signs a few pa
pers, draws his salary and there his
duties end. For almost twelve years
office has been held by practicine
physician. His duties as mayor have
not been allowed to interfere with his
profession. Before his election Richard
Schillinger, the present incumbent o.
the office, made promise that he
would establish Office hours, If elected
He was elected but the promise has
not been fulfilled.
viii Have to Work.
But il the law be changed, the mex
mayor will have to do differently. HI
wills not want more work to do nor have
time to do it. Together with the civi
engineer and another appointee, he viii
have to look after the public improve
ments, the petitions. resolutions an,
remonstrances. He will preside a
council and officiate as judge OF pc
lice court In spare moments he ma,
attend committee MEETINGS an max
personal Investigations. That is VIII.
a man with business training is be