The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1909-10-23
FavOrs Commission Plan

ana an assurance of theft inefficiency and waste
II controlled by dishonest and incapable men, are
few of the terms employed by the democratic may
or Nelson s. Pratt in an open letter to the people
OF Spokane directing attention to the weaknesses
OF the present system of municipal government and
urging them to adopt the commission plan. He al
SO announces that he will appoint representative
committee in few days to investigate and report
the general outline of new city charter, primarily
with view to bringing the matter to an issue at
special election early in 1910. y
This is in line with Mayor Pratt's recent declar-
alton that he is ready to step out of Office to which
ne was elected last May for a term of two years,
in the event of the adoption of the commission plan
and is the result of the bitter quarres among mem
bers of the city council and the board of public
works. This opposition has not only handicapped
the chief executive in carrying out his pledge to
give the people Of Spokane business administra-
tion but has also delayed several millions of dol
lars worth of street. bridge and water system i'm
provements and other public work in various parts
of the city 4
When panic hit the country about two years
ago the union workmen in the glassmaking indus
try accepted reduction in wages approximately
80 per cent. Now that prosperity has returned
these same employees asked for restoration of 20
per cent of the so per cent reduction. After a.
three weeks strike an per cent increase was
granted. The new tariff law gives the manufac-
turers ample protection" in order to enable them
to pay good wages to their employees. While SO
out of every 100 of the glassworkers favor high
protective tariff, the fact will now probably dawn
on them that they have only been able to demand
high wage scale by reason of having thorough
.union organization
My friend" said the sad-faced street exhorter,
do you realize that there is one who watches all
your actions, knows everything you d. hears all
you say, and even knows your thoughts?"
We'll, guess that's so all rightbut try not p
let them newspaper fellows know more than I can
help" III
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The Statesman-Index, the local supporter of the
republican graft administration of the state, in
recent issue expressed its desire to learn what
ton the Examiner intended to take on the coming
local option vote in the county unit.
Now the Examiner was not aware that any par
ticuar action" on the part of this paper had been
called for or was needed or desired by the people
of the county. 1t is all very we'll for the newspa
pers to give publicity and information on any SUBJ
ject before the people, but the Examiner has been
laboring under the impression that after this has
been done, the people have the right to go to the
polls and vote which ever way they wish without
being pounded on the back or dubbed into subms-
sion by any newspaper supporter of side or the
other
Of course we realize that newspaper conditions
here are different now from former conditions,
when the Index editor controlled both of the COL
vile papers and could therefore know at any mo-
ment just what action" each paper intended to
take. He could carefully look into his left sleeve
and see just what opinions were concealed in the
Reveille thinking trough, and by looking on the in
side of his right cuff could learn what opinions
and actions" were to be unloaded upon the public
by means of the Index. Much trouble and misery
has undoubtedly come to him since this little game
was stopped for him. and perhaps the Examiner it.
self has been somewhat lax in sending over ad-
vance information as to it's proposed actions.
Hence in supplying the desired information to
the gearing editor of the Index, we are compelled
to admit that no rally to arms or wild outlay of
money or news space has been contemplated in
fighting the effort of the Index to cover up the
crookedness of state administration byagtatng its
hand-carved brand of local option guaranteed
good for temperance people and not injurious to
the business of the liquor association.
If the people of the county unit desire to pay
more taxes next year for the privilege of taking
up halfway temperance law by order of the
states republican machine, they certainly have
right to do it. This is republican county. The
county voted for the ''wet" administration, Root,
Schively Nichols, and that weird and wonderful
legislative body and it is but reasonable that this
bunch should receive some support for their laws
by the people who placed them in office. How
much support will be given them in their efforts to
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