The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-29
CITIZENS DISCUSS PLANS FOR
GOVERNMENT OF municipality


commissioners, and they should have
the right to hire the minor officials
and fix their salaries. The present
aldermen could probably do as well
as any others if they had the new
plan to go by, and they ought to be
willing to step down and out and not
stand in the way of the adoption of
the new plan.
Aid. Hampl said that he had plan
in view like Mr. Blissenbach's, and run
the city like bank is run. He Thought
that the recorder, treasurer and as
SCISSOR should be elected by the people,
and limit put on their salaries. He
was not in favor of giving the commits
sion too much power. The recorder
and treasurer are not paid enough
now.
Would Locate Responsibility.
Rev. Z. H. Willisford said that it
seemed to be felt by the people gen
orally that minister's were not inter-
ested in the material welfare of a
city, but confined their attention to
the spiritual and moral. He was just
as much interested in the material
welfare of Mankato as any business
man. He believed the commission plan
of government the only one at the
present time. He had yet to hear of
any city having it where it had not
proved successful In one city the
taxation had been reduced and the
large debt paid, and business had ex-
perienced large increase. He doubted
whether compromise with the old
ward system would give satisfaction.
The main feature of the commission
: plan was to locate responsibility. Man
kato was having better conditions just
now because few men were putting
! their fingers on one or two officials
who are responsible. Some people did
not know that this could be done, but
| they know now. 1t was reasonably
sure that no official would be unjustly
dealt with by the recall system. The
present officials should be and un-
doubtedly are public spirited enough
| to step out. All are convinced that
the present charter is inadequate, ana
, the recent election showed that pref
| ty large per cent of the citizens are
| in favor of the new charter, which
speaks volumes for it's strength and
adequacy.
Mr.. Keith was called upon, but said
that he had handed in his remarks in
writing, as he had not known that he
could be present.
No Section Would Be Neglected.
ID. G. Willard said that he believed
in the commission plan, and believed
that the city could be better repre-
scented by mayor and four commits
sioners than by six aldermen. There
was no reason to fear that any part
of the city would be neglected. The
vote of the two halves of the city
was nearly equal, and no commission
would care to incur the displeasure of
half the voters by being unfair. Bank
directors are not chosen from localities
but because of their fitness. If the
people had all read the new charter for
themselves, there is no doubt but what
it would have been adoptd.
Would Earn Their Salaries.
G.. E. Wise explained that the new
charter had given the commission the
power to combine the offices when any
city official did not have their entire
time taken up by the duties of their
own offices, such as the assessor and
treasurer. These officials would be re-
quired to give their entire time to the
CITY, and some other offices could be
abolished. 1t was not the idea to
pay any officials good salaries and
allow them to sit around and do moth
ing part of the time.
Mr.. Schaub feared that electing the
commissioners at large would cause
more politics, sectionalism and feeling
than under the present plan.
/ Mr.. Willisford asked if Mr.. Schaub
could cite city where this had re-
suited under the commission plan. MIR.
Schaub replied that the plan is a
new one, but he had heard that more
feeling had been aroused at Des Moines
than formerly
Chairman Palmer said that he only
wished that there had been several
hundred people instead of few. The
charter question was of very great i'm
portance. The commission would go
to work and prepare the very best
charter that it can for submission to
the people.
Mr.. Blissenbach said that it was too
bad that the commissioners were not
all present, also, and suggested that if
any of them were not willing to work
they had better resign and allow the
district judge to appoint others who
would.