Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-08-11

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important proposition pertaining to our
city affairs that has ever come before
the voters of Waterville for their ac-
ton: it is, therefore, entitled to the
most thorough study and considera-
ton of every voter and resident of the
lefty.
The old form Of city government
which has been in operation in most
of our cities since the foundation OF
our nation, and which is copy of our
national and State governments, is
found to be almost universally I'M
/ satisfactory as means of governing
cities for two principal reasons:
LIST. The duties of our city govern
I ment are almost wholly of an executive
/ and business nature, and are not like
our State and national Legislatures,
law making bodies, except to very
limited extent.
| I'd. The party policies, which di-
| vide our people on national questions,
| have absolutely no place in our city
! affairs, and we should not in city mat
| ters divide on party lines. Questions
| Of a pure water supply, good streets,
! lights, sewers, and police service, the
/ care of the poor and of the cemetery
| and similar questions. are of exactly
| the same interest and Importance to
| Republicans or Democrats.
| Do not understand me to say that
| there should be no politics in the man
| agement of our city affairs. There al
ways will be and must be, for poll
| tics" is the science Of government
and this applies to the city as we'll as
| to the State or nation.
The questions of policy in the con-
duct of our city affairs are political
questions For example: The ques-
| ton of where the new High school shall
De located or whether we shall eX
| pend $4,000 or $4,000 for a new fire
| station, or the establishment of a new
| public park, are all political questions
| IN which our people must have differ
| mt opinions. Let us decide each OF
| .hese local questions on it's own merits,
| md not on national party lines or for
| party advantage.
The question is, shall we leave the
DID. -honored, the wasteful, and
| unsatisfactory method. for compare
| lively new plan, which, however, prom
Uses to and furnishes proof that it does
eliminate party policies, ward dis
l
IDS. and places city affairs on purely
| business basis, where merit and eff
cheney are the only qualities which
commend a man for Office, and the only
pull that will continue him in office.
My Investigations of this subject
have settled my mind on one point, at
least. / have always been an ardent
Republican in politics, but l have now
| reached that point where l am ready
| to declare that hereafter in city at
! fairs | am no longer political parti-
san, but a citizen of Waterville, and l
nope there are 5000 other voters in the
city who are ready to take that stand
The following is brief outline of
| the bipartisan business plan of city
| government, which we will call for
| convenience the "Haverhill Plan, THE
| city council is composed of a mayor
and four councilmen, and a school
board of four members, beside the
| mayor who is chairman. They are all
elected at large and on non-partisan
basis, as follows: A preliminary cleo
ton. or election for nominations Is
held three weeks previous to the regu-
lar election. Any person may becom"
| 1 candidate for nomination by deposit
ing, 10 days previous to the preilmi-
| nary election, with the city clerk,
petition stating for what office he is Il
candidate, the petition having been
signed by 25 voters.
The city clerk causes all such names
to be printed in alphabetical order
without party or ward designation, ON
the official preliminary election ballot
| The entire list is published in the pa
pers. At the preliminary election, all
Of the election machinery is used eX-
actly as at a regular election, including
the secret ballot, the polls remaining
open all day. The voter marks tho
names of each person for whom he
wishes to vote. The two persons hav-
ing the highest number of votes for
each office become the official candi-
dates at the regular election, which is
held three weeks later These names
1.-TWO for each office are the only ones
printed on the final election ballot
each voter marking the one of these
1.-TWO which he chooses The candidate
who receives the largest vote is de-
clared elected BY this process you
| elect a mayor, four councilmen. and
four members of the school board.
II
, divides the work of the city govern
, ment into four departments: Depart
ment of accounts and finance; public
safety: streets and improvements; pub
lie property. and one of the councilmer
lis assigned by the city council as the
. head of each department, with the
Imayor as chairman of all meetings and
general superintendent of all of the
city business The mayor is member
land also chairman of the school board
Tine school board attends to all schoo
, matters except appropriations. which
Iare voted by the council.
All other officers and employees of Thu
l. city are appointed by the council on ;
icivil service or merit basis Your com
: Imittee believes that this plan should
interest us for the following reasons:
First, because it is absolutely demo
: cratic Every voter in the city may be
: come candidate for any office II 2
I other voters approve his candidacy.
Second, every voter may vote for ev
cry member of the city government, in
stead of voting for less than one-fiftl