Daily Kennebec journal., 1910-03-17
A Digest E Of the Measure,
As So Far Completed.
Combines Most Approved Meth.
DDS for City Of This Size.
Recommend ndaiIons Presented for
Consideration Of People.


The committee representing the
Good Government Association, wnicn
for many weeks has been at work on
the formation Of a city charter, en-
bodying the needs of the municipality
under such government has nearly
completed their work and will in a
short time be able to give out their
proposed charter for the benefit OF the
citizens. There will, however, be
many changes and suggestions added,
before finally adopted, but the COM
mittee feels that they have charter
that will suit the condition of the city
perfectly. A meeting was held Tues
day evening when the final arrange
ments were made. The following is
q digest Of the charter, written in ad-
vance, whereby all NAV gain an exact
idea of what is to follow:
The report herewith presented Is only
q recommendation, and may yet be
changed and perfected in many respects.
1t contains the essential principles of the
Galveston, Des Moines and Haverhill
plans. with certain changes. which we
think will prove better suited to smaller
no respect a compromise measure. 1t is,
we believe, full and complete plan in
cluding the most approved methods of
putting the city onto a thoroughly busi-
ness. non-partisan basis. eliminating all
party and ward distinctions of making
thoroughly stable government, and still
keeping the control entirely in the hands
of the people.
Before taking up the recommendations
of your committee on charter revision
few preliminary statements and an out
line of the plan will. we think, be of in
terest and profit.
The fundamental principles now used
in the Haverhill plan formed the basis OF
the Municipal Reform Act" passed by
the English Parliament in 1895. At that
time the abuses in the city governments
of England were even more grievous than
those we are now confronting in the
United States, and yet these evils dlsap-
reared under the operation of the Munic-
ipal Reform Act in England. The system
has been so satisA actory there that in the
last 70 years during which it has been
in operation no changes in the funda-
mental principles have been made.
plan here recommended; therefore this
cannot be regarded as an experiment; it
has been tried and proven and found to
succeed in giving admirable city govern
ment, not only in England but also in
Germany. '''uI.
1t was first tried in this country by the
city of Galveston in 1891. followed by the
city of Houston in 1905; it's success in
these cities was so great, so far beyond
all expectations, that it mas since been
adopted by over 60 American cities in all
parts of the country, and hundreds of
other cities are now considering the adop-
ton of this plan in some form.
In every city where it has been tried
the results have been satisfactory. OBJ
jectional partisan and ward politics have
been eliminated in every case, with their
accompanying graft, extravaganza, and
wasteful methods, and careful business
methods inaugurated with responsible
officials who were nominated and elected
by the majority of all the voters instead
of by a small fraction, as under our
present form. For instance, no member
of our present city government. except
the mayor was voted for by over II per
cent, or one eighth of the persons vOt
ing, and some candidates were elected
with less than per cent. of the total
vote.
One of the strongest evidences of the
satisfactory results of this method and
of the quality and fathfulness of the Of
ficials elected Mnder the new plan is the
fact that in all the cities. every man who
was originally elected on the commission
plan has been continued in Office up to
the present time with but a single excep-
tion. and that official was replaced after
having served for seven years. This fact
is certainly remarkable Endorsement of
the pfan
The plan which we present is return
to democratic principles where the can
lected directly by the people instead of
being selected by a few representatives.
They are subject to recall by the people,
and their acts. If unsatisfactory. may
be nullified by majority vote of the
people
THE PLAN.
The city government shall consist of a
mayor and four councilmen. elected at
large At the first election the mayor
shall be elected for three years. two
councilmen shall be elected for two years
and two councimen for one year; thsre
after the mayor and councimen shall be
elected for terms of three years each.
but any Of them shall be subject to
recall at any annual election on petition
of % per cent. of the voters. The regu-
lar election shall occur on the first Mon
day in December, and the municipal year
shall begin on the first Monday in jan
uary.
There shall be held one week before
the regular election, or on the last Mon
day in November, preliminary election
for nomination. Any legal voter may
become a candidate for the Office of may
or or councilman at this preliminary cleo
ton by having filed with the city clerk
one week before the preliminary election
a petition stating the Office for which he
is candidate. the petition having been
signed by 25 legal voters. The names of
all such candidates shall be printed bv
the. city clerk on the official preliminary
ballot in the order determined bv Iot
without party or other designation.
The preliminary election shall be CON-
Quoted in exactly the same manner. with
secret ballot. check lists and election off,
cials. as at the regular election In yot-
ing each voter shall make an X befora
the name of the candidate for whom he
wishes to vote, marking as many names
as there are persons to be elected to each
ofhces The two persons receiving the
highest number Of votes for each and ev-
cry office shall be the candidates whose
names shall be printed on the regular
election ballot and no other names shall
be printed thereon. Thus making twice
as many candidates as there are officials
to be elected
At the preliminary and regular cleo
khoN 40 to tl,aa