The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-01-14

ence along the lines of their respective
positions or noted among their fellows
| for their soundness of judgment.
The commissioner in charge of the
police and fire departments should
know the requirements of the city
along those lines. He should also be
a man who will study the conditions,
see that crime and lawlessness are re-
strained. and not an unnecessary man
employed on the force. He should
study the needs of the fire department
and see that it is kept to its highest
eficiency at moderate cost
Want Active Men.
If will not be businesslike if we
have commissioners who will sit in
their offices and be satisfied with what
sIbordinates tell them about the work
| and conditions of their departments.
For finance commissioner we should
have a man familiar with financial
matters, capable of making up a bud
get and estimating the expenses Of the
city in advance; man who Will be
alert and active and know just what
each department is spending each
month in the year and that none of
them are exceeding the proper
amount For commissioner of the wa
terworks and lighting plant we should
have a man who is familiar with ma
chinery. who is capable of dealing
with men and who possesses good
business Judgment. A man who will
know that coal is bought at the right
figure, that the boilers are properly
fired, that the machinery is properly
attended to and not allowed to I'M
necessarily wear out; who knows the
number of men required to operate a
certain amount of machinery; who
can see that construction work, such
as the laying Of pipe lines and the
like, can be done properly and eco
nomically.
The commissioner of streets and
public improvements will have charge
of the street cleaning, street repairs,
excavations in the streets, paving con-
tracts and all other contracts, side
walk construction and repairs, bridge
and dixie building. ETC. The man who
holds this position should be capable
of employing and managing gangs of
men. He should personally see that
the streets are kept clean and that
that repairs are made expeditiously
and that all contracts with the city
are performed promptly according to
their terms. and the rights of the city
fully protected.
So with other commissioners. Each
should be a man fitted for his proper
place We need men who will not
hesitate to call down or discharge an
unfaithful or incompetent employe. no
matter to whom he may be related or
what political pull he has.
Need Right Men to Start
If we are to obtain the right men
it will not do for US as voters to vote
for man simply because we are
he is a good fellow, or because we
think he needs the job. We must not
vote for a nan because he is Repub-
lican or a Democrat or of any other
political party, or because he comes
from a particular locality, or because
I1o a
We must vote for the men who will,
in our judgment, make the best Off
GERS for the city.
1t is highly important that the first
commissioners be the right kind of
men. They will be required to make
the plans upon which the city govern
ment will be run by themselves and
their successors. They will set pat
terms OF efficiency in work, economy
and expenditure which will be models
for their successors.
It is not so easy under this form of
government for the voters to know
we'll the men they will vote for as I'M
der the ward system where the men
were chosen locally.
The undersigned believe it advisable
that meeting of the voters of the city
of Topeka who are interested In OBJ
tanning an efficient city government be
called and held at the Auditorium in
the near future. That it be under
stood that this meeting is not held in
the interests of the rich or the poor
the business or the laboring men, the
taxpayers or the nontaxpayers, the
corporations or private Individuals but
simply in the interest of efficient gov
eminent which will be fair to all alike
and that every voter of the city of
Topeka be invited to come to this
meeting with the understanding that
the purpose of the meeting shall be
the formation of a large and general
organization of the voters who will act
through committees or otherwise in
taking such steps as may be deemed
necessary TO secure full Information
for the general public with regard to
various candidates for the offices of
mayor and commissioners at the
coming spring election, and if deemed
advisable to invite candidates into the
held and generally to plan a campaign
which will be in the interest of the
whole city with a view of securing the
best men for the places to be filled.
T. L. Copeland, chairman; A A
GODDARD. John Sargent, James MuIIin,
frank Curry, F. o. Morns. E. H.
Neiswanger, r. L. Cofran, arrange for
holding such a meeting, secure the
speakers, publish notices and prepare
an order of business as the first move
menu toward carrying out the plans
herein outlined.
H. E Valentine A. Sheetz.
); " Going. W. H. Rutter.
H S. Morgan. Fred VoiIand
II. ;. Cartilage Willard N. Hail.
X, " White: W. s. Bergundthal
W y GOODWIN D. J. Hathaway
W. S. Eberle. J. r. Spetter
); + Mercer ]. C. Snediker.
n . ATWOOD. T. J. Joseph.
n GARRISON John Knoll.
Chas. F. Eldridge. Frank Curry.
N M. n sutton. Mrs. c. d. Wilker- |