The San Francisco call., 1910-07-27
MAYOR points
OUT DANGER IN
The INITIATIVE
Voters Prone to Sign Petitions
Without Investigation,
Says HOdghead
Concentration of Official Power
and Dual Elections Are
- Commended

=. BERKELEY. July 26.-BerkeIey'
. new charter. just q year old, has JUS
: tilted its existence. according to the
annual report which Mayor Beverly L
> Hodghead read before the city council
. today. lie declared that on the whole
the new document of municipal gov
. ernment had proven satisfactory. but
- gave a warning note against the ini-
>. tiative, which he SAID was in danger oi
!: improper use. Mayor Hodghead de-
-. cried the present petition form of in
p -Noklng the initiative. as most voters
= he said, are too prone to sign petitions
:. without investi cation. He hopes for
a solUtion~O Of this difficult problem. In
speaking of the finances of Berkeley
= he advocated the reduction of the tax
rate Of about cents. Commissioner
R. a. Berry. head of the department OF
finance and revenue also is in favor
=. Of a reduction from the present 80 cent
rate
Mayor Hodghead summed up the
years trial Of the new charter OF
= Berkeley in his opening remarks TO the
city council:
PEOPLE MAKE GOVERNMENT
I am convinced that the Berke-
The form OF which any city can, if
.. its interested citizens so desire
- secure an efficient government.
=: That. depends largely upon the
. people. 4 think the efficiency of
any government is more question
- OF men than OF constitution or of
> charters, but that form OF charter
-. is TO be preferred which provides
- the best method for the selection
Of its officials and makes the wisest
distribution Of It's powers. A good
therefore. good
---. government.
>. In my years experience with the
Berkeley charter an experience
into which has been crowded quite
-: q full measure Of duties, RESPONSE
d: biIities and problems pressing for
=. solution. ] am free to express my
: b.: own opinion shat il is on the whole
-. satisfactory. Before its adoption il
: > was considered good in theory.
-. Since IL became effective IL has
- proved practical in operation.
SOUNDS WARNING NOTE
: OF the initiative. whereby voters can
force an election call TO secure desired
Legislation. Mayor Hodghead declared
that this supposed safeguard Of the
interests Of the people against a hostile
council was in danger Of abuse He
devoted much Of his report TO this
= phase OF a difficult municipal problem
and saio:
=: But this power of the initiative.
- 10 remain useful and effective,
-: should be guarded with such re-
- - strictions as win prevent its abuse
-. and forestau the unwsrranted In
reference with the proper admin
:: istration Of the government. The
city should not be thrown into the
= turmoil and expense OF frequent
81, elections because some individual
= or set Of individuals feels 1t has
some fancied grievance, or some
= D.. politician or agitatOr ina gines he
has g new toy The abuses in rep
=. resentative government have re-
H+r,-1 I 7a dom rro
:; a mere democratic form. II in turn,
-. these democratic privileges. the IN
itiative, the referendum and the re-
=. call. are themselves abused by re-
.~- sorting to them needlessly, it will
p no doubt likewise ultimately result
=. In their abolition. They may be
-.: rarely employed. Their mere eX-
- 1stence has wholesome effect.
- Their usefulness, however, would
p. be weakened II frequently invoked,
= particularly If no vital issue or
policy IS involved.
But one petition for the adoption
OF an ordinance has been filed un-
der the Berkeley charter and that
..- was found by the clerk TO be in
sufficient. The value OF these rem
-. edies, therefore. is with US still
- largely theoretical. No judgment
80 could be formed which would be
based upon fun experience
PETITIONS DANGEROUS
81 Considering the element of chance
in elections and the indisposition
OF a great body of citizens TO eX-
=. ercise the high privilege of suf-
frsge, I think the powers granted
: TO the council in the commission
= form Of government are too great
TO vest IN one body of men without
:-some remedy being reserved TO the
people in case OF violation OF
- trust. It is 70 be hoped, however,
. that some more satisfactory method
may be devised for initiating pro-
eeedfnEs than by the present syS-
TEN OF petitions which, owing TO
the well known thoughtless prac-
rice and accommodating habit OF
signing petitions Of whatever ma
ture, but too often represent only
the hopes and desires Of the pro-
moters Of the proceeding rather
than the we'll considered judgment
OF the great body OF signers.
The Uncertainty the element OF
chance IN elections and the possl-
hfIftN-of the people making mis-
take IS strong enough In my Judg-
n7ent to Justify the aordinary
remedies of the initiative and the
referendum, and under certain con-
ditions the recall, but, ! repeat
49, that there should be some more re-
liable method of exercising and
=. initiating these remedies than by
the present loose system Of govern
b. ment by petition IT often happens
are the least informed about their
= contents and objects, ana thus the
voters by the misuse of the privi-
leges granted may subVert the pur-
poses Of the charter
Government by petition, il the
privilege is wisely exercised. is
Valuable right. but II il be abused
il may be productive of more harm
than good and eventually defeat its
own purposes
SUGGESTS REMEDIES
One remedy is suggested in the
increase Of the percentage. which,
3 however, would be but a very i'm
perfect remedy. AS it would only
Increase the degree of misrepre-
sentation Of the public mind. An
other may be found in deVising
some means Of bringing the petit
toner TO understand and realize
the nature Of his petition and to
fully appreciate the responsibility
by him ia signing such petition.
which right should be restricted
and guarded as securely as the
right and privilege OF voting. There
might also be some provision Tor a
brief statement in the petition of
the reasons for and against the
proposed ordinance. or some public
hearing or discussion Of the merits
~ the subject before IL becomes
mandatory on the council 10 call
the election.
The success Of the charter in regard
10 the provision for elections whereby
politfcal parties and ward lines are
Eliminated is recounted by the mayor
with some satisfaction. as the provi-
sion. original in the Berkeley charter