Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1910-01-14
Big MASS
NEE | HELD.
q Discuss lie New Commission
Plan of City oyernment for
atertown. Majority Present
Seemed q be ii Favor of the
Change.

A mass meeting of itizens was
held at Goss hall Wednesday even
ing to discuss the advisability of
our form OF city govern
nent from the present special
charter which was q special acto
the territorial stature thirty
one years ago. When the old spe-
eial charter was granted for Wa.
l.ertown it was when Watertown
was y small village and the men
who drew up the old charter did
not anticipate that Watertown
would ever get out Of her swaudr
ling clothes.
Al number Of prominent citizens
discussed the subject; among them
was Alderman C. n. Lester Mr..
Lester has been q member Of the
city council of this city for the
past ten or twelveyears and knows
every weak spot in the old city
charter. He explained the matter
.thoroly and SKID that while he was
not particularly in favor Of the.
commission plan Of city govern
irnent, he was in favor Of a change
lto either the commission plan Or
Changing over to the general laws
|of the state governing municipali-
EEies.
Judge Irwin II. Myers spoke on
|the matter from a legal standpoint
and went into details explaining
||the old special charter which the
lefty is now work king under and
lfhe good features Of the proposed.
commission plan His talk was
livery interesting and instructive
land while he said he would try
Sand 9 i've the sui bject The same care.
ffful consid deration that he would IN
lcharging a jury in his court, he
could not help but admit that he
was heartily in favor Of the COM
mission plan in preference to the
| 1old charter.
H. Il. Loucks spoke at some
length on the initiative and refer
lendum features Of the commission
i plan. He explained that under
the commission plan any elective
officer could bere-called by petit
4 Ition signed by 5 per cent Of the
Electors, and that all ordinances and
franchises could be passed by
direct vote of the people.
Col. Lee Stover was the last
speaker and his talk was very in
4 1teresting md instructive and show
4 that he is thoroly familiar witt
/ the subject. The colonel explained
4 how the city was hampered will
I the present old charter and hoy
1.-THE small property owner was com
4 PEELED to pay double the tax tha
I, he should in order that the cit.
might raise money to keep the nau
nicipality moving. He explaine.
lhow under the old charter, peopl
owning acreage land worth $40
per acre were allowed to go with
+ out paying one cent Of city tax.
A Some Of Col. Stoyer's remark
s]brot Gen. Sheafe to his feet. an
4 he proceeded to eulogize Water
\ town on the wonderful progres
"a she had made under the much Dc
z Espised old city charter. Col. Sts
"a yer answered this later by sayin
y that Gen. Sheafe was the owner {
e some choice acreage property witt
lin the city limits which was oscar
ing city taxation under the ol
city charter.
W.aH Stokes also spoke again
8 the proposed change. Mr. Stoke
s also has some valuable acreae
'-l property within the city limits
: Now that the electors Of Wate
!. town will soon cast their votes #
: or against the proposed chani
: in our city government. il might ]
!. =. we'll to look into the matter
IS little. Some one has written qui
= y a comprehensive explanation
9 the proposed commission pii
Y Y which we print below:
= The commission plan OF munic
g pal government provides for