The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1910-02-15
MANY LISTEN To DEBATE

Piles into the conduct Of our affairs.
A few comparisons will serve Dur
ing one month under the old regime.
1850 meals were served city prison
ers, as compared with 1899 under
our administration Yet during the
month of January. 1908, there was
only collected and turned into the
city treasurer STA in fines with
record Of 1,565 arrests, while last
January we arrested 1,195 and turned
into the treasury S1,920 30 Since
We took hold of things we have made
the police department. self-support-
ing and revenue producing depart
ment as we'll We found plumb.
ing inspector drawing a small sal
ary, but making about $500 month
in fees. We abolished the fee sys-
tenn, one of the greatest gratis ever
practieed in municipal offices, and
pay that officer 500 month. Sew
eral hundreds Of dollars have already
been saved in this department. We
found the city overrun with an esti-
mated canine population of 1900. We
licensed 447, killed SS4 and collected
$1,4O4 so as against $33 taken in by
the preceding administration We
collected $2,322 in poll taxes as com
pared with their 5000, of which the
only record kept was stub receipts ;"
Figures Not Disputed.
None of these figures were disput-
ed by Rohde, but sharp contro-
versy was pseclptated by reference
to paving contracts.
III the three big paving contracts
let by the city under the commission
government had been awarded on the
basis Of the price paid by the former
administration, there would have re-
suited loss to the city of $105,314,"
Mitchell declared Rohde said that
this was not fair basis of compa
ison, as lesser bids had been receiv
ed prior TO the letting of the later
contracts.
If there is any saving at ALL he
said, 1T amounts to $4,000, the diff.
ference in the price paid for Texicc
and the price bid for Trinidad, and
if there is any saving. The city en-
gineer of Chicago has strongly con.
demned it, as has one OF the eminent
paving experts for the city of New
York. A year AGO some of il was laid
in Muskogee and 1t is already crack
ing The mayor of that place ad
mitted TO me that 1t was regretta
BILE mistake to put it down"
Mayor Mitchell retorted that one of
the Texico promoters had stated to
him ia the presence of representa-
tive of the Trinidad concern that
great quantities of Texico were ship
ped the rival company which later
bore their label. He added that |
was guaranteed for five years and ii
1t showed signs of dissolution befo'c
then, 1t would be replaced at the
contractors expense. III Ii held gooG
for five years, paving experts were
agreed that ii would last as long az
any other approved paving.
Rohde in Answer.
In beginning his arguments against
the commission form Of government,
ex-Mayor Rohde said that when he
came to Guthic at the invitation of
the Guthrie Ministerial association,
IL was HIS liupIeSSlOli lidt the du-
dresses would deal with 1.-The princi-
pies and application of the commits
sion form Of government ana deciar
ed that the human race has fought
and bed and died TO acquire and pre-
serve the broadest measure Of lib
erty possible for the individual which
was consistent with the welfare OF
the community.
81 believe that the commission
form Of government is step back
ward in civilization he declared.
"When this state Is half as old as
the history OF practically the same
fom of government. its autocratic
abuses will have become apparent.
If you adopt ii here you will surely
reg ct ii in course of time. t
Mr.. Rohde then attempted to show
why u was a failure in Tulsa. He
said that the lax rate had been
raised Notwithstanding that the pres.
ent administration enjoyed greater
revenue than any of its predecessors,
shown BY its high police court rec
ord and high license applying to diff
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