The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-10-07
Topeka Commissioners Will At
tempt to Amend New Form. "a
Strengthen Weaknesses i'm Com.
mission Government.
CUT SCHOOL BOARD.
Local Officials Would Put All
in Charge of One Man.
Big List OF Suggestions For the
Legislature This Winter.

one additional city commissioner
POWER to abolish school board.
Power to abolish city auditor.
Higher levy for public parks
| Higher levy for public music
Enable city to trim trees and charge
cost to owner.
Require county treasurer to furnish
city with delinquent tax list.
Require each candidate for COM
missioner to be candidate for certain
department.
Abolish necessity of city making a
profit on the receipts of waterworks
plant.
Banks enabled to deposit city bonds
as well as surety company bonds.
Compelling laying of corporation
pipes before the city paves streets.
Mains and service pipes.
Authority to cities of first class to
invest sinking funds in their own
bonds.
These are a few of the most impor-
tant amendments to the commission
form or government law in Kansas that
the city commissioners of Topeka will
present to the municipal meeting at
Wichita next week.
These amendments together with a
few minor suggestions will be drawn
up in compact form by City Attorney
Ralston and will be submitted to the
| legislative committee of the Kansas
|
the state legislature in Topeka this
winter.
1t is figured by the commissioners Of
Topeka that these amendments and
suggestions patch all the holes
strengthen all of the weaknesses and
reform all the raw material in the COM
mission form of government law as it
| is in force in the state of Kansas at
this time.
The city commissioners have held a
number of secret meetings for the pur-
| pose of making these amendments
) and each point has been studied out
| legally by the city attorney. 1t has
: been found and decided that the above
list of props to the commission form
| of government in Kansas will make
this government the greatest for mu-
nicipal work in the United States
And as a side issue it will benefit
Topeka.
{ There are. a few of the points that
will bear explanation.
Commissioner of Schools.
1. 1t is figured that the cities under
the commission form of government
need a new commissioner commits
sioner or schools. His duties would be
to transact the same work as that at
tempted by the present school board.
| 1t has been decided that the average
school board is as worthless, as far as
business is concerned, as the old city
council. Hire an additional commits
Sioner to do their work is the motto
of the city commissioners.
2. The duties of a city auditor in
some cities and under some conditions
could be handled by the city clerk
The Topeka amendments would give the
cities authority to abolish this office
and place the duties upon the shoul-
| derS of the clerk
= 3. 1t has been proved in Topeka
r Kansas City and Wichita that the park
: Ievies are too small. Commissioners
Holman in Topeka was unable to make
o any improvements in the city parks on
80 49,, 1f.xrr ferv RI
: to make the levy q mill limit. The limit
| under the present law is one-quarter
= of a mill.
e L. The levy for public music is too
: small, say the Topeka experts. 1t
II should be increased to .0037.
IS 5. On account of overhanging tree
limbs and the refusal of owners to
r trim them the cities in Kansas-es-
: pecially Topeka-have been troubled
: with electric light maintenance. To-
: peka would give the city authority to
trim the trees and charge the cost to
?, property owner.
d The other amendments are Self-ex-
| plantory.
s Some of the SUGGESTIONS.
A few more additional proposed sug-
Il gestions are as follows:
= l. Subdivision &C. and "d'' of the civil
y service provision of the commission
law. being a portion of section 1888 of
1 | the general statutes of 1903, should be
i made more specific in order that there
: may be no doubt as to which commls-
| sion is meant.
In this portion of the law, the city
commission and the civil service com
mission are used a number of times
and in such different terms that the
n meaning of the language is difficult to
interpret and understand.
2. The commission law and primary
election law should be amended and har-
s monized so that there would be no doubt
. but that judges, clerks and marshals of
city courts and members of boards of ed
: ucation could be nominated at the com
e mission primary, the second Monday
: preceding the general city election.
= As these laws now stand, no person can
d tell whether the above officials can be
legally nominated at the commission
. | primary or not.
: g. There should be a law compelling per
: gas and water in cities to put in service
IS pipes from the mains to the property ntls
t prior to the paving OF any street.
- cut weeds and divide responsibility
Il 5. Section 10 of Commission Act should
' be amended so as to make It clear lhae AZ
e the prohibition therein does not apply 70
e commissioners who have fixed their own
6 salary and are candidates for reelection;
g. Section 80 of Commission Act should
3 be amended by striking cut the following
d clause at the end thereof except thai
the salaries of all appointive officers shall
not be increased or diminished during the
term for which they are appointed
This should be done for the reason thai
it unnecessarily ties the hands of the
commissioners Under Section 30 as u
now stands, the only time that the com ON
v nlissioners could legally change the saiars
= of an appointive officers would be just
at the end OF their term or at the begin
L ming of their term before the offlcers are
n | appointed At either of these times it Is
e embarrassing for the commissioners te
: act. If the commissioners are in danges
= | of losing a valuable appointive Officer
II when he could be retained by a slight ad-
:. vance III salary. there ought to be nothlne sll
crease.