Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-11-20


um in the Post, in regard to the recall
provision, when he says that if a va
cancy on the commission was filed
by appointment, the appointee would
not be subject to recall. 1t is evident
that Mr.. WeatherwaX has not careful
ly read Section 20, of the law, which
says: THE HOLDER of any ELEC-
TIVE OFFICE may be removed at
any time after six months of incum-
bency." The commissioners are the
only elective officers, and as the ap-
pointee would be HOLDING AN ELEC-
TIVE OFFICE, the act is SO clear that
he may be recalled, that discussion
is absurd. Mr.. Weat \rwaX must
have labored under the impression
that the law only provided for the
recall of officers who had been
ELECTED. This is not the Allen
law. 1t is law turned out for popular
consumption by the misstatement bu-
reau.
Mr.. WeatherwaX has adopted the
erroneous construction of the law CIV
en- out by Attorney Hogan regarding
local improvement, and says it will
require several months to put through
such improvements. At the risk OF
reteration, the Herald will again ex-
plain this point The Allen law makes
absolutely no change in the present
law, other than to require the ordi-
nance in complete form to be on file
with the clerk seven days before it's
passage Had Mr.. WeatherwaX been
as dilgent in a search for facts as
he appears to have been for the mis-
takes of the Allen law he would
have discovered that, under the pres
ent system, it seemed to require from
six to nine months, between the fill
ing of a petition and the letting of
the contract, to secure street i'm
provement. And a little furher in
quiry along this line, would have
shown him a very recent illustration
OF the expeditions manner Hoquiam
is handling those things under the
commission government. A petition
was filed on Sept. 81, and weeks
time was lost in changing the meth
cd of payment, yet the contract for
the work was awarded on Nov. Is.
1t is noticed that Rev. Chas. McDer-
moth falls into this same pit, dug by
Attorney Hogan, and that he gives
the attorneys opinion almost word
for word
Several of the Post writer's say they
favor commission, but denounce the
Allen law, but assign no specific reas-
onS, or, If reasons are given, they
have been totally refuted in this pa
per and at the meetings of the Allen
law advocates.
The Herald has the highest respect
for Samuel Benn, the aged founder
of Aberdeen, and usually gives heed
to his advice. But, in his understand
ing of the Allen law, Mr.. Benn is to-
tally at fault, the result, we believe,
of following the opinions handed down
by the legal lumniaries of the Post
Mr.. Benn appears to have accept
ed the view of Attorney J. B. Bridges.
without a careful reading of Section
16 of the law, and sees our industries
handicapped in securing spur tracks
to their plants, yet his fears are not
justified by any possible construction
of the Allen law. Section IS, of that
law, does provide for popular vote
on all franchises granted for public
service utilities, such a law being found
necessary to protect the public in
terests in most of the progressive cit
les of the United States. But. private
spur tracks, although title in them
may rest in the railroad company, are
in no sense public service utilities,
and the only requirement of the Allen
law in the granting such franchises
is that the ordinance shall be on file
with the city clerk for public inspec-
ton for at least one week.
Mr.. Benn is candidly opposed to the
initiative, referendum and recall,
which probably accounts for his will
ingness to accept any and all alleged
faults ascribed to the Allen law.
Taken as whole, the objections
that have been raised in this cam
paign is a testimonial to the Allen
law. Seldom has a new law been as
bitterly assailed with such a slim net
result, in the way of actual faults. In
practice, the law may be improved
in some respects, as are almost all
laws, and no difficulty will be expert
enced in having such changes as the
cities which have adopted it may re-
quire at the session of the legisla-
ture.
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