Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1911-01-07

management Dy mutuat agreement
during the present years.
MORALS
After long litigation. the city
finally won a suit in the Circuit
Court annexing certain territory
containing a disorderly house and
the house vas promptly suppressed.
RECOMMENDATIONS
The new census gives Hopkinsville
a population Of 9A19. Someof the
inhabitants were undoubtedly over
looked and it is known that the
figures are Of questionable accuracy.
but il is gratifying that even these
imperfect returns show percentage
Of gain exceeded by only one other
city in the State. mining center in
the extreme eastern part of the
State. The figures show that Hop
kinsvile is growing more than twice
as fast as Louisville and that it has
passed one third class city and would
have passed another but for its an
nexation of populous suburbs. The
city is now eligible to the third class
and when transferred by the Gener-
al Assembly of 1912 will be governed
by a different charter. The council
to be elected this year will be the
last chosen by wards. The next sue.
ceeding board. to be chosen in 1918,
will be elected by the votes of the
electors at large. At the same time
a mayor and police judge will be
elected in the same way. While the
city will operate under its present
charter for three years more, the
council should begin at once to pre-
pare for the coming change.
Under the third class charter the
council must be composed of not less
than twelve members and the pres
ent council should in providing by
ordinance for the election of their
successors increase the number of
councilmen to II and divide the city
into either 6 or IL wards. Under the
new charter, each ward has its own
member or members. but all Of the
voters vote for all of the councilmen.
l would recommend that the num-
Der of councilmen he at once increas-
ed to IL. giving the larger wards
the additional members and that the
work of re-districting for the new
election be done during the year. 1t
hes been den onstrated TO me by the
observation and experience of five
years that there are not enough
councilmen to look after all of the
details of a city of 10000 people
without imposing burdensome duties
upon members whose compensation
for public service is altogether mad
equate. l believe you should imme
diately pass an ordinance adding five
more members to your present
membership and follow this by elect
ing new members to fill the places
created. This would enable the
present years business to be trans
acted by a council raised to the
standing and numerical Importance
OF a governing body of city of the
third class.
In view of the fact that the city is
threatened with litigation in the
federal courts. | would suggest that
the employment of an attorney by |
the year be authorized, said attor
ney to be retained as corporation
counsel to look after all legal mat
tiers in the higher courts.
The one crying need of the city is
a City Hall and hope to see some.
thing done this year to supply this
need,
The park property should be taken
charge of this spring to the extent
of planting trees and making plans
for the future. A year will be lost
if trees are not planted during the
coming spring and this matter
should not be overlooked.
am sorry to report that the
projected improvements of the Pho
neer Graveyard have not advanced
further than the planting of trees.
The appropriation of $1gO has not
been used. hope to have the
council appropriate at least $3.50
more. which will create q fund large