Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-10-14
COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERN.
MENT SUPPORTED UNANIMOUS.
LY BY THE COMMITTEE THAT
DRAFTED THE DOCUMENT.

! the entire charter will be discussed.
The interviews are as follows:
/ Chairman of the charter commit
I tee, Geo. f. Fodgers: 1T is altogeth-
er a good charter and l shall vote
for it. 1t is the modern trend of
/ things and in line with progress.
No one man could get all his ideas
into a charter and no charter is per-
/ feet at first. But let us give it
! trial. About 70 cities have this plan
of nomination. The constitution has
been amended so that cities make
their own charters and provide any
/ system of nomination that they see
| fit. This charter aims to do away
with the expense Of holding two
elections"
President of the Board of Trade,
NJ. o. Buren: 81 intend to vote for
| the commission charter. 1t is a
move in the right direction. 1t will
modernize and systematic the affairs
of the city and give it a practical
working organization. We can well
afford to reduc the number of rep
resentatives and centralize authority
under fewer heads"
Gideon StOlz interviewed.
THE new charter is now in the
hands of the voters of Salem, who
are to decide on October 26th wheth-
er Salem will adopt the new plan or
| sail under the old charter with all
its shortcomings.
1T is very gratifying to see the in
/ terest taken by the voter, and as it
seems desirable that the charter
board take a hand, though | would
have short say along some lines
"One thing l deplore, that the vote
on this charter should be in every
sense considered as test Of the
present administration. such ques-
ton should not be raised for it has
no place in this election, the real
question at issue is simply this, do
we want to adopt a commission form
of government or shall we still con-
tinue under our present form.
Shall we profit by the experience
of the hundreds of cities who are
now working under a similar form OF
commission government, all of whom
give the world favorable reports OF
splendid results. None are even
thinking of going back to old form
so we are not pioneers in this form
but simply follow in well tried eX-
periments. Let me refer to some OF
the objections we hear against this
new charter
"One leading objection we hear is
that its delegates to much power;
that the mayor should not have the
appointing power of the chief of po-
lice and other departments of city
government, now to my way of think.
ing, this is the very object of a com.
mission form of government. Con
centration of power and authority
mean centralizing of responsibility
placing the responsibilities of every
department of your city government
means much; first, it will naturally
suggest that careful selection will
be made of the men who are to han
die these responsibilities and it gives
men a working chance to make good
In fact if there is any good in meI
so placed, they will sure use all theiI
power to give the people a clean ad'
ministration, on the other hand these
men are required to give heavy bonds
besides every safeguard is placed
around their acts that it Is hard tC
see how they can go far wrong and
not be found out,
There seems fears lest the WORD
party or politics being left out ol
; forbidden, will finally work mischief
well let us not worry on that score
it seems good to get rid of that for q
time at least.
There is a clear misinterpretatior
; of the provisions for making public
improvements by some voters, this is
, one point in which our present char
ter needs special corrections, undel
the new If adopted, the commission
ers can ask for bids for one or more
kinds of street Improvements and tn,
property owners can select it alsC
provides that the assessment ordi
nance is not passed till after thu
contract is let then the levy is mad,
on actual cost figures.
Mr.. Geo F. Rogers and the cit.
attorney will fully corroborate thi
statement; another serious objection
is made to the power granted to tn
commission in way of granting fran
/ chises. this point was carefully con
sidered and it must be noticed tha
} under no circumstances can the
I pass a franchise ordinance wit
! emergency clause attached, so tina
! no franchise can be granted that doe
! not come under the referendum.
The greatest danger that / ca
see to the adopting of this charter
! the short time the people have t
I consider; what we now think as dan
gerous in this charter will appear a
er element of strength If we ha
I time for a more general investiga
! ton. There are no special power
! delegated to the mayor or commits
7 sioners under this charter that ar
! not contained in all that have so ia
I adopted this form of government nc
! do we hear of any who are goin
! back TO the old forms; hence it mus
! follow that some great benefits mul
I have followed the adoption Of th
J plan. So It seems to m that in cas-
! ing our votes for or against the ne
q aN