Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-06-22
Editor S Letter Box
Commission Government.

''''tSS'Sii NoNCiliHiGHls
Editor kennebeC Journal:
AT our big meeting at South Gardi-
her the other night. one of the scare
arguments" of our opponents was pub
iiely put forward for the first time.
We were explaining how the initia-
tive would give the people the right
to pass ordinances over the heads OF
the council, when our opponent asked: .
What If the citizens of the rest of
the city proposed to appropriate $1O.-
GOO that didn't help South Gardiner.
and that South Gardiner didn't want =:
What could South Gardiner do?"
What could South Gardiner do, now?
Under our present charter, il the
city council wanted to appropriate
$4,000 or any other sum, South Gar
diner wouldn't even know of it until
they got their tax bills, or. if they
did. would have absolutely no means
of stopping it.
The appropriation could be railroad
ed through at one session of the coun-
ell under suspension of the rules, as
were all the appropriations tins
spring.
Ii they knew of it, the voters of
South Gardiner or any other part of
town, could kick and growl. and that's
all they could do. They could take
no effective action.
Under the commission charter all
appropriations of over 5000 must be
advertised in the kennebec and the
Reporter Journals, and can not take
effect until the citizens have had two
weeks to look them over, discuss
them. and decide whether they ap-
prove.
Meantime. should they decide other
wise, they could. by the referendum,
ter to a vote of the city. and could
vote the appropriations down.
As Il similar argument is being
used by our opponents to throw dust
in the eyes of the voters. [ will briefly
| review the matter that the voters may
know the facts.
The argument is that this fight for
better system of government-they
call it agitation-was caused by the
residents of Brunswick avenue simply
because they failed to get their street
repaired and that, if commission
government is adopted. an enormous
appropriation, or a bond issue. will be
| made for this purpose.
The Brunswick avenue matter WAS
at the bottom of this fight. but for a
reason far different from the one our
opponents wish the voters 10 believe.
Brunswick avenue needed rebuilding
does now for that matter-but in
this is no exception to all the other
streets of Gardiner
What aroused the people to action
was the fact that an absurd estimate
of S35 600 mile was made-an esti-
mate based. not on what the cost
SHOULD be, but on what an incom
petent superintendent had made Cen
trail ST cost the city In f9o9-a cost
at double the rate for building better
roads throughout the State.
This exorbitant estimate made
breach in the wall Of official lncom-
petance. and showed the voters lit
tie of what was inside.
It showed them our skim-coat walks
built at four times the cost of better
ones elsewhere. of curbing at % cents
per running yard fer laying alone. OF
overdrawn appropriations. an abused
contingent fund, of an electric light
ing contract which has run the ctty's
bills up &c per cent. in four years. of
money wasted on useless school
house in which never 4 class has beet
held. of taxes and appropriations IN
creased so per cent. in ten years.
1t opened the eyes of the voters OF
Gardiner so wide that they decided
to sit up nights until the whole use
less. rotten system was abolished. and
the government of our city was re-
stored to it's citizens from whom i'll
been divorced for so years.
And yet. in the face of all this. and
in the face of the publicity OF appro-
priations and provisions for exercis-
ing the peoples power insured by the
new charter, they have the effrontery
to say that under it the peoples mon
ey will be spent whether they viii OF
no.
Pshaw, THE Goblinsll get yer If
yer don't watch out"
d. II. DARLING.
Market Square Fountain.
l.