El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-05-15

commission form of city govern
ment has given the publicist a free
field in which to exercise his genius
Tor devising new methods of ASSURING
honest administration efficient execu-
ton of laws and economical handling
of the public finances. AS the new
system of city government has extend
ed over the country it has encouraged
experimentation. with the result that
many peculiar features have been added
to the plan.
Perhaps the most radical departure
from the ordinary course of politics is
the election method adopted by the city
of Grand Junction, Colo. 1t is sized
the preferential system" and go =
tutes for the usual plurality eIec Ion in
which the candidate receiving the high
est number of votes is elected. some
what complicated method for recording
the first, second and third choices of
each voter among the list of candidates
offering. Grand Junction denies that
the plan is complex asserting that il
works easily and without confusion
The PREFERENTIAL System.
Under this preferential systesn''
there is no primary election at all. The
race is a free-for-a1l, and any person
may become a candidate for any office
merely by fulfilling the requirement
as to getting his name on the ballot.
The voter takes the ballot on election
day and expresses thereon his first,
second and third choice for each Of
flee to be filled. If. when the votes
are counted. it is found that one can
didate is the first choice of a majority
of all the voters; he is declared elected.
If no one is the first choice of ma
jority, then the first choice and Sec
ond choice votes OF each candidate are
added together. If after this addition
a candidate has a majority of first
and second choice votes, he is elected
But if there is still no majority Of all
the votes cast, then the first, second
and third ~loices for each candidate
are added, and the one receiving the
highest number of votes of ali classes
is declared the successful candidate.
This plan effectual1y prevents the
election by the plurality method Of a
candidate who might BE Objectionable
to a majority of the voters For in
stance, under the ordinary plurality
method there might be three candidates
for office. two representing good gov
errment' and one the gang" The
good government vote taken together
would be a majority. but the gang
candidate might be elected by the split
in the opposing forces. Under the pref
erentia1 system the first and second
choice votes for the two good gov
eminent" candidates would outweigh
the f.rst choice votes of the gang"
candidate.
Good IN Theory.
Excellent as it is in theory, this
plan has appeared to be too complex
for practical use and although Grand
Junction is highly pleased, the sys-
far h-oc r+ tod n Of ,f9fh oT
city. Most cities seeking to obviate
the same evil of plurality elections
prefer the double election plan Of Des
Moines, which is designed TO eliminate
the undesirables in the first election.
leaving the better candidates for the
final race
The Boston probation plan" for the
mayoralty is an example of a modifi-
cation of the principle of the recall.
Under this system the mayor is elected
for four years. At the end of two
years the citizens may obtain an ex-
preston of opinion as to the success
of his administration by placing on
the ballot at the regular November
election the question: Shall the mayor
face another election?" If majority
OF the electors vote yes" another
election is held in which the mayor is
a candidate. If he is defeated he re-
tires in favor of the successful candi-
date. If he is again elected he serves
the remainder of his original term
This is a limited recall designed to
prevent agitation and unrest caused
by too frequent demands for recall
election under the unlimited system.
Bfrmingham's Salaries.
Birmingham. the Alabama industrial
takes the lead of all COM
governed cities in the matter
Of high salaries for it's commissioners.
holds to the theory that
it's municipal business is quite as i'm
portant as that of railroad or a bank.
and that to get the right kind of men
it must pay the right kind Of salaries.
The Birmingham commissioners each
receive $500 year. the salary Of a
United States senator The proposed
Pittsburg charter provides salaries of
$1,000 for its commissioners. Birming
ham had some difficulty in obtaining
the high salaries, since a fight was
made on the proposition But with
big pay for big men" as a slogan
the advanced advocates Of municipal
carried their point
Another departure from the usual
form of the commission government in
is the provision that re-
cali election may he ordered upon the
petition of 1000 voters. Most cities fix
the number OF petitioners who may
order a recall upon percentage of the
votes cast in the preceding election, but
believes that when 5000
electors are disconnected with the con-
duct of municipal affairs they should
have the right to refer their complaints
to the voters for determination and
action.
Several southern cities that have
lately adopted the commission govern
ment plan have provided for perpetual
That is, instead of elect
ing a full set of commissioners for the
same term of office, all expiring at
once, the new plan is TO elect the first
set of commissioners for terms Of vary
ing length and then to elect at least
one commissioner each year for full
term. This makes the commission
body like the United States
senate, maintaining a permanent organ
cation.
Many advocates of municipal reform
regard this as a backward step. assert
ing that it affords opportunity to build
up a political machine and that a con-
tinuing body is not to be trusted to
make radical changes in policy even
when they are needed. The friends OF
the new plan reply that with the re-
eal1 always available for the removal
Of any or all of the commissioners