Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1911-10-27
WILL PULLMAN ADOPT
COMMISSION FORM?
The Question Will be Settled bv the
Voters at the Election Tuesday

VIII Pullman adopt the commits
sion form of government This ones.
ton will be settled next Tuesday by
the 367 men and POI women who
have qualified as voters by register
4 ing. How it will be settled is an omen
question, though both the supporters
and opponents of the plan profess to
be confident The result will probab-
ly be close and the side which gets
out the vote will win. The issue is
being earnestly discussed in friend
ly way and considerable quiet work
is being done among the voters. The
polls will open at 500 o'clock a. m.
and close at 500 p. m.
The following letter from F. e..
Sanger, member of the city council,
is fair statement of the position of
many voters
To the Editor of the Herald.
In regard to the advisability of
adopting the commi ssion form of gov
eminent, will say that | have made
careful study of the question for
the last sixty days and find it hard
in my own mind to decide which
form of government is best for a
town of this size. Some people,
whom l have heard express their
views on this subject, have been
radical on one side or the other, but
the way | look at it there is much
merit in either form of government
In regard to the commission form
of government there is one very i'm
portant question to consider and
that is whether or not good enough
men can be secured for commission
ers at the salaries offered? In no
other city with which | am familiar
is there so much discrepancy in the
salary of the mayor and commission
ers. Experience has shown me that
it will take quite little of ones
time to fill any of these offices, as
the commissioners meet once each
week, and in view of the fact that
they receive pay, even though it is a
small amount, that gives any and
every one a chance to crack the
whip, and that means that the mayor
or commissioner must devote so
much time to his office that it will
not attract the right man for the
right place. No doubt a suitable per-
no Fo
$500 per annum, but who would
play second fiddle and be a commits
sioner at $3.50 per annum?
The additional cost to the taxpay-
ers, If the commission form was
adopted, is about $500 per annum.
That means that if, for example,
your property is assessed at $1,000,
1t would cost you about 81 more for
your share of the extra tax. l, for
one, am willing to pay this if | can
be assured that the interests of Pull
man will be benefited thereby.
The councils of the past and of
today have been censured for vari-
Gus and sundry sins of commission
or omission. Perhaps the main
criticism has come from the condi-
ton of the streets, walks and lights.
B Those most in touch with our tinan-
cial affairs realize that Improvements
E mean taxes. Our taxes in the last
4 three years have ranged from So to
80 mills, and this, mind you, when
the councilmen were serving without
pay and purposely giving you a con-
sentative administration, in order
that Pullman might be put on the
financial map. Today the city is IN
4 the best shape, financially, for the
past 20 years. This year only an / 8
mill city levy has been made. This
small levy must be attributed to the
honest and faithful administration
OF the councilmen of the past, who
have forseen the wildcat schemes OF
every age and builded upon a rock
instead of sand foundation.
There is another and important
question that must be considered at
THIS time. I am no calamity bowler
\ believe in boosting, but we can not
sainsay the fact that money matters
nave not been what we would have
hked for the last twelve months
win reasonable prospect for the
! same dose for another year. Tha
reads one to think twice before HI
/ Saps. During the last two years two
Aew sewer districts were created
"hicn has hit the taxpayers quit
hard, and most of them with whom