Evening journal., 1911-06-24
THE EVENING JOURNAL. sATuRDAY JuNE a4. Ien
MR.. BURCHENAL ARGUES FOR ENTIRELYNEW CITY CHARTER


engineer and his assistants should be
changed according TO the political COM
plexion of the Council
Under our present charter the
Council appoints the chief engineer
and surveyors, inspector OF lumber
meat inspector. oil inspector and four
vaccine physicians and the Council |
makes political appointments. These |
offices should be as free from politics
as possible. When a competent man |
has been found for engineer he should |
be kept until he is disqualified Valu- !
able men are not looking for tempor-
airy positions but are in search of a
position with a future. The uncertain
ty Of the position loses to the city
many men OF ability
Inspectors ought not to depend
upon political pull with a partisan
Council for their appointment When
they go into Office under such obliga-
tion to the party they must deal out
favors to those belonging 10 that po-
litical party and an unfair inspection
is the result
Opposes Offices by Council
mo offices should be given out by
Council. II is too large body 70 hold
responsible for bad selections and the
Council is not responsible to the whole
city but each Councilman 10 his own
ward
The appointments should be made
by a Mayor elected on a non-partisan
ticket with the power in the people to
recall the Mayor in case he makes
vicious appointments. and an officer
when appointed should only be re-
moved for cause or ineffciency
The day is done in efficient city
government when a city office is TO be
given as a reward for political ser
vice. To such men the Job must be
snap or else II is no reward II is not
work for which they are applying but
for salary Give us a charter new
charter which abolishes the city Job as
q political reward and which insures
the Job to the man who gives the city
a dollars worth Of work for a dollars
worth Of paw. A city government must
be recognized as a business organiza-
ton solely and its affairs should be
administered by business men upon
business principles.
Would Eliminate Parties.
I'VE should have a new charter
which will abolish city government by
political parties. Under party
government when the Democrats
are in power the Republi-
can members of Council and other
Republican offce-holders try to block
good government IN order that the
people may turn out the Democrats
Likewise when the Republicans are
in power, the Democrats hope and
help the Republicans TO make a fall
ure of the government OF the city We
know Of instances where men Of op-
posite parties we're on the same COM
mittee, and the minority members in
stead of helping the committee ac-
complish its work, laughed az the ma
jority members for falling 10 make a
good showing. Now when the Demo-
Gratis give us good government Il is
because the Republicans cannot stop
them and when the Republicans give
us good government it is in spite Of
the Democrats. We want a method
which unites the abilities Of all Of
fice-holders 70 give TO the city a sue
cessful administration for the COM
mon good of the city and not merely
for the advantage of some political
party.
There are no party questions in a
ing policies, but merely the question
OF taxation, city improvements, streets
paving, FIRE protection and garbag e
collection, covering Of garbage carts
giving out ash collection contracts
and the buying Of park lands and on
these questions we do not divide on
the same lines as IN national and state
politics. and yet party loyalty forces
many men 10 vote for that which they
otherwise do not favor A good city
government depends on the men elect
ed and not on the party TO which they
belong.
In order TO keep the city Offices out
Of politics, first, very few officers
should be elected so that the people
may carefully pass upon their fitness
to hold Office. and second, they should
be nominated by petition and a selec-
ton made at a nominating election.
For instance, before every city cleo
ton any man who wishes 10 run for
Mayor or any ONCE files his petition
properly recommended with the prop
er officer. These names are all placed
on a ticket and az the nominating
election which takes place two weeks
before the final election. all voters
cast their vote for one Of these names
for Mayor and the two receiving the
highest number Of votes are the can
didates for Mayor. Then az the cleo
tion each voter votes for one OF these
candidates for Mayor. and the one re-
ceiving the larger vote is elected
Mayor. Under this system party poll
tics will have less part in city rule be-
cause the men elected will not be
under the same obligation TO the
p party II will more nearly secure
] the peoples choice and ] for one. be-
/ lieve in the people when the people
A have a free opportunity TO express
their wish.
) Opposes Ward system.
p I'VE want q new charter which viii
= abolish our present ward system