Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-23
GARDINER.
Tho Proposed Charter.

'~''"'' SiititiSillS ana i LINK IL NOulu
he wise to consider these at the outset
of the discussion over the charter.
OF course, this charter Is the work Of
human minds and consequently has it's
imperfections. Doubtless many sections
contain matters which would not appeal
to all alike, but if fair minded person
examines the whole of the charter I can
not believe that he will not frankly say
that it embodies all of the principles of
the so-called commission government
1t was the desire of the committee
which formulated this charter to hold
fast to these principles of a commission
government and work out the details so
they would apply to our own city. No
two of the committee agreed on every de-
tail and it would be too much to expect
all of the citizens to uniformly agree to
that which We could not. If the principle
of government for which we are striving
is here and if we can by yielding our
personal opinions to certain details unite
on that general principle and then select
those minor details which appeal to the
larger majority of our citizens. 1t seems
to me that the end sought for will be
attained. In this method of procedure it
will be no individuals charter: 1t will be
The first criticism coming to my atten-
ton was that the charter was too long
| Perhaps this is true, but it is by actual
comparison considerably shorter than the
old charter under which We are working.
| and an examination will show that two
thirds of the proposed charter deals with
| the machinery for voting. Necessarily
the explanation of this machinery requir-
lnl oil
| from the system of voting now employ
ed in the city for local. county and State
elections The elimination of political
| parties and wards and the substitution
OF an alphabetical list for the candidates
and the further introduction of the intia-
tive. referendum and recall required a
| carefully detailed statement of the meth
DDS to be used so as to properly inform
| the citizens about that machinery. Ger
tainly this is no serious objection. because
! its purpose is to instruct
| Tho second criticism which have
| heard is that the salaries proposed are
high The requirements OF the commits
| sioners arc great and the time that they
mifet necessarily devote to the city affairs
will be large indeed. The quality of SER
| vices should be the best we can obtain
| anu, tdkliiB all OIL tieSe IdclS INTO cOliSlu-
Grafton. after sounding as far as possible
the public opinion upon this question. the
committee fixed the minimum salaries
suggested and these were adopted by the
| association
| The substitution of the commissioners
| for the assessors and oyerseerS of the
poor will take care OF s10JO of tn COM
missoners' salaries; the combination of
many of the subordinate offices and the
elimination of others which will occur
To any mind and certainly to our COM
missioners, will save more than enough
| to care for the remainder of the proposed
salaries. This will leave the business-like
work OF a business government 10 save
for the city thousands of dollars which
are wastcfully spent today The super
visory work of a municipal government
Is large: the capital invested is large
here nearly three millions. and when
these salaries arc compared with the sal
aries of officers in industrial corporations,
feel sure our people will see they are
| very conservative.
The third criticism have heard is that
the commissioners are not empowered to
select an entirely new school committee
and an entirely new board of trustees for
the Water District Both Of these depart
ments relate to municipal work requiring
knowledge which can be best acquired by
connection with that department and
cannot be secured at once by any new
man or body of men. The conduct of our
schools. depending as they do upon
| large corps of teachers with certain
methods of instruction adapted to spe-
cial plan of education. would be mate
rally injured by sudden and complete
change In the executive board. If changes
are required they should be only after
deliberation and by judicious methods
and then only by fairlJ deliberate amend
ments. These facts appealed to the COM
mittee and hence they felt it was wise to
recommend the retention of the two CON-
mitteemen whose terms were unexpired
when the charter went into force ana
thus avoid sudden changes and altera-
tons In the method. This plan commend
ed itself to the association and believe
it will to the public. upon consideration.
The same reasoning would apply to the
Water District. Certain extensions ana
developments must necessarily have been
made and planned and revolutionary
change in them might work injuriousiy
to the welfare of the city. Both depart
ments can be ultimately changed If. in
the good judgment of the commissioners,
| change is required.
These are the chief criticisms which
are today current. If they are of merit
they certainly do not effect the general
principle of commission government and
that we should look to rather than to any
special department or particular detail Of
government.
1t is commonly stated that the oppon-
ents to this change will elect a mayor
in March (because the commission form
of government cannot be started before
January next, and this mayor WITH advo-
cate rigid economy and small appropria-
tions, thus reducing the tax rate to the
normal condition Of two mills. even IL
this reduction requires overdrafts and
overlays in every department. Such n
course, if it Is accomplished, will fool
very few people. because they will realize
that the old system is still at work and
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