Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-09-14
On Monday, October Il on
Important Question.
Proposed Change in Waiervil|e
CITY Government.
Condensed Statement Of New Char
ter's Aims ana Purposes.


| lature in the year 1911, entitled An Act
to Amend an Act to Incorporate the
| City of Waterville be accepted %
| The following is a condensed state
ment of the aims and purposes Of the
| new charter" If you wish for any
| further Information or for a complete
copy of the text of the new charter
ask any member of the following COM
naittee of the Good Government Asso-
citation" underVwhose direction this
statement is published: President, Fl.
L. Emery; Vice Pres, Charles II. Bar
ton; See and Treas. Edward w.
Heath: Arthur Daviau. Harry E.
Green, DR.. l.. G. Bunker, Gideon Pich-
er, w. c. Philhrook, Hon. w. r. Pat
tsngall, J. e. Nelson, Hon. c. f. John
SON. Hon. c. w Davis, Rev. e. f.
sdmson. II. ID. Eaton. l.. f. Thayer. D.
J.. Foster. Augustus Carey, Howard
Morse
1st. The intent and purpose of the
| new charter is to take the manage
ment of our city's affairs. including
! the school department, out of the in
| huence of national and partisan poll
| itics and to have the city's business
| conducted on strictly non partisan
business principles, by three men
| elected Al large. and fairly paid for
| their services. It provides for the cleo
| tion of mayor and two .councilmen.
These three officials shall be known
as the municipal council. They shall
| he responsible for the conduct of the
city's business, which shall be grouped
| in three departments. and under their
direction each member shall preside
over one department and shall be re-
! sponsible for its conduct.
| end Under the New Charter all
ward lines and political distinctions
are abolished in the selection of of
| ficers. and every official is a repre-
sentative of the entire city instead of
| n small section of it. so that ward
| combinations" which have cost the
city many thousands of dollars can
not exist.
| ard. Tie A.aw Charter provides Tor
| direct primary nominations giving ~
every candidate an equal ana fair
| chance for nomination and election to
| the municipal council
| nth. Under the New Charter the
men who are elected must receive
| plurality of all votes cast in the city.
4
hers of the city government except
| the mayor and cOuncilmen received
over II 1-2 per cent. of the votes cast.
| in most cases alderman and councils
mea received only to 8 per cent. of
th,. total vote-that is minority rule
and no. majority rule. Do You want
TIE majority to rule9 The New Char
/ ter provides that they shall.
18th. The New Charter provides that
subordinate officers shall be elected
or appointed. on a civil service basis
ard for merit and efficiency instead OF
arpointments for political reward.
while efficient officers may be con-
| tinued in office instead of being
charged With every new administra
| tion, as in the past.
9Th The New Charter is in line
with .he national movement for bet
ter municipal government Investiga
ton GAS proven that not one city in
tho nation has, under the old form
of city government. secured satisfac-
tory results 1t is universally declared
to he the weakest place in our sys-
tenn of government More than two
hundred and fifty cities are now con-
siderine changing from the partisan
|
Over one hundred and fifty cities have
already made the change and have
charters similar to the one we pro-
pose. Though new, they contain no
new principle. 1t is practically the
old town meeting applied TO city
conditions. They have thus far prov
en- universally satisfactory. All Eng
fish cities have for seventy-five years
been governed by charters which In.
vole the same principles. and with
sreat SUCCESS. ~, aaa6I2
FIFTH THE New Charter provides for pub
betty 1t considers that the citys busi-l
sness is the peoples business and that
they have right TO know, Every month.
statement must be made to the public
showing what has been done with the
money spent and what the city's tinan-