The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1911-03-24
Plan
OF SPOKANE
EXPERTS DECLARE PLAN MOST
ADVANCED AND PRACTICAL
YET EVOLVED.
Worked Out by Commission Repre-
senting Business, Labor and Legal
Interests and Adopted by Big Popu-
lar Vote in Face Of Strenuous oppo-
sition by Politicians.

SPOKANE, WASH, Marce Wv nat II
declared by experts to ~ the most
advanced practical plan u municipal
government by commission in Amer
ca is now in ope1 alton in Spokane
Five commissioners, chosen from
among 90 candidates at a special cleo
ton on March Z, when women exer-
cised the right of the ballot for the
first time in the history of the city,
were formally induced into Office on
March IA. retiring Mayer Nelson s.
Pratt and ten souncilmen. The COM
mission has been organized as fol-
lows:
Mayor and Commissioner Of Public
Affairs, William ]. Hindley, formerly
pastor of Pilgrim Congregational
Church.
Vice-Chairman and Commissioner of
Finance, Robert Farley, formerly City
Comptroller.
Commissioner of Public Utilities,
Charles NJ Fassett, formerly presi-
dent of the Spokane Chamber of Com
merce.
Commissioner of Public Works,
David C. Coates, printer; former
Lieutenant-Gove of Colorado.
Commissioner of Public, Safety,
Fora E. Hayden, retired lumber mill
operator and capitalist.
The first three were elected for
terms of five years, the last named
for three years. The salary is $4,000
year, the bond of each being fixed
at $4,000.
The Commissioner of Public Affairs
appoints and supervises the City En-
gineer, Corporation Counsel and asIn-
spector of Weights and Measures; the
Commissioner of Finance controls the
books and Offices of the City Treas
urer and Auditor; the Commissioner
of Public Utilities has charge Of the
city water works and power plant.
street railway, telephone and allied
affairs; the Commissioner of Public
Works has supervision of streets,
pavements and sewers. and the Com
missioner of Public Safety controls
the police and firemen. The commits
sioners also look after all the ramifi:
cations of their various duties and
may change and alter these by agree
ment.
Three civil service commissioners,
to be appointed to serve without pay,
demand the merit system, examina-
tons, probations, Investigations and
removals on charges. The purpose is
to make permanent all municipal APP
pointments calling for special fitness,
so that faithful public official may
plan q career and fit himself accord
ingly, without fear of displacement by
disfavOr.
Another feature of the charter is
the provision for publicity. All the
meetings are open to the public, and
all ordinances and other notices must
be published in the Official Gazette,
which is distributed free of charge.
The Mayor has no veto power.
The charter provides for the initia-
tive and the referendum and the re-
call. Fifteen per cent OF the vote is
required to recall any commissioner
who has been remiss or unsatisfactory
in his duty.
The system of voting for the COM
missioners is ingenious. Twenty five
electors may nominate candidate by
taking an oath that he is qualified and
a desirable man and that they desire
to vote for him.
The ballot contains the names of all
the candidates in alphabetical order,
followed by spaces marked for first,
second and third choice. The voters
mark Is crosses on the ballot, voting
for five men as first choice, five 9TH
ers as second choice and five as third
choice. However. they may vote for
third choice the entire list after elm
mating first and second choice.
The majority Of all votes cast elects
on the first choice. Then the votes
for the candidates who are unsuccess-
full in the first choice column and are
in the second choice column, are
counted to select the rest. II five
candidates having a majority of first
and second choice votes are not
elected, the votes Of the third choice
are counted with the stragglers Of
the other two. and the third choice
selections fill out the five. The third