Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-10-26
To Conduct an Active Cam
paign for Commission
Government
HOQUIAM BEARS WITNESS SPERRY GIVES TALK
Sentiment for Adoption Of
Modern Governmental
System Growing

The campaign for the adoption of
the Commission form of government
evening at the meeting held in the
city council chamber The chamber
was comfortably filled with advocates
of modern methods in municipal gov
ernment, and at the close of the meet
ing, the Aberdeen Progressive club
was organized, for the purpose of con
ducting an active campaign for the
abolition of the ward councilman and
ward politician system, and the adop-
tion of a business plan, as permitted
by the Allen law.
On motion of Judge J. C. Pearson,
Jno. j. Carney was chosen chairman
of the meeting, who after briefly stat
ing the object of the gathering, and
suggesting a vigorous campaign, in
troduced Mayor Harry Ferguson, of
Hoquiam. Mayor Ferguson said Alb
erdeen should not be timd about
adopting improved methods Of govern
ment any more than Improved busl-
ness methods; that. while the Com
mission plan was yet new In Ho-
quam. it's beneficial effects were in
evidence and the current expense al
ready shows Il decrease Of several
hundreds of dollars month Refer
ring to the present system, Mayor
Ferguson said the councilmen could
scarcely be held accountable for the
slack methods that prevailed under
the old system, they simply did not
have the time to devote to the buso-
ness to secure good results.
Twelve men legslate to suit their
different constituency, while three
men elected by the people at large
must legislate or the city as a
whole said Mr. Ferguson. AS a
rule we do not get dishonest men in
the council The mistakes are made
because of lack of time to give to
city matters. Sometimes dishonest
men get into the council but be
1ieve it is the exception. In the COM
mission form of government you take
away the strife that is bound to ex-
list between IL men and concentrate
the business of the city in the hands
of three men elected by the city at
large. The entire city makes the
choice and the city at large is inter-
ested in the men and the men should
be interested in the general welfare
of the city All their time is given
to the city. have begun work or
the city at o'clock in the morning
and continued at it until II o'clock
at night This of course is not nee
essary every day in the year, but the
men are always on the job
Hon. Sidney Moor Heath, of Ho
Q,liam, was the next speaker, and he
began by relating how Hoquiam won
the Commission plan despite the op-
position of every politician and Off
ce holder in that city. He had care
fully studied the Allen law, and con
sidered that it afforded an opportun
ity to have a city managed on bust
ness lines if it's people so desired
He clearly showed the contrast be
tween the old and new plan, and that
Aberdeen would, in the main, be oper-
ating under the present laws for cit
les of the second class, except for the
smaller number of officials and the
necessary safeguards thrown around
the commissioners, who are clothed
with so much authority
Jas. A. Hood, the we'll known pio-
neer of Aberdeen, who has served
the city as mayor and as councilman
was called upon and announced him
self emphatically in favor OF the mod
ern system. He believes the present
city council and mayor as good as
could be obtained under the law we
are now acting under, but it was i'm
possible to stop the waste and secure
100 cents worth of service for a dol
lar under this system. Giving an IL
10 get favorable action on PROPOSE
tion, as one of the chief curses of this