Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-19


Association was held at the city cour-
ell rooms Wednesday evening and
there were several Interesting tits
regarding the condensed propositions
that the committee had made up 10
present to the meeting. There were
five in number and they We're con-
sidered the fundamental principles.
At the meeting held last Friday eve
ming several important measures in
tie proposed charter of the Good Gov
eminent Association could not be de-
cided. and it was arranged that this
enlarged committee be given power
to remedy the charter and present it
for legislation. so supplementary
committee If representative men We're
added to the original committee. which
drafted the committee. This addi-
tionai committee was to act as an
advisory branch, but not many Of
them were present "Wednesday eve-
ming. only three out of nine.
l., took good parliamentarian to
keep things in Running order and to
present one motion at time, never
thcless things moved along pretty
smoothly. The only real contest came
wien lil.t IudlltI VI ing thi NN VI
five councilmen in the council came
up. This has been serious problem
to handle and the sentiment was near
" divided. Rev. Mr.. Stimson, Nhc
was a member of the supplementary
committee. was the leader OF those III
favor of three ccuncilmen and made
vigorous appeals for that number,
hut there were so few of his com
n,ittca present that when the matter
was mn 10 vote his side was defeated.
and The stand patters, as ne called
the members of the origianl charter
ronnr..ittse. Won out on the vote fof
five. Bat in fairness to Mr.. Stimson
and those in the minority. 1t was
agreed by all members that written
vote be extracted from all the MEM
hers and returned within two days.
This will be final in that matter.
.The charter with its revisions VIII
h. nresent,d to the Leeislatlr NOT
1atnr than Feb. ]. After two Years
,f hard labor the committee feel that
they have a charter that will il all
1uovs better the municipal conditions
ard tat while it may not meet WIN
the approval of all citizens II WI,
b. q gre at Improvement va
form of government.
The meeting was called by II. l.. f'i'-
cry president of the Good Government
Association, who announced that theie
were really five propositions That the
committee deemed fundamental ana only
five. "a follows:
The executive committee consider that
there are five fundamental principles
which must be adopted as the founaatioh
of n successful commission government
as follows:
fst-All officers elected at large.
and-Au party politics eliminated.
ard-Sumber of officers reduced to five
or three.
a permanent constructive business policy
can be inaugurated and carried out.
5th-Such arrangements as to time OF
service and compensation as will make
it possible to secure the service of our
most competent men.
The first principle. that all officers be
elected at large. was on motion of Harry
f. Green was taken up for consideration.
At this point Fred w Clair in speaking
of the preliminary election. stated that
he was greatly opposed to this method as
the city was too small. He favored nom
ination by petition, stating that 1t would
be better. He thought there was too
much machinery in the charter as pro-
posed and there was no necessity of two
separate elections
Rev. Cyrus t. Stimson stated that al
though he had never read of any such
criticisms. he was not sure but Mr.
Glars idea would save time But he
thought that under Mr. Clair's plan there
would be TOO many candidates. He
thought it would be fairer method to
have the two elections.
Hon. w. c. Philbrook thought that
while the principles Of the committee
were we'll made up, he thought that the
prime principle was to get rid of partisan
politics. He read section of the pro-
posed Gardiner charter which was rela-
tive to the filing of the nomination petit
ton in which the candidate denounced
his connection with any party. Mr. Phil
brook did not think that the charter
would meet with everyone's approval on
certain lines, but that party lines would
be abolished. He then asked that Mr.
Green's motion regarding proposition No.
1 be laid upon the table and that propo-
sition No. be taken mp. He believed
that party politics was a great hindrance
in all American cities. He made a mo-
ton that. so far as possible, all party
politics be eliminated and to make it the
first principle.
Fred w Clair stated that while he was
not in favor of preliminary elections. he