Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1912-02-13
CITIZENS OF wAUsAU :

=
Upon the request of the committee,
representing the local German Amer
lean Alliance, who oppose the Com
mission form of government, Mr..
John Ringle has presented for publi-
cation his views upon the question,
also certain facts, which ne thinks
the people should know and are as
follows:
Mr.. EDITOR I have been request
ed to publicly state some of the
reasons for opposing the commission
form of government for our city.
Owing to condition of unrest and
dissatisfaction anon the people
for various reasons, movements of a
so called progressive nature are in
progress, aiming in the main to
bring the government nearer to the
people, with the expectation of bet
ter results.
Perhaps from the same cause,
like the thistle among the wheat,
this commission form of city govern
ment is being agitated. The COM
mission form of government how
ever is not progressive, but on the
contrary is reactionary. II re-
stricts the opportunity of the people
of participating and conducting
their own affairs. In other words
it assumes, that which has ceen dis
proven in every department of our
American system of government,
that the people are not capable of
self-government.
Our system of representative gov
eminent is not only the best and
most satisfactory, but we have
learned from experience, that there
is less DANCE of bad government in
body Of larger number and when
the governing body must frequently
account to the people, AND is sub
iect to frequent change.
The most astonishing feature how
ever, is the manner in which this
commission system is being pre-
sented to the people to incur favor.
Statements are made and published
which are not only colored for eff
feet, but are absolutely untruthful.
If it is necessary to deceive the peo-
to secure the ends desired, it may
be well TO recall the old maxim,
"false in one thing false in all. .
/ will at this time only refer to
the statement made here, which is
being published Throughout the coun-
try, that Eau Claire under the COM
mission firm in seventeen months
reduced the bonded debt $50, 900,
paid floating indebtedness of $780,
600, cut the tax rate and started
bank account. 1t is further stated
that the commission built several
bridges, did considerable paving
with less money than was raised
under the old system. Now what
are the facts
Mr.. Boyd, a member of the COM
mission, in a statement published
Dec. %, 1911, says: ''The bonded
debt in 1910 after deducting the
sinking fund was $197, 917. There
is an issue of $50, 900, coming due in
January, the payment of which is
not provided for, and on account of
which some money will have to be
borrowed. After the payment of
these bonds, $4,000, the bonded
debt, deducting the sinking fund
would be $149, 750." But the $780,
600 were not paid for at the time, and
the bonded debt was $179, $50 after
deducting the sinking fund, reduc-
ton of just s18, 167, in two years.
Wausau pays $14, 900 of her bonded
debt every year. Further it is said,
the old council paid $40, 900 of bonds,
the payment of which had not been
provided for. and because of which
they figure out what they call a float
| ;ug debt of $50, 900.
The commission levied a tax OF
2.S per cent. on an assessment OF
SO, $50, 900, and collected from the
people of Eau Claire $278, $50, $3S,
430 more than had been raised the
year previous, and over SO, O0C
more than the tax payers of Wau-
sau paid in that year, 1910. This
should have paid the floating debt
In the year 1911 they levied tax oil
"a per cent. on an assessment OF
$40, 16e, 600 and collected S243, 9ot
over $40, 200 more than the people