The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1912-06-08

people present at the court house
during the discussion of the COM
mission form of government Act
a form OF city government upon the
acceptance or rejection of which the
people of Sumter will vote rext Tues
day I'm an election which was provid-
ed for at the last session of the Gen
eral Assembly. The discussion was an
interesting one and was listened to
with the deepest attention by all of
those present. The set speakers. Mr..
Jennings and Mr.. Boyle. i'm advocacy
OF the manager and the present sys-
TENS. respectively. made strong argu-
ments in favor OF their side of the
question and Mr.. II. A. Moses. who
was called upon TO represent the de-
partmental system OF commission
government In the absence Of Mr..
Clifton. who had been selected to
speak for this side of the question.
gave a few brief pointers In favor Of
the departmental system. as 1t was
viewed by him.
There was frequent applause dur
Ing the discussion. each speaker re-
ceiving his share Of IT, The audience
seemed to be looking at the matter
from an unprejudlced viewpoint and
seemed to have their minds open to
the arguments of the speakers. The
consensus of opinion among the
speakers seemed To- be TO select the
form OF government which was best
suited for Sumter and which would
prove to the most advantage of the
city. The audience also seemed to
look at the matter In this light and
had evidently come for the purpose
az hearing what the speakers had to
say and then by thinking over the
matter for themselves decide which
form of government they thought
best. -. - sos 80
Y, was decided before the meeting
RNafNAh hNNN W. N'NNA WiNNNfs ''ffNAAIAN
for next Friday night at the court
house at $50. when the people had
had ume 20 th;nE over the matter
and make their decisions
Among those TO join In the discus
sion were Messrs. l.. ID. Jennings. w.
r. Boyle. II. ID. Epps. III. "A. Moses. r.
II. Belser. T.. G.. Bowman. III. ID.
Noise and others. DIR. Baker opened
the meeting by stating It's object and
readine. synopsis Of the act by Sec
tkons, celiing what was In each Sec
tton as Ire came To a.. He then stated
that MIR. Clifton was not present and
asked for some one to volunteer to
take his place on the list as the speak
er In favor OF commission form Of
government with a departmental sys-
tenn. ~ no one responded DR.. Ba-
ker explained that three set speeches,
had Dvcn arranged for. but. owing to
the absence OF Mr.. Clifton. only two
OF the speakers were present. MIR
Jennings opened with an argument In
favor of the commission government
with a city manager. by stating that
there was evidently something lack
ing from the present form and some
thing good To the new form as every
member OF council was IN favor OF
commission government for sumter.
something that had never been the
case In other cities where the com
mission form Of government had
been advocated. lie pointed out the
feet that "a city was "A corporation and
that 10 should be run on business
basis, as corporation. and To run IL
In "a busincsslikc way II was hCst -
nave a manager working under the
council. Is the ace provided cor sum
the Installation Of the water works
system and the sewer system. the
work had not been done ia a bus-
like way. which. he stated. would not
have been the ease had an efficient
man bccn I'm charge of the city at the
time. lie stated that there was no
chart Of drainage systems and mcu-
toned other things which had been
done In IN unbusincsslikC way. the
sewerage system hclng dwclt on more
at length than others. He said that
the old city officials rad done the
best which they could. ,ut they d.d
not know, and. therefore. could do
no better. lie believed that man
could be- hired for money to- look
altor Ihrse Ihlngs-n mnn Mhn knnu.