Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1913-11-24
Henry 4. sawyer,s Statement.
D. Fl. DARLING.

Henry H. Sawyer. leader OF the OPP
position, says:
After a trial of two years or govern
ment by commission in this city, the re,
suits of which have been closely watchea
by all the other cities IN Maine, ho
question remains but that the EXPERIMENT
has proved a failure Not only rs TINS
conceded by most of the citizens OF Gar
diner but it has been recos ,, 90 nv
in other parts of the state, as .snoWn oy
the refusal of Wateryille and AUBURN 10
adopt this method of conducting their
mItnicfpal affairs.g3.5a@ ~ ~
There are several reasons for this fall
ure The theory of commission govern
ment is that the city will receive DUST
ness-lke administration Of It's ana5rs-
This the city of Gardner, has not haa.
our sidewalks have for long time
been in a condition which makes them
menace to the life and limb of every per
son, thus subjectng the city TO the sIlsfN
of suits for heavy damage our nlgu-
ways are in a disgraceful state, ana no
endeavor, Intelligent or otherwise, ~
made to remedy their condltlon; IN no
department of our city affairs has any
business acumen been displayed: No
economies have anywhere been achieVsd,
much less for our expenditures than ever
before Place the. fault where one may,
it is the result we have obtained, and
by this result commission government
A basic idea of government by eona-
mission is that it removes city aiIalrs
from POLITICS L has p9 PA s11sh S SIttar
fights in our history as we now nave
upon the clection-zof commissioner
The ring is in evidence as usual put
more firmly entrenched. IL ls edsieI 70
elect two. out of three commissioners
than to obtain control under the oln
form This had made ring rule supreme,
and the results we have obtained are
due to its successful endearors. The
ability or fitness of the candidate is not
considered, but the sole question is VIII
he do as the ring desires
We have not received an impartial ad-
ministration of city affairs. About nine
tenths of the territory of the city IS de-
votedito agriculture The needs OF this
section are different from those OF the
thicl<ly settled portion. With no pro-
vision in our charter that the commls-
sioners shall be elected from any partc-
ular section of the city 1t is inevitable
that the commissioners be chosen from
the city proper
The result is that the rural sections re-
ceive scant attention, if any-a CONDITION
of affairs highly detrimental to the Wei
fare of the city as whole, ana WhlGn
did not exist under the old representa-
tive fern
Commission government has been much
more expensive for us The salaries paid
our commissioners for achieving its theo-
retical economies are practically 50 much
additional expense over the old form In
addition, the constant publications re-
qured by our charter, the preliminary
and final elections required to choose a
member of the city council. together with
the cost of recalls and referendums en-
tail an added expense which may Well
explain our steadily increasing tax rate,
which is now % mills.
These are, in general. the reasons why
government by commission in Gardner
is considered a failure, why it has been
so viewed by other cities and why the
movement for it's adjustment has been
begun.
HENRY II. SAWYER