Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-04-09
gorrrspunpfnre.
Commission Form of Government
TOPEKA, KANSAS, April /, 1913.
To the Editor of The American:


interested in my observation of the
commission" form of municipal govern
ment as exemplified here. This city,
containing about 5000 inhs bitants, has
no aldermen nor councilmen elected by
wards. Indeed, there are nov practically
no wards, but only election precincts.
The old ward lines are preserved only for
convenience in descriptions of locations or
divisions OF territory.
The people at large elect biennialiy a
mayor and four commissioners -one as
commissioner OF finance and revenue;
one as commissioner OF wsterworks and
street-lighting (the city owns the water
works and the lighting plsnt); one as COM
missioner of streets and public improve
ments; one as commissioner of parks and
public property. These five constitute a
board for making appropriations, ordi-
nances, rules and regulations for the gov
eminent of the city, for granting licenses,
etc.
The mayor is chairman of the board,
and has control of the police, fire and
health departments. The commissioner
| get, the estimates OF revenue, expendi-
lures, ETC., for the board, and also sees to
the collection and proper expenditure of
the revenues OF the city. The commits
sioner OF waterworss and street. lighting
| is responsible for the efficient and economi
| cal working and service of those plants
The commissioner of streets and public inn
haze ha 81 he
| sidewalks, sewers, etc. The commissioner
of parks, ETC., has the care OF the parks,
city hall, engine houses, furniture and
other public property, except school
houses.
Besides the above named officers, the
people elect at the same time three MEM
bers ofa board of education, which has
independent control of all the city schools,
including school buildings and furniture.
This board hires teachers, fixes their
salaries, builds and repairs schoolhouses,
etc, and also makes the cessary APP
preparations. The school tax is a sepa-
rate tax fixed by the board, but not to
exceed a certain small PERCENTAGE on the
valuation, which limit is fixed by the
legislature.
Each commissioner in his depart ment,
and the mayor in his, appoints his sub
ordinates, subject to the approval OF the
board, and can remove them in the same
manner. Each commissioner, also, aud
the mayor, is required to give good bond
for his faithtulness in office. No relative
of the mayor or any commissioner by
blood or marriage within the degree of
cousin can be appointed TO any Office in
the city.
The mode of election is this: A week
before the first Tuesday of April in each
odd year is held primary for the nomi-
nation of candidates, To get his name
on the official ballot used at this primary,
a person desiring place there must
seasonably file petition therefor signed
by given number OF voters. At the
primary the voter is furnished with an
official printed ballot containing the
names OF those persons who have filed
such petition, and also a blank space for
the voter to write in the name of any
other person. The names are grouped
alpha beticaIly under the title of the Office
for which they are candidates. The voter
enters booth, marks the name Zone for
each Office of the candidate he prefers,
and then deposits it in the box. The two
persons receiving the highest number of
votes for each Office become the candi-
dates for that office to be voted for at the
coming election on the first Tuesday of
April.
At the election proper, the official ballot
contains only the names of the two who
received the highest number of votes for
that office at the primary. All the other
candidates are eliminated, have no place
on the ballot, though a blank place is left
for the voter TO write in another name.
The voters choice at the election is practi-
callv between the person who received the
highest and him who received the next
highest number OF votes at the primary.
Neither at the primary nor at the cleo
ton is there more than one column on the
ballot; neither is there any party name or
emblem, or anything to indicate whether
the candidate is OF any party or faction.
Indeed, party nominations are forbidden,
and the party newspaper organs do not
make any appeal on party grounds.
Another feature that has interested me
is the operation of woman suffrage. i
have found that city affairs are discussed
in the family circle, by lady callers, at
dinner parties, whist parties, etc, by
women and men, temporarily and in
teiiigently. l also have found that the
women inquire into the personal moral
- 81 ~ L.
than do the men.
At the primary, and alsoat the election,
accompanied my sister, Mrs. Hammatt,.
to the polls in her precinct and saw the
voting. Two OF the election clerks were
men and two were women Mrs. Ham
matt stated her name, which was found
upon the list, was given a ballot and re-
tired to booth for marking it, etc. ALI
was quiet; no smoking, no loud talking;
q ha xroroan xrara traotad rfaastalr