East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1913-06-30
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT ISSUE
Continued from page 1.)

ling to talk upon the 'subject Col. ].
II. Raley was brief but emphatic.
II am strongly in favor of it," de-
clared Colonel Raley 81 should like
to see the amendment submitted"
w. L. Thompson of the American
National bank said that the commits
sion form is the only form and that
he is highly in favor of it for Pen
dleton.
"It is the only system" he said.
"We cannot expect men to give their
time to the affairs of the city with
out compensation. l would favor a
commission government with salaries
say of $500 a year each to three
men, one of these to be chosen as
mayor. I should also favor provis-
ion in the amendment that these men
devote half their time to the business
affairs of the city. | am sure that
such a plan would induce the best
men to seek and accept the nomina-
tions. Under a commission form we
have centralized system and the re-
sponsibilty for the good management
of city affairs rests with this system" >"
Leon Cohen was unqualified in his
endorsement "There is no question
at ALL" he said. of the desirability
of the commission government 1t
would give us a better system. l am
sure that If the question Is submitted
agan. it will carry easily, and certain
ly Pendleton should have this system. -
G. I. LaDow expressed about the
same opinion. 81 think / am in favor
of it," he declared. 'If the proper
candidates are up for office, it would
give us an improved system of gov
ernment over the present one. l think
however, that the success of the COM
mission government would depend
largely upon the selection of the Of
| ficers."
F.. E Livengood, another promi-
nent business man, said that he
thought the commission form would
be a good thing. Although | have
not studied it thoroughly, 1t seems to
| have been a success in other towns
and 1 am strongly in favor of it here.
believe that it would prove a sue
cess and be an improvement in many
ways over the old form"
| T.. j. Murphy i'm Favor.
AS an example how opinion has
changed since the proposition was
submitted before, the expression of F..
| j. Murphy, another well known busi-
ness man, indicates generally how the
sentiment in the city now tends tow
ards the commission form. Mr.. Muir
ply two years ago was strenuously
! opposed TO anything that savored of
| the commission government. Today
he is just the opposite in his attitude
and is as favorable to it at this time
as he was opposed to it two years ago.
| 1.-THE commission FORM" said Mr..
Murphy, gives us a system where we
can place the responsibility on the
! men at the helm. Two years ago, l
was opposed to the commission. Now
am highly in favor of it. 1t CEN
! tralizes the responsibility and would
! give Pendleton a business administra-
| ton which would be more efficient
| than any other form | know"
/ The above expressions of leading
business men of the city show that
apparently there is a dissatisfaction
with the old idea in municipal COVER
| norship. AS referred to at the be-
| ginning, the one man who voiced what
could be called doubt, was Mr.. Gray
of Gray brothers, but his doubt was
| tinctured with the willingness to try
the commission form and he was will
ling to admit that there might be
more good in the system than In the
present form of government. He said
that he did not believe the city could
have any better council than 1t has
az present and that he believed II
would be better to let the same plan
remain in effect However, as to
whether another term would bring in
to the city administration as good and
efficient set of men as the present,
he was not prepared to say and felt
that in this regard the commission
form might be better able to handle a
question of the desirability of city Of
ficials better than the system now in
use.
More expressions Of opinions will
be given in tomorrow's issue of the
East Oregonian 1t Is the desire to
give the ideas of the women as well
as the men upon this question, and
several of the prominent women Of
the city will be interviewed