The Hawaiian gazette., 1913-01-14
SAVES COST OF
TWO ELECTIONS


nc this time from various sections Of
the United states n great fund Of In.
formation about the practical workings
Of the commission form of government
in many cities, but especially interest.
ing are those letters and special reports
which tell of the success or failure OF
those new points in commission gov
iumen, winch are now largely consid-
cred mostly experimental.
enc ca these special points is the
preferential system Of election, which
.ocs away with second election alter
the holding of the primary election
,hould the candidate of any party at
HE primary election receive majority
Of all the votes east irrespective OF
he number of candidates in the field.
This system is becoming more and
more popular as IL saves the city the
Expense of second election and prac-
icallv assures the same result. As this
one of the problems in the commits
sion form of government which will
irohably be discussed at the mass meet
ne of the civic federation in the new
library on Tuesday evening the follow
ing letter from City Attorney Henry
Upper. of Grand Junction, Colorado.
where this system is in operation, will
be OF considerable interest in Honolulu
just now.
The letter, which was received by
Prof w. A. Bryan, n member of the
local charter committee, is as follows:
''Your letter of December IA, adj
dressed to the city attorney, at hand
/ am sending under separate cover n
copy of the charter of Grand Junction,
together with pamphlet concerning
the workings of the charter, written
nv my partner, Mr.. Bucklin.
"Since that was written the second
regular election has been held under
the preferential system, and 1 lelieve it
worked as satisfactorily in bringinq
about the win of the people as it did
| in the former election.
"The double election and the prefer
ential system both aim to defeat ma
chine politics and to determine abso-
lutely the will of the people. The
preferential system saves one election
and we believe determines Just as fully
the wishes of the people as the double
election, and is only half as expensive
"fThe preferential system has been
adopted in Pueblo Colorado; Duluth
Minnesota; Spokane, Washington, and
was incorporated in the charter at Cam.
bridge. Massachusetts,; but the charter
was defeated at the election. Prof L.
7. johnson, of Harvard University
went into the preferential system very
carefully in connection with the Cam
bridge charter, and I am sure would be
glad to give you his impressions con
corning the system of voting.
"The people who were opposed tC
the election in the beginning are large
" the ones who have been able to con
troll former elections by means of ma
chine politics. This they cannot do, OF
at least so far have been unable to do
when the preferential has been used
OF course, that class of people are no
and never will be satisfied with such
system of voting. believe the peopl
generally who did not wish to manipu
late the election for their own privat
ends or who are not directly under tn
control of those who do, are very we
satisfied with the workings of the sy:
TEN, and the belief is very general tina
the preferential system absolutely cut
out machine politics
"Pueblo, and so far as I know, tn
other cities have changed the systei
Only IN SO lar as JneN DO not drop III
low man in each count. / am incline
to believe that their methd is bette
I While it can be mathematically figure
Y that the low man who is dropped migl
eventually win out if he were not droI
ped, yet in actual workings / do II,
u believe such result would ever happe
J. While | believe that, still an objectic
l. is obviated by not dropping the 10
g man each time.
81 might add further that at Il
present time there are two factions
y Denver who are attempting to brir
n about the commission form of COVER
ment-one by means of amendment
10 the present charter, and the other
calling charter convention. b.
s of these factions are enthusiastic
rs favor of the preferential system
il voting. | believe that it is svste
- that within the next twenty-five yea
= VIII be used in more cities in I
d. United States than the double. ele Ii
Id system, as it shortens the length
V. the strain and struggle that necessari
nc precedes an election, and also reduc
the expense by half.
ID should be pleased to give Won n
n further information or assistance III