The weekly Iberian. (New Iberia, La.) 1894-1946, 1913-03-29
PREFERENTIAL VOTING
AND HOW IT WORKS
BY Reginald Mott Hull, Cara
bridge, Massachusetts.

Pratt, Of Spokane, appointed q
committee of seventeen citizen 10
report upon the general plan Of 4
new chatter After five mont ~
inves, CATION this committee ad
vised u commission charter and
reco ended ha, IA hoard of free
hOldera be elected - frame such n
chatter The cit, council object
ed to this. Afttr petitions had
been filed, the c,,lzans. by manda
mus proceedings compelled tee
city council to appoint September
~. 1910, for the fl. holders elec
ton. TaiS c"mm,i tee submitted
the new Oh rter which emboised
the Grand junction plan "f pre-
ferential voting with the Cam
bridge notifications. except that
the commissioners are no, elected
to u specific of ce. ~ in Grand
Junction and ~ the proposed
Cambridge char ter. The Spokane
charter WAS adopted hy popular
vote December %. 1910 and the
Ist election was held Match Z,
1911
The circumstances and results
OF TINS notable election are in
brief a. follows:
Population OF the city lO4 600
I'm 1870
Twenty five signatures nomi
nate.
Nomination for city council Of
Ave without deslgnation Of speci-
! fic office to be held.
Council elects one Of its mum
Der mayor, and distributes depart
ments among its members.
Four year terms. Salaries $4,000
Number Of candidates, 80; ar
ranged alphabetically on ballots
Number Of ballots cast % O5S
Women vote
The following letter from a re-
spOnsible citizen of Spokane, gives
further infOrmatiOD:
March Il, 1911.
lit is tho common consent that
Onr election has given us most
superior body Of men. II is com
mon remark that it has given us
the best commission in the United
States.
G. M. Fassett, public utilities
commissioner. In ideals he IL IA
man of the highest type; in capa
city he stands among the best
men of the west. He has through
his own efforts acquired u fortune
and 10 not mating any personal
profit from his 5000 salary. He
WAS elected dnr.itg his absence
from the city. He is president Of
the Spokane Chamber Of Com
m0rC0.
w. J. Hindley, mayor. is re
garded as one Of the strong men
Of the north west-an able orator,
Of intense force, activity, and viri-
lity.
z A. Hayden, public safety, is
. very successful lumber man and
IN the past managed q series of
large lumber concerns through.
out the north west--a very sue
oessful man and y man Of high
ideals.
ID q. Coats, public works, for
merly lieutenant governor Of Colo.
RADIO, q member of the freeh0lders
charter committee, father Of the
local preferential system, a mem
Der OF the typographical union, a
socialist, because he has ideals
and sympsthies for the Iaboring
man he is called "radtcal;" but
w, formerly hts opponents, now
know him and admire him very
much. His training as presiding
ofIluer OF the Colorado senate, aids
him very much il expeditlng the
proceedings Of the council.
Robert Fairly, finance, for
years city comptroller, al honest
lstraigh,for ward man, familiar
with the anance department, and
on account Of his general familiar
|ity with the city government OF
the past. OF great help in the peri
cd Of TRANSFORMATION
The whole city is enthusiastic
over the change and over our new
city officials. l have not heard Of
| ! single criticism Of the prefereD
| tial system. The people are salts
6ed with it. 1t has "delivered
the goods" they think. The only
men Of those among the firs,
twenty candidates who were rep
resentative Of the liquor interests
we're Funk and One, who also
carried . large labor and specia
/ interests vote. The liquor meI
were helpless and felt unable t.
control the system
| Even with large list Of candi
dates, the voters were not cODfue
cd, The fear Of too large y mum