Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-03-13
vHE COMING CITY PRIMARY.

The frSt commission plan primary
in Ottumwa will be held in less than
a week. All the candidates have been
placed in nomination. It Is up to the
voters to give serious consideration
to the merits of these candidates in
order that they may support the men
on the ticket best fitted to administer
the city's affairs.
The commission plan gives greatly
enlarged powers to the mayor and
councilmen. Three men are given not
only the powers and duties now exer-
cised by the mayor and nine aldermen,
but they assume the powers and duties
at present held by the board of water.
works trustees, the park commission,
/. the library trustees and the fire and
police board
Opponents Of the commission plan in
the campaign that led to it's adoption
based their opposition on the centrah-
zation of power. The advocates of
the plan welcomed this Capitalization
because while it gave greater re-
sponsibility to few men, the COM
mission plan also clothed these men
with authority to properly assume this
responsibility. Advocates of the COM
mission plan held that city can be
given a better administration by a
small commission, clothed with suffi-
cient authority, if men are chosen
capable Of filing the trust placed in
them. 49,.
No one argued in behalf of the COM
mission plan that three men should
be chosen because they are good fell
lows or good politicians. Ottumwa
adopted the commission plan because
the people believed it would provide a
means for a more siness-like and
more effcient administration of the
city's affairs. The commission plan
was considered as means of placing
Ottumwa's city government eon a
sounder business footing and one that
would guarantee the tax payer dol
lars value for the dollar he pays In as
taxes.
Having adopted the plan Ottumwans
with the best interests of their city at
heart must join in determination to
give the new system a fair trial. Com
mission government cannot fulfill the
promises made for it unless able,
competent men are elected as mayor
and councilmen. Men should be
chosen for the first commission with
an eye single to their qualifications
as administrators of the public funds.
We are all alike interested in the wei.
fare of our city and we should see to
it that we do not name any men for
these positions of public trust that we
would not give positions of private
trust.
And the voters must consider that
the men they elect as members Of the
ff,t commission not only have all the
powers of the present administration,
but the added burden of managing the
affairs of the municipality owned water
plant, which represents a value Of
nearly half million dollars and calls
for the same practical business ex-
periense in it's management as the
Electric Railway and Light Co.. the
Gas Co.. and other public utilities
To turn the management of the
city's ordinary administrative affairs
over to the candidate whose only
qualifications are that he is a good
fellow would be costly venture to
the city, but to turn the management
of the waterworks over to an incompe-
tent commission would be disastrous.
The voters should think these things
over in. the days Intervening before
the election.