The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1913-01-28
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PEOPLES FORUM.
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Would This Be Business

In Sunday mornings Ardmorelta
appeared an article containing pro
| posed amendments to the charter %
| the city of Ardmbre, petition
| which had been presented to the
board of commissioners with more
than 500 signatures of the voters OF
Ardmore. asking the mayor to call
an election to place these amend
ments before the people for their
ratification or rejection.
The petition asking for this cleo
ton does not point out any benefits
to be gained toward the reduction
of expenses for the city or the bet
ter government thereof, nor does 1t
designate where the commission form
of government is faulty except in a
general way it says unsatisfactory"
At present the charter provides for
mayor and four commissioners, the
mayor to receive a salary of Sl2J
per month and the commissioners each
to receive $50 per month for their SER
vices.
When the charter was originally
drafted it was suggested that there
be but two commissioners and may
or; however, this was not done, pre-
sumatly for the reason that it seem
ed to be the poli,y that each ward
SHOULD have a representative.
What is a ward in the city of Ard !
more?
Is it not an agreed division of the
town for the purpose of designating |
which school certain students shall !
attend.
Has not each WARD in this city
received approximately the same ben |
efits from public improvements?
Is there not practically the same
school facilities in each ward, the
same amount Of street work in each |
ward, the same amount of other ben
efits in each ward?
The high school huilding is as near
ly centrally located as it was posi- |
lie to place it-being alike access
i5le from each ward
Again we ask, what is a WARD? |
Does not anything that benefits Ard
more, benefit all of it?
Do not our present commission
ers devote as muck of their time to
the administration of the city's af-
fairs as the salary justifies
Could not the charter be amended |
so that there should be but two com
missioners and a mayor, instead of /
four commissioners and mayor, al
lowing each of the two commissioners
500 per month and require that all
of their time be devoted to the ad
ministration of the city's affairs?
This would make the total salary |
for the mayor and two commission
ers the same as it is now, but yol
would have their entire time.
Could not the mayor act as police
Judge dispensing with the salary of
that office, $50 per month?
Could not the police ccmmissit ner
act as chief of police thus elimlna-
ting the salary of 800 per month as
is now paid separate chief
Could not the other commissioner
look after the water, sewerage, etc.
Could not the city clerk and the
city auditor collect the dog tax, the
street tax, occupation tax, and the
paving tax (The County attends TO
the collection of other taxes) thus
the Office of city collect
or. who draws $50 per month.
If it is desired, so that each section
of the city be represented would J,
not be fair to elect one commissioner
from that district lying east of the
Santa Fe, and one from the west side
and the mayor at large?
Should not these commissioners be
allowed as they are now to appoint
their own clerk, bookkeeper, police
men, firemen, etc, for the reason
thHt they should be judges of who
they need in their departments, the
same as the superintendent of any
other work, but should be held re-
sponsible for the conduct of these
and if any office is not
being conducted properly the recall
may be invoked at any time.
Is 1t probable that with these COM :
collectively and separate
y. looking after the city's interests.
with their entire time could save