The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1913-09-10

Nm e 18th Of september the voters Fmon will be given
ouounity to express their approval dpprov the proposed Greater
Famont providing for commission form OF lot m
city placing all the corporate powers the city the hands OF COM
mission Of elected large from the CITY, no more than w"
whom may belong to any one political party
STRONG OPPOSITION.
That there is to be strong opposition adoption this charter
now plainly understood This opposition from different causes and
agocd deal of apparently from no well founded oeon some WI" Say
ey oppose because the particular plan they favored ohe
say they oppose because certain other people are IN favor OF IT,
Every the city entitled to his OPINION upon inns ques9
pols,i, m
In order that opinions may correctly formed voter owes it to
himself and to his city fully informed upon the provisions OF THIS
and Of its probable effects upon the city government
else tavors disappve or from an opinion o any ~ POI
T on for every voter to decide whether favor
Of continuing the present system and he not whether or not e
plan ID than the old he decides upon mVgalTl ""t VIC
y government improved under the new plan his duty
for its adoption otherwise he should vote against It,
Thse are some who have the impression that during the
closing days Of session the legislature political interests went
Charleston and succeeded passing charter bill that was hastily pre-
Need hv them and pyen little any consideration other than make
meet the approval political and other interests AL is mmaa
I no doubt welcome any along this line that will assist them
in arriving opinion matters about winch nere e"S
In to rive the voters such insight how and why the new
charter bill as possibly brief review the history OF the wo
controversy from the preparation Of the bills until was passed
byI the legislature will bestserve that purpose =
The writer has been with all this work during that entire
tme9was the committee that prepared the two a[e D anu wa
e. Charleston during the legislature until the Dill wa" p
S Was instrumental in efectng the compromise by which made
possible secure passage the bill the last session OF the
and having opposed the the bill now 70 DC Votea upon
and having favored another pan only parwh Incorporated the
proposed charter tho and necessity for compromise can possibly
explained the Of the city from an impartial ana unbiased So
point, ..u.u. .ox,no.oa Il
waiter Barnes Chairman Hartley E. NJ showalter O. Watson
and L. Hutchinson representing the Chamber commerce ana -
Jones' Morgan spedden Scott and the writer representing
the Mems Association were appointed BY these TWO ORGANIZATIONS
= D'"l' "'" PLANS FROM DIFFERENT CITIES
committee secured the plans from different cities after winch
nate the Famon charter after elaboration the committee
practically agreed follow the Huntington plan and all the evidence that
the committee could gather pointed the fact that Huntington had very
materially ed her municipal government under the oparnn pa"
ana naturally it met with strong the committee Several weeks
spent in copying the Huntington charter and changing some minor
details to make it applicable to Fairmont $50,
While no effort was made to members Of this committee
count Of politics will be observed that the committee was evenly divided
noiy being composed Republicans and five Democrats But
politics never at any time entered into its deliberations
r,.r., A NEW PLAN PROPOSED,
Some time Huntington plan had been practically prepared
some few members committee the writer being came the con-
cusion that nonpsan plan government with the initiative refer
cndum and recall would be better plan. "
When recall proposed to the committee some opposed from
the start Others they favored but that could not be had for FAR
this time and would be best wait till some future time until
larger sentiment Of these progressive measures
Being unable get favorable decision from the committee then agitation
commenced through the of the city and by petition to get an
expression Of sentiment these questions and the results were a c
Chamber and the committee later approved the nonpsan
plan with the initiative referendum recall incorporated
.,.@ PETITIONS FAVORED EITHER PLAN.
At the time the neton prepared there intention OBJ
gng the gne either the bipartisan plan or nonpasan pan
of electnp the commissioners 10 the puuCe VI Vic
retio plainly show by careful reading They expressly provided for
commission plan Of government EITHER ON BIPARTISAN OR NON
PARTISAN PLAN"
y An exact copy of the petition follows:
PETITION FOX Commission FORM OF GOVERNMENT WITH 1NTIA
TIVE REFERENDUM AND RECALL
State of West Virginia,
"City Of Fairmont,
County of Marion, To.wi
We the undersigned petitioners respectfully represent
citizens Of the City OF Falront Marion county wes
Virginia the territory proposed to be Incorporated therein as 'feae
Fairmont; w =, -. , 49,
THAT we are legal residing within said city or proposed en-
vrnt thereof recommended by the Chamber Commerce OF SAID
cy and shown more accurately by the me and bounds Of certain
rcnt survey made Shrewsbury Miller city engineer OF the city
map of which file in the office of the secrey the said
Chamber Of Commerce; .,..
THAT we are vitality interested the local government Of said city
ana believe that our interests would be better protected taxes better