St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1913-10-18
this CITY TO GET
COMMISSION FORM
Approximately 900 Voters Sign
Petition Calling for
Election.

Opel0uSaS might nave COM
mission form of Government
3 after January, is the opinion of
many voters. Approximately
two hundred voters signed a
, petition circulated. during the
. week, by DR.. Charles f. Boagni
; and Mr.. Sidney Hebrard, calling
for an election to decide whether
0pelousas should have a new
form of government, or remain
lin the hands of the Mayor and
Board of Aldermen.
Only twenty-five per cent of
| the voters are required to sign
| the petition calling for the cleo
ton, but there were nearly fifty
per cent, who readily gave their
signatures to the petition.
Under the commission form of
| government Opelousas W ould
4 have a Mayor and two Commits
sioners. The Mayor can receive
La maximum salary of $1,000, a
year, whilst the commissioners
will receive not more than $3.50.
Opelousas would be in the
cities of the second class, under
act 207 of the General Assembly
of 1912, the powers and duties
of the officers divided into and
distributed among three depart
ments, as follows:
/. Department of Pu bile
Health and Safety.
2. Department of Finance.
8. Department of Public
Parks and Streets.
By this manner of government
the man who will have charge of
one department would berespon-
sible for his every action. When
public improvements would not
be given the proper attention, as
is often the case, under the old
and fast becoming antiquated
form, the people would be in a
position to know exactly where
the blame should be laid. Each
man will be responsible for his
department and this, in the opin-
ion Of many admirers Of the new
and progressive form of munich
pal government. would greatly
benefit the condition of affairs,
in any town or city.
The new move, which has got
ton d good footing, in this city,
is not for the purpose of dispOs-
ing the members Of the Board of
Aldermen from their position.
It is for the purpose Of pronnot-
ing the interest Of this city and
it ID a known fact that if one
man can be elected under one
form of government there is
nothing to prevent him from
landing similar Office under an
other form.
The feature OF this form Of
government ID that the Republi-
cans as well as Democrats will
be able to vote Some one said
jokingly to a prominent Repub-
lican that this move was started
SO as to give the party, which
could not poll ten per cent Of the
votes cast in the last guberna-
torial campaign, q chance to vote.
The Republicans are lonesome
and ought TO get a chance To cast
their ballots once in a while, and
it is q mighty good thing for
them that the chances are over
Whelmingly in favor Of a COM
mission form OF government.
1t is thought that the city
council will issue a call on next
Tuesday, for an election to take
place sometime next month.
So for there are very few who
have announced their intention
to vote against the commission
form, but it is thought that there
will only be a scattering vote
here and there registered against
it, on the day of the election.
One of the features of the
new form of government is that
it will do away with the wards,
allowing every man running for
a city Office the same chances
DR.. Charles Boagni and other
prominent men Of this city feel
confident this form of govern
ment will win out here as soon
as the people will have gotten
the real ideas of the commission
form.