The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-04-30
Valedict0ry,

Valedictory.
Today is the last the editor will Of
fer an editorial in that capacity and
this may be taken as a personal word
to those who have been reading his
work for the past fifteen months. 1t
is with many regrets that he leaves
Bemidji, but there are often circum-
stances over which we have no con-
troll.
Although he will no longer make
his home in Bemidji, that does not
mean that he will forget the city. No
one who has ever lived here for any
length of time can do that. He will
watch with great interest the work.
ing out of certain problems and plans
which have been put before the peo-
pie and which must be solved in the
near future.
The most important of these prob
lens, it seems to him, is that of good
government. 1t has been his duty to
attend the meetings Of the city coun-
Gil and he has probably attended
more than any other person in the
city barring city officials and the
councilmen. He knows that the pres
ent council system is wasteful both of
effort and the peoples money; he
knows that it is impossible to fix the
responsibility for any certain acts
as in the case of the city buying the
street sweeper and sprinkler instead
of a flusher-and he thoroughly be-
lieves that a change must be made at
once or the city will find itself deep
err in debt. 1t is already about $780,
900 behind a cash basis.
TO the people of Bemidji, he rec
ommends the commission form of gov
eminent as the solution for Bemidji's
biggest problem-provided the proper
men are elected. Government under
any plan is possible of corruption by
corrupt men. An excellent charter is
being outlined by the charter CON-
mission and will be presented to the
voters sometime within this year.
There has never been a question of
the plan working in the smaller cities
and it is now being adopted by the
cities Of 100000 and over.
Next to the problem of good gov.
eminent, he believes is that of cheap
transportation, light and heat. No
transportation offer has yet been
made to the city but the time is COM
ing when it will be necessary to ex-
tend the residence districts materially
and the people must have way to
get down town and to the mills quick
ly A car line will make the outlying
districts available for homes and
property will come within the pocket
means Of many who are homeless now.
A gas proposition has been made
which the editor considers one of the
best ever offered a city. He believes
that it should be accepted if the
company will agree to few changes.
If the company insists on $3.50 gas,
the city should make it's first regula-
tion at the end of three instead of
five years. The heat, light and pres
sure units should be carefully defined.
The company should not have the
right to tear up any streets but
should use alleys. It should be made
W pay LuO COoI VI CuS VI
the franchise. He believes the gross
earnings tax should be one per cent
for every four million feet. The city
needs gas, the people want it, and a
fair proposition has been made. 1t
should not be neglected
If Bemidji is to get the fifth normal
school, it means hard work on the
part of many who are now apparently
Indifferent The city must wake up.
A commission of five will be named
this week and Bemidji must be ready
with site to offer and the facts to
convince.
University week, the Northern
Minnesota Editorial association con-
yention, auto club tours, etc, will all
mean great advertising for Bemtdji
this year. For q climax, the city Will