Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-03-13
MAYOR CALLS CITIZENS
MASS MEETING IN PROTEST
ON POLITICIANS CHARTER
Urges Atlantans to Stand Emphatically
Against Actions of Of1ceholders at
Auditorium on March 2o---Declares
People Have Lost Control

Mayor Woodward today issued
.nging call to the people of Atlanta t
attend a great mass meeting in tn
auditorium on Thursday evening
March 20. to express their views on tn
7scessity Of charter revision. Here +
he call:
Fellow Citizens:
1t was plainly brought out last
fall, to a degree at least, the. condi-
tons of the city government and
the way it was being handled.
During that campaign I very
plainly placed before the people the
necessity of more comprehensive
FORM of carrying on the city's bust
ness. that under the present sys-
TEN of petty politics and ring rule,
there was too much lost motion,
ineficiency, incompetency and
waste: that the peoples tax money
and bond money was being ex-
pended without them securing a
dollars worth of benefit for a dol
lars worth of supposed improve
ments.-
Repeats Campaign Pledge.
II was plainly put to them that
they should demand a better form
Of government in order that they
might place responsibility and find
out where the different leaks were
located ! promised the people that
If | were elected l would bend every
energy possible to see that they re-
receive better charter conditions
by which they would know more of
the business transactions of the
city and could hold some one re-
sponsible for the defects.
When | entered office I expected
In find matters in a pretty bad
shape, but 1 had no idea that con-
ditions were really s bad as they
are. I have only been in the may
ors Office a little more than two
months, but it is long enough 10
disclose many important things. |
find that many illegal contracts
have been made without any war
rant Of law, to the extent of several
hundred thousand dollars; that il
was easier to get one of this class
Of contracts for some one in the
future to pay. passed up by the
general council, than it was to get
hole patched in the street.
Raps City PaVements.
| also find that sewers were laid
on streets without water, and water
mains without sewers; that most of
your streets are unpaved, and
where paved at all, badly paved;
that your school houses are badly
constructed and that rain seeps
through. and the plastering has
fallen even before they are occu-
pied; that there is continuously
complaint about the heating condi-
tiuns of some of the schools; that
they are practically little less than
ovens i'm the summer time and
storage plants in the winter
Further, ] find that valuable
property of the city has been de-
stroyed without reason; that al
most universally improvident con-
tracts are made for public improve
ment that are ridiculously excessive
when the price of work is taken
into consideration: that almost
endless extensions are granted
greedy contra ctors without refer
ence TO the contract, reason or pub
Tic welfare; that many OF the main
tnoroughfares are torn up and left
lmpa sable without regard to time
limits, or the enforcement Of
any penalty, leaving helpless j butt
ing property owners with only the
Intangible hope that they may be
completed in the distant future.
Sees Waste of Money.
In addition, bond money has been
wasted in building sewers that will
not take care of the drainage and
sewage; that the laws of the city
are largely ignored when it comes
to buying supplies and equipment
for the different departments; that
the system of permanent improve
ments that you had reason to be-
Heve would be produced by your
bond money has not materialized,
therefore naturally entailing
large waste of both your bond
money and your tax money, and
for all of these ills, when you try
to make investiga ton, you find no
where to place responsibility.
have attempted to carry out my
pledges to the people of Atlanta in
securing for them changes in her
charter that would bring about a
more competent handling of the
city's affairs. The only true solu-
ton of this question is, to my
mind, the adoption of a charter
that will completely abolish the en-
tire city council and city boards
- and cast adrift the petty, hungry,
incompetent politicians who mis-
manage your affairs The charter
prepared by the citizens committee
of 25 was drawn in your interest
alone. It is a good charter and will
give you a modern, effective,
Understanding municipal govern
ment, vesting in YOU the final
dominant control of your agents
and affairs.
Urges immediate Action.
IL seems evident that he genera