The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1914-01-15
BUSY TIME FOR AGITATORs
Mayor Sets February 10th as Day for
Special Election and Holds That it
Will Give Pletny of Time for Discus
sion and Allow for Election in April.

Mayor Dan. o. Head this morning is
sued formal proclamation naming
Tuesday, Feb. 10th as the day for Ke-
nosha people to decide whether or. not
they are DESTROYS of adopting the COM
mission form Of government. The proc
amation is in keeping with the prQvi-
Bions of the state law and with it the
mayor has sent formal notice to the
sity clerk to give the notice required
by law for the special election.
In setting the date Mayor Head has
fought to give the friends and foes of
The commission form plenty of time in
which to discuss the merits and demer-
it's of the proposed change and at the
same time the election will be held in
time not to interfere with the coming
city election. The city primaries will
be held on March gath and primary
petitions must be filed twenty days be-
fore this date. With the election on the
commission form on Feb. 10th there
will be an abundance of time for lot
of candidates to get into the field.
With the election held on Feb. 10th it
will be possible for the common council
to canvass the vote cast at the special
election ON the following Monday even
ing Ii the commission form should
meet with the approval Of the electors
Of the city it will be necessary for the
secretary of state to issue patent to
Kenosha as a Commission Form }
city. This will require but few days
and there will still be plenty of time
for candidates to file petitions. In fact
it is thought that under the proclama
tion of the mayor the special election
can be held, the vote canvassed and the
patent issued to the city, if the plan is
adopted, before the 22nd day of Feb
ruary This would leave two full weeks
of the commission to file their petitions
with the city clerk before the closing
of the primary lists.
81 wanted to make this election just
as fair as possible to every one con-
cerned, said Mayor Head this morn
ing. Setting the election for Feb.
10th will give the people plenty of
time to discuss the proposed change in
government and at the same time it
will make it possible for the candidates
for city positions not to be too badly
iterfered with in their campaign work.
Under the law the election might have
been set at any date, but [ wanted to
set date which would come as near as
possible to meeting every demand of
the conditions. 1t is certain to inter
fere considerable with the city cam
paign if the commission form is not
adopted, but at that / believe that a
month will be plenty of time for can
didates to circulate petitions. feel
absolutely assured that there is suf-
fcient number of names on the petit
tons presented to me to meet every
demand Of the state law. Before issu-
ing the. proclamation / have not only
made a close personal inspection of the
petitions but | have had other officials
of the city scrutinize them closely.
The form of the petition was submitted
to City Attorney John G. Slater and he
has given me an opinion stating that it
meets with every demand of the stat
ute. | want it distinctly understood
that | am taking no steps to interfere
with the adoption of the commission
form, but | want to give every one as
fair a deal as possible
The action OF Mayor Head has clear
ed the decks for action and the friends
and enemies of the commission form
viii now have a chance to get busy and
present arguments for and against the
proposed change in the city govern
ment. Already there is lot of specu-
lation on the probable outcome of the
special election. Some of the men who
have been active in the circulation of
the petitions believe that the proposed
new form will win by large vote but
others hold that it win be one of the
closest city elections ever held on any
referendum question. People who make
a speciality aof fighting for and against
the new form of government are al
ready on their way to Kenosha. No
fund has been raised to carry on the
battle for the commission form but it
is probable that later on an organiza-
ton will be formed to systematic the
fight and make an effort to get out a
large vote at the special election. This
will be the first special election held IN
kenosha in many years and there is a
lot OF guessing on the outcome. 1t is
pretty certain that the commission form
VIII meet with considerable opposition
from politicians in the city as the com
mission form in most cities has rung the
death knell Of the professional politi-
clan.