The Sentinel=record., 1914-07-10
METHOD OF ELECTlNG UNDER COMMISSION FORM OF GOVERN
 MENT IS EXPLAINED.
jijDGESHiP MAKES A HITCH
Bill Offered to Bar AssociationIs Re
 ferred Back to the Committee to Arrange so That Police Judgeship Will Not Conflict With Executive.

The method of electing non-partis- an commissioners under the proposed commission pan of government for Hot Springs was explained in deta'i yesterday morning to the Hot Springs Bar Association by Judge Curlchair. man of the committee to draft a shit able bill to apply 10 Hot Springs. The report of the committee was discuss ed at length and referred back to the committee for some changes.
 Uader the method as outlined by Judge Curl, the citizens generally SC lect their commissioners on tho indiV idual merit of the candidates who or fer for the places. Five commission. CTS are anticipated, mayor and four specific commissioners.
 The men who aspire to hold the paces secure a petition of 30 citizens and by the payment of fee are eD titled to have their names ol the ticket. but nothing appears on the ticket to indicate their political aflp iation The names are placed on tho ballots in the alphabetical order.
 There is a primary or first election held, in which every legal voter is el titled to participate. The two candi- dates for each office who receive the highest number of votes in the first primary, are declared the nominee ol the primary, and then these iw" In, al election. and under this rule the mayor and every commissioner MUST have majority of the votes of the citizens before ne is elected to office The committee offered in its report the adoption of the Fort Smith pan, amended only to include cities of l4,- GOO or up to 10000 inhabitants, which takes in Hot Springs.
 Judge Ledgerwood offered an amendment to that report, ealing at tention to the fact that under the Fort Smith plan the mayor was the judge Of the police court, and the head of the police department. He did not believe that such authoriay should he given a single man, and suG- gested that Commissioner No. f." whose duties seemed less than the others should be the judge of the municipal court.
 Attention was called to the fact that in combining the mayor and police judge authority the executive and the Judiciary were placed with pf apffHA- pated by the constitution, and which might be in yio ation of the constl- tuition. While the scheme of a commission form of government is generally ap proved by the public, yet there is gc' ing to be more opposition to the plan from some sources. There are thos" who will favor clinging to the govern ment of the present. while there Will be others not so willing to depart any system that will give assurance of democratic party nomination.
 On this latter issue the matter Will have to be fought out here in Hot Springs, and it will develop probably before the bill has been put througp the leeislature that there are men who have been unidentified with politics here who will oppose the bill in the legislature session
 R gard ess of the out cropptngs or opposition, however the proposed change of government has so strong an endorsement with the people that It will most likely be given us by the coming legislative session, and realiz- lng this, even those who are not ye' ready to openly advocate the change, are jealous that it be the best possi' mle form of government in the eVeni 1t is adopted here.
 Judge Curl in presenting the report explained that the question had been ueiore the people for about 17 years, and that it had received the most sincere labor of some of the best men Tn this country. The best of the work or Messers Rose and Cockrill of Lit- tie Rctk, the best. features of the Gal weston and Des Mones bills, and all the best of all the bills, seemed ceil- tered in the legislative bill that Fort smith had adopted. therefore the con- mittee. after a careful review of the situation, believed that no better bill could be arranged for Hot Springs.