The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1914-08-07

The committee from the Hot
Springs Bar Association submitted its
report TO the bar yesterday on the
question of a bill for a commission
form of government, and the bar aft
er a lengthy discussion of the meas
ure, decided to take two weeks in re-
view OF the bill before adopting the
report of the committee.
There is no doubt but there is some
opposition among the members of the
bar to the commission form of gov,
ernment as a whole, but the opposi-
ton along this line is very little.
here are, however, many members OF
| the bar who differ materially as to
what kind of a bill is best for Hot
| Springs, and there will probably be
a lively meeting two weeks hence
when the matter is taken up for final
action.
Chairman Judge Curl of the com
mittee presented the report, and ask
ed the bar to endorse the bill the re-
port approved.
Immediately there vas opposition.
Some believed that material changes
should be made. Others stated they
did not understand the bill suffi-
GENTLY to endorse it.
Judge Curl explained that the bill
| fc, 1,o nj ha INIT
bill adapted to Hot Springs, and that
the endorsement of the committee re-
port and the bill did not mean the
bill would be presented to the legis-
lature as adopted, but that the com
mittee would then turn the bill over
to the Chamber of Commerce to be
there discussed and by that body CIV
en- publicity for the public.
1t is certain now, however, that the
Chamber of Commerce will not get
its bill from the bar association until
after two weeks, after which time
the organization will give the bill
publicity so that the people can be
thoroughly advised as to the purpose
of the change in the city admins
tration.
The following is the report the bar
association committee made to the
bar yesterday:
To the Garland County Bar Associa-
ton:
Your committee to whom was re-
ferred the matter of preparing a suit
ably bill, to be presented to the next
General Assembly of the State o,
Arkansas, with a view to placing the
! City OF Hot Springs under a Commits
sion form of government, beg leave
to report that they have PREPARE
| what seems to the Committee a suit
able bill for the purpose, and they
submit the same herewith for your
approval. In the preparation of the
bill, the Committee have followed, in
the main the provisions of the Act
of 1913, under which the city of Fort
ISmith is operating, and which is usu
ally designated as the Fort Smith
bill.' The changes that the commit
tee have made in that Act are such
as the committee deemed more ap-
propriate, and better suited to the
conditions in cities of the first class,
with a population under $4,000. if not
for any city without reference to
population.
In the first place. the bill which
| your committee have prepared APP
plies only to cities of the first class
with population of less than $4,000.
The bill which we have prepared
provides for one Mayor and three
commissioners, instead of four, as
provided in the Fort Smith bill.
The bill which we have prepared
provides for police judge, whereas
the Fort Smith bill makes the Mayer
the judge of the nclice court. And
here, the committee wishes to call
the attention of the Bar Association
to the fact that. while the Mayor
might, perhaps, be able to discharge
well all the duties of Mayor and po-
| lice judge in some cities the SIZE of
| Hot Springs, it would be practically
| impossible in the latter city FOR,
| while other cities of the same resi-
| dent population have to deal. in the
main, with their own CITIZENSHIP all
! departments of the municipal govern
ment, including the Municipal congt,
have to deal with many strangers,
| thus involving greater duties on the
| Mayors office as we'll as the Mnnci-
| pal court.
The bill provides for a continuation
in office Of the police JUG. in office
at the time of the adoption OF the
| provisions of the Act, GlfIl the ex-
| piration of his term wlea the place
is to be filled by elect or. The bill
provides that the police Judge shall
be lawyer, with thros years. Trac-
tice in the Circuit Courts nf this
state, and a licensed attorney Of the
Supreme Court of the state, at the
time of his election, AMI he shall be
twenty-five years of age.
The bill makes the Municipal court
court of record with a seal, and
that the CITY Clerk shall he the cleric