Daily Kennebec journal., 1914-01-06

In accordance with the provision of the
city charter, the city council met Mon
day forenoon at 10 o'clock at the old
council room at the City building and or
ganized for the ensuing year. The oath
of office was administered to Alderman
Noyes by Hon. o. b. Clason. after which
Mayor B. E. Lamb read his annual ad-
dress, as follows:
Gentlemen of the City Council:
In view of the fact that our last annual
city election the people, who before a
trial were largely in favor of the COM
against it's continuance and this, after
only two years of that form of govern
ment, it behooves US at this. the COM
mencement of the New Year to ask our
selves the question: Is the dissatisfaction
due to us and our Interpretation Of the
charter or to the charter itself? With
this In mind, ] have since the election
given considerable time to the study of
the charter, and have also gotten the
ideas of a great many people in regard
to it, and | think perhaps the main rea-
son for the dissatisfaction lies with us
and in our Interpretation of the charter
and our conduct of the affairs of the
city. The concensus of opinion seems to
be that the charter was intended to be so
constructed that all the affairs of the
city should have the combined Judgment
missioner to be held strictly responsible
to the people for everything transpiring
in the city, not only in the conduct OF
the departments of which he is the exc
cutive head, but of all other departments
as we'll. This could only be carried out
by a full and free discussion of the needs
and all things pertaining to each depart.
ment and a decision by the majority OF
what would be right and proper to do
in each case as it presents itself from
week to week, leaving the carrying out
of the wishes of the board to the exeeu-
tive head of each particular department.
This idea is emphasized by the fact
that the charter calls for weekly meet
ings at least, with provision for more
if necessary. and still further in the re-
quirement of a monthly report which
shall not only give financial statement
for the month but a summary of all dis
cussions and transactions by the board.
keeping the people in toucn OF all aets
of each commissioner and of the affairs
of the city, and giving them chance to
use the referendum on any member OF
the commission, If he was not carrying
out the wishes of the majority OF the
people IT, as in the past, the only busi-
ness transacted at our weekly meetings
is the granting of license or some simi-
lar unimportant thing and signing OF
people to get an idea of what is being
done with their money and the publicity
promised them is somewhat lacking,
Under the old form of government they
nau a 1ull report OF tue uiScuSSioii 60
action of each board at every monthly
meeting and were much better posted on
municipal affairs than now.
l think the one idea running through
the charter is that one man alone can
not contract or expend any money or
do anything outside of the necessary
routine business even in the department
of which he is the head; this is shown
also by the fact that the mayor. who has
the purchasing as one of the sub-divi-
sions of this department. is expressly
ordered to buy all school books and sup
plies through the purchasing agent and
this because, as ] understand 1t, the
schools are the only department COM