The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1915-01-09

amounting to sl.4oo or $500 more
and the saving in the salaries OF the
city attorney. clerk. city pnysician
and other appointiye Officers viii
amount TO over q thousand more dol
lars per year. Tie total cost IN
tsalaries Of the foar Commissioners
and the treasurer now Is $4,000 per
year and under tie new plan the
three commissioners and treasurer
viii be paid only $500.
The saving I'm direct salaries will
mot be- the biggest item in the saving.
however, the biggest saving will be
made by proper safe guards and limi-
tations Of expenditures in all depart
ments Of the city service.
The election Law provisions. regis.
tration, etc. as outlined in these
columns a few days ago will be added
to the new charter, giving Fairmont
a complete Independent election law.
under which all city elections will be
held In the future.
There is not a line nor syllable In
the new charter that Is unfair to any
political party, every party will be
given the same opportunity to elect
men of its political belief There is
nothing discriminatory in the election
laws, nothing from start to finish In
the entire charter that can be criti-
clsed by any person who wants an
absolute square. deal in city elections.
With the impetus of the former sup
port of this new charter and the added
support that has recently come to It
from those who were to some extent
unfriendly to 1t two years ago. there
seems now no doubt but 1t will be ap-
proved by the legislature and become
the future law for the government of
the city, settling once and for all time
the controversy which has done so
much to retard the growth of the city
and which will continue to be our
greatest handicap in municipal pros
perity until 1t is ended by fair legisla-
ton.
With large floating Indebtedness.
which can not be paid nor reduced
under present conditions, It certainly
stands the people la hand to adopt a
policy of retrenchment. No matter
what ones personal views may be as
to tho particular kind of charter will
be best that thought should be second.
airy to the main object in view, the
return to economy, the establishment
Of efficiency and the PROVISIONS for
fair elections with proper safe guards
as to registration.
The best plan that man can devise
will fail unles 1t has the cooperation
and support of majority of the peo-
pie of the city and the worst plan
might be made successful with this
support. 1t very largely depends on
the men behind the system of govern.
ment and behind these men must be
public approval and CO operation.
The plan now proposed has been so
successful in about four hundred cities
and is working so we'll at Parkersburg,
the only West yirginian city that has
adopted the straight non partisan plan
with the safe guards of the initiative,
referendum and recall, that Parkers
burg is practically the only city in
the state that will not ask the present
legislature for change. a very strong
endorsement, indeed for the non par
t'san form of government.
1t was in view OF these facts and
these past experiences that It was
thought best not to try the city man
ager plan at present, no matter how
strongly its principles appeal. until It
has had-a longer test and has proved
successful in more cities than at pres.
ent are using It, which It must be
admitted, are limited in number.