The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1916-04-01
(By ]. A. Harzfeld.)

much that is an issue in this campaign
and gain the public's ear about SO
many things that never were issues
that a simple statement in A. B. C.
form may clear the atmosphere.
A.. What is the principal issue2
A more simple charter for Kansas
City.
B. What is proposed?
To reduce the number of aldermen
from thirty-two to not more than the
necessary heads of Departments, in
no event more than ten, each alder
man to be the head of department,
and responsible for that department,
and devote all of his time to the city's
business, and receive an adequate sal
ary for his services. One-half these
men shall be elected at large, and the
other half shall be elected from the
districts, but elected at large. The
mayor and the council shall be the
only elected officers. They shall serve
four years, but the mayor shall not be
eligible to reelection. The right to
recall these officers, and the right to
elect them under non-partisan plan
Business Methods for City.
For the purpose of economy and eff
ficiency the number of departments
shall be reduced to the number of al
dermen. The council shall meet every
day to avoid the long delays now
necessary to obtain simple improve
ments. No general franchise shall be
valid until ratified by the people.
How will such a plan improve con-
ditions?
1t will expedite public business; it
will cause it to be more efficiently
done; it will abolish useless offices
and make government economical; it
will make possible general plan of
government by the cooperation of all
responsible men. 1t will MAKE THE
COUNCIL A BUSINESS iNSTlTU-
TIoN INSTEAD OF A SCHOOL OF
oRAToRY.
Union Station Proposal.
C. WHAT is OUR POSITION ON
THE UNION STATION ROADS?
To re-submit this question to the
people.
-. WIZ hGOOo"it GD-
The proposal, when submitted to the
people, was written in such mislead-
ing language that different men re-
ceived different impressions concern
ing what was proposed to be done. In
one paragraph we are told that ade-
quate streets and approaches are to
be provided for, and in another that
ho i- to he n thaf
some citizens though only wider
streets were to be provided, and 9TH
ers that the plaza was to be estab-
lished. Those who believed we were
to merely widen streets would not
vote money for plaza, and those who
wished to beautify the station sur
roundings would not have voted $780,
600 merely to establish streets.
E. is THE LANGUAGE OF THE
PROPOSAL CONFUSING ONLY TO
THE UNFRAMED PUBLIC?
No. Judge Dillon, Judge Evans, and
scores of lawyers differ as to the mean
ing of the proposal
r. Can the question be legally re-
submitted?
Yes. The best lawyers say so and
Mayor Jost himself proposed this plan.
G. WILL 1T COST THE TAxPAY-
ERS ANYTHING TO RE-SUBMlT
THIS QUESTION?
No. This can be done at the time
of the election of the Freeholders who
are to draw the new Charter.
Sixth Street Plan.
Il. What about the Sixth street
widening?
There is no ambiguity about the
proposal but the project should not be
begun until the case in the Supreme
Court is decided.
Civil Service Violations.
|. Has Jost violated the Civil Ser
vice and turned the City over to Shan
non?
Shortly after he became mayor he
removed ]. w. S. Peters, Democrat,
and John Thatcher, Republican, from
the Civil Service Board because they
passed resolution to investigate the
mayors violations of the Civil Ser
vices. Immediately after the removal,
hundreds of employees were discharged
who won their places by practical ex-
aminations given by disinterested pub
lie spirited citizens, and their places
were filled with Shannon's followers.
The examinations were farcicai, dis
honest and given either by the Shan
non Secretary, or unknown men.
Public Funds.
J. Mayor Jost claims to have care
fully expended public funds. Is this
true2
He has collected two million dollars
more in. general taxes during his four
years than in the four years immedi-
ately preceding, and claims to have
saved out of this $295,000, but he has
reduced the police fund so that lives
and property have been unsafe, and re-
duced the Board of Public Works
funds so that every visitor to Kansas
City leaves with the impression that
we have fine boulevards, but filthy
pavementless streets. The balance of
this two million dollars has been used
to pay political debts to useless, work.
less, employees, for he used SO per cent
of all his funds to nav EMPLOYEES where