Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1918-03-01
SHALL DENING HAVE
COMMISSION GOVT?
That Is Question Local Voters VIII
Be Called Upon to Decide at
within Two MOnihs.
MASS MEETING CALLED MONDAV
Petitions Being Circulated Already
Have Enough Signatures to As
sure Calling Of Election.

With the approach Of tho CITY cleo
ton local sentiment for the commits
sion form Of government crystallized
early this wesk into the formation of
q committee Of citizens who are cir
culating petitions asking the mayor
10 call an election to submit such a
proposition to the people. A mass
meeting has been called at the Cody
theatre on Monday next, March 4, at
$3.50 D, M, for the discussion Of the
matter and the petitions will receive
their final circulation at this meet
ing before presentation to Mayor
Nordhaus, providing the necessary
percentage Of voters names are ap-
pended TO them by that time. The
law requires that not less than 20
per cent Of the number Of voters at
the last city election sign the petit
tons to make them binding on tho
mayor.
In the case Of Deming this was 366.
As 4sO had signed the petitions up
70 Thursday noon, with many more
promised, it may be stated that the
calling Of the election asked FOR 10
assured, unless some question arises
as to the legality of the signatures,
all that remains being the
actual setting of the dale. The date
Of the city election is Tuesday, April
End. The calling Of the petitiOned ell
ectiOn before that date would natur-
ally eliminate that election entirely.
However, Mayor Nordhaus has
indicated that no election will be
called before the regular scheduled
election, though it may be called the
same day. If carried il would then
be necessary to call another election
10 elect the commissioners.
The regular meeting Of the council
falls on the same night set for the
mass meeting, but the circulators Of
the petition are asking that this ses-
sion be postponed to the following
night so that the matter may be TAX
en- up as soon as possible.
The call for the meeting, which ap-
pears on the last page Of today's
Graphic, cites as reason for aban'
doning the present form Of civic gov
ernment that 'Deming is no longer
village, but a city" and asks fol
the adoption Of a government "com'
mensurate with our development anC
growth
Commission government has beer
very popular in the Mississippi val
ley for more than a decade past, bu
so far as we know Albuquerque is thI
only city in this part Of New Mex
leo that has it. There il has seem
Cd to work out very satisfactorily
Under the state law, such govern
ment consists Of mayor and tw'
other commissioners, each on salary
the amount Of which is determined b
the population. The figures on th
population are determined from tn
last city election, six people bein
counted for each voter. Under thi
plan, Demings mayor would receiv
only $3.50 annually and each of tn
two other commissioners, 1925. As ih
salary increases to $500 and $50
for cities over 5000 people, and it
certainty that there are more pee
pie here than that, the pay would Q
course rise to those figures as 500
~ the figures Of the coming cit
election are accepted as official.
The reason for the small pay
firsl Is that at the last city electic
only a small number Of voters turn
ed out-300, to be exact, which wou
give us population only a little ov'
two thousand. At the last primal
over 900 votes were cast, but q
primary has nothing to do with
unfortunately.
The law makes it mandatory Z
the mayor to cell the election wit
in two months nfler the presentat'
Of petitions bearing the specified
percent Of the voters signatures.
II the proposition fails to ear
at the election II is automatically
dead issue FOR two years, when
may be brought up again in the sal
manner as before. II the people d
eide, after iis adoption, that It
unsatisfactory II can be abandon
hy exactly the same process pc
ton Of 25 per cent Of the voters bel
mandatory upon the commission
eall an election to decide the matt
Fow cities, however, have ever 4