Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-12
MAYOR WARDWElL ADVOCATE
STR|CTEST BUSINESS METHODS
Recommends Civil Service for Police Depart
ment Street Department and City Hall En-
ployes-J. F. Letourn eau Chosen City Clerk,
Sanger N. Annis, City Treasurer and Charles
H. harrington, City Marshal

, see no particular difference in our con-
dition now and that of year ago.
am unable to find the $4,000 note re-
| duction we have heard mentioned. 1t
| will be necessary to negotiate loan at
once.
| l propose to have a very careful
statement made up of the exact condi-
ton Of the city's finances the DAY we
. take Office and at the close of the year
| will show in my report the real condi-
| ton of the city at that time, regard
! less whether the showing is good or
bad. This may be novelty.
My hope is, that we shall be able TO
reduce the tax rate to % mills and by
careful economy reduce the debt s20,-
| 900 to $4,000. This can not be done,
| however, if you yield to all calls for
new streets, sidewalks, sewers, street
| lights and the numerous other pro-
! jects that will be brought to your at
! tertion. We can afford to be called
| close, if we show results at the end Of
/ the year.
The principal obstacle that presents
an efficient and economical admins
| tration of city affairs is the constant
| changing Of city officials and employees.
Every time the city government
! changes politically. which averages
| less than two years. there is clean
sweep in the police department, street
/ department and all through City hall.
I No matter how ca pable and efficient or
how valuable to the city a man may be.
| off comes his head 10 make way for a
new man placed there as a political re-
ward and who may be very much I'M
fitted for the position. We
| Our fire department has been under
! civil service for about II years and
| you all know how much it has improS-
| ed in efficiency in that time. No city
! in the State has a better one and very
| few to equal it.
| Our city engineer is practically un-
der civil service and is u valuable man
for the city. The fire alarm, a very
complicated piece OF machinery, is I'M
der hissrharge. l recommend his re-
tentiQn:
Suppose one of our large industries
like the lockwood Co. should make
a clean sweep every year or two Of
| superintendent all overseers and ex-
pe~enced- hep right down to the men
tDat sweep out the mill, what would
DC the lesan'? W nat would be the
! chance ol div. dends tor the stockhold-
c.s! Not a Glance The mill would
! dose INSIDE OF i've years.
Tai appliea in tie SAME way to city
a.la4.s, oniy th, cltJ can't close up.
ana the pe. . h.Ne to stand 1t under
present cUndlt.~A y hyn' will they
= 3 .t,sl ~ ..4.r, a f. no
/ pai.ment.'s.sss.eeC deta. t.nent, City hall
/ clApivyes and others be placed on a
civil service basis and the positions
made permanent during good behavior?
Also city planning committee
should be formed ANA sthe new work
to be done by the city planned and
laid out for Seseral years ahead. This
would take .cate of new school build
ings andsether public improvements in
a business like. way, instead of the
present hit-or- piss. happy go lucky
lIncthods Of drifting along and being
/ totally unprepa$ed when the demand
| arse fqts such improvements. That
Is tl&fway aiAspccessful corporations
reaycp Why thakare successful
A{afan wiAs6e presented to this city
govarnsientst establish a park at
Locfsssocd shnd Bridge streets. This
would indeed be. a grand Improvement
to the City and is much to be desired.
But | see no way that the city can
hnance it this year, as the land is val
liable and would cost a lot of money.
II the Lockwood Co. and public spirited
citizens could see their way clear to
present the land to the city, the mat
ter could easily he arranged and the
park put in shape. I should like to
see Lockwood street widencd in any
case and now is the time to do it, while
there are no Buildings to purchase.
Municipal Fuel Yard
In view of the great scarcity OF fuel
this present winter and the prospect
of similar condition the coming WIN
ter, l believe you should make every
endeavor to see that a suitable amount
of wood and coal is assured so that
people may not suffer as they have
this year. If plenty can be provided by
private firms at reasonable prices there
may be no need to act. | believe our
dealers have done their best this win-
ter to supply the demand. But condi-
tons have been such that it was i'm
possible to supply the needed quanti-
ties. We must know this year before
cold weather comes just where we
stand in regard to fuel.
| The War
! AS you are all very well aware, we
are now engaged in the greatest war
the world has ever known, a war that
democracy shall not perish from the
face of the arth. A war for human
i rights, war that the common people
like you and I shall have a voice in
determining how they shall be govern
ed. A war that labor shall have a voice
in determining the amount of its wage
and the number of hours it shall la
Dor.
| | hereby solemnly pledge the ut
most efforts of this city government in
support of our President, our govern