Albuquerque morning journal., 1919-04-21
CHARTER ENEMIES
CAMOUFLACE Barred
BY ]. {, GR|GSBy
Lawyer Exposes FaIIaCy Of
Their Contention That New
Charter Would Destroy Com
miSSiOn-nlanager Form

The failacy that the new charter
would destroy the commission man
ager form of government is exploded
by J. e Grigsby of the law firm of
Heacock g. Griesby in letter to the
Journal, pointing out the fact that the
new charter makes specific and COM
nulsory provision for the city man
ager.
His letter says;
Editor Morning Journal:
Have you seen the vote no. cir
cular issued by the opposition to the
new charter? Have you seen the at
tempt to deceive the public, having
the names of Judge George r. Craig,
Judge w. c. Heacock and other prom
inent citizens. printed IN such con-
spicuous manner as to hold out that
they were endorsing the statements
made therein.
See here what the new charter will
do for you:
First-Divides the city into five
contiguous districts.
Second-Five commiss oners. one to
he selected by each district and elect
ed at large.
Third-The right to recall any COM
missioner by a petition of 3 per cent
of the number voting at the election.
Fourth-Gives the right to have a
mayor. You have none, either In
:, fact or intent. One of1the most cher
ished products of the American peo-
pie is that of maintaining mayor
! as an official head and spokesman. Is
there such a thing in this country as
/ city without a mayor. or mayor
without a city? What citizen of the
t United States would like to admit that
/. his home city. of $4,000 people, had
I no mayor?
Fifth-It gives you the manager
| form of government This vote no
paper says by districting the city i
destroys the commissioner manager
form of government and restores thu
old aldermanic form" Why make
this statement? Article V. Section
of the new charter reads as follows
: There shall be employed by the com
mission a chief administrative office
to be known as city manager"
T. could guess what this statement i
e made for and so can you.
}, Sixth-The new charter positivel
S prohibits the commiss! !oners from re
s ceiving any pay for their services, bu
: does the old one do it? If it doe
r not, then they could vote themselve
r a salary.
l. Seventh-The five commissioner
= shall have the general control of tn
/; affairs of the city. Is there any goo
o reason why five can not do this a
J we'll as three? Three commissioner
could be elected out of one block ur
n der the old charter, but no such thin
y can occur under the new one.
70 | would like to know If there wa
w not some politician or gronp of pol
70 ticians who presented the first dra
~ ~ of the new charter, the, one whic
- made no provision for a commissio
:. - of five members. but only three men
~ hers.s Were the dee loaded then {
~ were they loaded, N. the committ'
y to which it was sIibhiitted?
'is Is it possible that, the money d
. rived from the water consumers ca
~ be used for general purposes and
that is true would it have the effe
ID of reducing the taxes on the adv
lorum of property owners. but at Il
same time keep the water consum
paying the same water rate he pa
before the city acquired the plan
Do you think this would make t
water consumer pay part of t
taxes that should be collected fro
the property? Why should not t
people be represented by five mel
II bers, locally selected?
JsE. GRIGSBY.